Last Days of the High Flier
Play Description
Set in 1963, LAST DAYS OF THE HIGH FLIER is the story of a young man waiting for his life to begin, the mysterious ex-pilot who enters his life, and the intricate dance of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness that takes place between the two men. Historically based, the story revolves around political conspiracies, including the CIA’s secret war in Laos. It also addresses personal struggles that occurred almost a half-century ago but still have relevance in an age in which intelligence failures and civil liberties threats dominate the news.
Production Info
Cast: 10 total (4 female, 6 male)Full Length Drama (about 130 minutes)
Multiple Sets
Contemporary Costumes
- Reviews
- About the Author(s)
- About the Book
- Special Notes
Press Quotes
“Reardon has written a play for our times. He has taken on one of the most troubling and important issues facing America: How to live in an open society safely and honorably when many parts of the world are dangerous and menacing.” —Bloomington Herald-Times
“In the wake of 9/11 Reardon has given us a timely play in which the present can be seen in the reflection of the past. And as we look into this mirror of political intrigue and personal struggle, LAST DAYS OF THE HIGH FLIER shows us a face of compassion, forgiveness, and valor.” —The Ryder
“Reardon is a playwright who has been in the theater for many years while maintaining the same passion and commitment today that he had during his days at the Public Theater. There are people who write plays and then there are playwrights. Reardon is in the latter category and he is among the finest. 1963 was the tipping point that set into motion a national malaise that still has consequences today, and the play paints in humor, pain, and revelation the truth of that time while also being a mirror for our own times … Very few playwrights in the American theater are writing with such skill and power as Dennis J Reardon does in this epic play that combines the personal and the political into a complex reflection of who we are as a people.” —Bloomington Herald-Times
Author(s)
Dennis J ReardonDennis J. Reardon's first play, THE HAPPINESS CAGE, had the honor of being the inaugural production in Joseph Papp's Newman Theater, flagship venue for the complex now known as the Joseph Papp Public Theater. That widely acclaimed play went on to receive productions in Berlin, Amsterdam, and Johannesburg and was made into a film starring Christopher Walken. Mr. Papp subsequently produced Reardon's SIAMESE CONNECTIONS and THE LEAF PEOPLE, the latter premiering at Broadway's Booth Theater under the direction of Tom O'Horgan. Reardon's STEEPLE JACK won the National Play Award from both the National Repertory Theater Foundation and the Weissberger Foundation, and his comic drama, THE PEER PANEL, won the Theatre Memphis triennial National Playwriting Competition. He has been the recipient of a New York Creative Artists Public Service (CAPS) Award for UNAUTHORIZED ENTRIES, the Indiana Arts Commission Master Fellowship for BOONE DESCENDED, a Shubert Fellowship in Playwriting for THE HAPPINESS CAGE, the Avery Hopwood Award for SIAMESE CONNECTIONS, and a two-year Playwriting Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. His ten-minute play, SUBTERRANEAN HOMESICK BLUES AGAIN, has been produced throughout both America and Europe since premiering at Actors Theatre of Louisville. The collection Plays by Dennis J. Reardon (Broadway Play Publishing) came out in 2001 and includes STEEPLE JACK, THE PEER PANEL, AND THE MISADVENTURES OF CYNTHIA M. LAST DAYS OF THE HIGH FLIER received its premiere from Indiana University in 2004 and is also available through Broadway Play Publishing. Reardon served as the Head of the Playwriting Program at Indiana University from 1987 until 2008.
Special Notes
If original stage producers credits appear in bold below, all licensees are required to include them in the following form on the title page in all programs distributed in connection with performances of the Play and in all advertising in which the full cast appears in size of type not less than ten percent (10%) of the size of the title of the Play:
In addition, the following must appear within all programs distributed in connection with performances of the Play:
by special arrangement with Broadway Play Publishing Inc, NYC
www.broadwayplaypub.com
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