SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS Summer Appeal 2026
Dear Friends,
I’m writing to you just days after our extraordinary Still We Rise Gala 2026, where we had the joy of honoring Marc Scorca, longtime President of OPERA America, with the Denyce Graves Award, and celebrating Melissa Warlow with our inaugural Community Leadership Honor for her many years of service to the arts community. I’m also writing just before rehearsals begin for The Song of Sakuntala, the final production in our 2025–2026 season of all premieres.
This has been a groundbreaking season for IN Series: seven premieres in nine months. From St. John the Baptist to the world premiere blues opera The Delta King’s Blues, followed by our three-weekend festival of new works—Only the Air, Passio, and For Women Serving Time—we have remained deeply committed to elevating local artists and strengthening the artistic ecosystem of the DMV region.
And now, we look toward an exciting and courageous future.
With the arrival of our first Executive Director, David Mack, and the opening of a new permanent home next season, IN Series continues to grow in bold and meaningful ways. Our upcoming season, SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS, takes a singularly brave artistic stance—creating work that speaks directly to this moment while remaining rooted in beauty, joy, empathy, and transformation. At a time of increasing division and uncertainty, I believe more than ever that art matters.
Our mission insists that theater and music deepen conversation, make space for complexity, and invite people together with compassion.
Through the extraordinary generosity of an anonymous donor, every contribution made toward our $35,000 goal will be matched dollar-for-dollar, allowing us to raise a total of $70,000 by July 1. Every gift—no matter the size—will help support our artists, our new home, and the daring productions that define IN Series.
Together, we make this region more vibrant, compassionate, and alive.
Thank you for believing in this work, for standing with our artists, and for helping us continue to create theater from music that challenges, inspires, and transforms.
With gratitude and Hope,
Timothy Nelson
Artistic Director at IN Series
