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Dear friends,

It is with great heartbreak and remorse that ISSUE Project Room announces the passing of our founder, artistic director, and driving force, Suzanne Fiol. Born on May 9, 1960, Suzanne died at 1:05 pm on Monday, October 5, 2009, after fighting a courageous and inspiring battle against cancer. Suzanne passed peacefully surrounded by loved ones at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Our hearts go out to her daughter Sarah, her sister Nancy, and her parents Lawrence and Arlene Perlstein.

Anyone who has met Suzanne knows that she devoted her life to creating and sustaining a space where artists -- acclaimed and emerging, local and international -- could develop and perform new, challenging, and exciting works. Regardless of the different venues we've inhabited since our inception in 2003, ISSUE has always been Suzanne's labor of love, a space that housed and reflected her restless intellect, fiery spirit, and great heart. She would often jokingly refer to herself as "Mama Issue," a fitting moniker considering the unconditional love she unabashedly showed her friends, family, and the steadily growing audiences that have been coming to ISSUE over the years.

We are grief-stricken by Suzanne's passing, yet inspired by her vision and strength, and will devote ourselves to fulfilling her vision with the strength we draw from our memories of her. Programming will continue this week in honor of Suzanne, and we welcome you all to come to ISSUE and share your memories.

A memorial is currently being planned.
Please stay tuned for information on its time, date and location.

We would like to extend our most heartfelt thanks to all of you for supporting Suzanne and ISSUE's mission.

Sincerest regards,
Steve Wax, Board Chair
On behalf of Zach, Michelle, Lawrence, and all of us at ISSUE