By EVM Staff
The FIM Flint Repertory Theatre has announced its 2025-26 season, and despite its Bower Theatre home being under construction, “the show must go on” by way of a season-long collaboration with the University of Michigan-Flint.
According to a FIM press release, the Flint Rep has “taken up residence” in the UM-Flint Theatre, with all three of its mainstage productions — as well as a March production of “Lucky Stiff,” produced in collaboration with the UM-Flint Department of Theatre and Dance — to take place at the nearby venue.
“This season marks an exciting moment of transition and growth,” said Flint Rep Interim Artistic Director and Managing Director Nicole Samsel in the release. “We’re embracing the unknown and seeking connection in new places, and we are excited for what’s to come.”
Samsel added that collaborations like the one with UM-Flint “represent an incredible opportunity to expand our audience while reaching deeper into the community we love with the artistic work we’re passionate about.”
Shelby Newport, chair of the UM-Flint Department of Fine and Performing Arts echoed Samsel’s enthusiasm for the partnership.
“UM-Flint has always been an active collaborator with Flint Repertory Theatre and the other cultural center institutions. This co-production and having Flint Rep in residency is the first large-scale collaboration of its kind between us, and it means a lot for UM-Flint,” said Newport. “I’ve always wanted to share the UM-Flint Theatre with Flint Rep audiences, and now we get to do that.”
The Flint Rep’s season begins in this month with a twist on the American classic, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” by Tennessee Williams. A description of the production promises it will “immerse audiences in the world of New Orleans” and feature the addition of original and arranged music by sound designer Katie Hopgood, meaning much of the score will be performed by actor-musicians.
“The production also promises a unique interpretation of the play’s familiar ending,” according to the FIM press release announcing the UM-Flint collaboration.
“A Facility for Living” will then run in December, and Green Day’s “American Idiot” will round out the Rep’s mainstage season at the UM-Flint Theatre in May 2026. Additionally, the Rep’s “Ghost Light Cabaret Series” will debut on Sept. 3 in the FIM Elgood Theatre lobby, and its annual New Works Festival will run from February 13 – 15, 2026.
“A Streetcar Named Desire” will run from Sept. 19 through Oct. 5. Tickets and more information on other upcoming Flint Rep performances can be found here.
