Although Jeffrey Sweet's Chicago hit, Flyovers, wasn’t able to find an available Off-Broadway theatre last spring, and plans for a fall 2000 launch didn't materialize, producer Suzanne Golden hasn't given up hope for a spring 2001 launch. "We're still raising money," Golden told Playbill On Line (Jan. 11), "and money is coming in." Plans for an Off-Broadway mounting first materialized in fall 1999, and fundraising has continued since then for Sweet's drama, which won a Chicago Jeff Award two seasons ago as Best New Work.

Flyovers tells of a childhood bully who, a quarter century later, continues to oppress his now-successful former victim. In Chi-town, the play opened May 21, 1998, at Victory Gardens Theatre and had an extended run there to Aug. 2. William Peterson starred in the play, with Gary Cole coming in later in the run. Peterson has expressed interest in reprising his role, subject to his availability (he’s co-producing and writing a CBS TV pilot).

Dennis Zacek, director of the Chicago run (and artistic director of Victory Gardens), would stage the play in New York. Capitalization for an Off Broadway mounting of Flyovers is estimated at $500,000, with Ralph Roseman serving as General Manager.

Last season, author Sweet enjoyed another Victory Gardens hit, Bluff, starring Jon Cryer and Sarah Trigger. A new play, The Action Against Sol Schulmann, is being workshopped at VG and eyed for a 2001 mounting. Mike Nussbaum, Tandy Cronyn and David Pasquesi took part in a June reading of Action, directed by Zacek. Author Sweet also penned The Value of Names and American Enterprise, and he co-edited the "Best Plays" Theatre Yearbook for more than a decade.

-- By David Lefkowitz