By Charles Baran

The South Florida Theater community has enjoyed tremendous growth over the past decade. There are lots of options for a wide variety of audience members. Contributing heavily to that success is Island City Stage. From a humble beginning twelve years ago at Empire Stage to their own comfortable state-of-the-art space on N Dixie Highway, Island City Stage has consistently presented plays that entertain, make us think, and tell the stories of all letters of the LGBTQ+ alphabet, not just gay men. I had the chance to chat with the Artistic Director, Andy Rogow, to find out more about the journey it took to get here.

Charles Baran: Hi Andy! Happy Season 12 to you and everyone at Island City Stage. Twelve years is a long time. How did it all happen?

Andy Rogow: It was a happy coincidence. And challenging. First, it was never on my radar to run an LGBTQ theater. My background, and my master’s degree, is in musical theater. What did I know about gay plays? (laughs) I had been involved with a small group of people on another theater project, and when that unfortunately ended the circumstances seemed to present itself and we grabbed the ball and ran with it. Then, with a dedicated group of board members, the help and support of David Gordon and Empire Stage, it all fell into place. Now, here we are, 12 years later.

Charles Baran: You, your staff and your board have done quite well. The work presented is consistent and fresh. Love, Valor and Compassion was amazing. How do you plan a season?

Andy Rogow: It’s like creating a great soup. You have to have all the right ingredients.

Charles Baran: What are they?

Andy Rogow: I look for plays that fit our mission. Inclusivity. Telling the stories of all members of the LGBTQ+ community. I scour the NY Times theater section looking for new plays that are interesting. I get recommendations from friends and board members. I work towards a balance of comedy and drama, telling a variety of stories, and making sure, above all, that our community is being well served.

Charles Baran: How would you describe your current season?

Andy Rogow: This year I specifically steered away from issue plays and politics and leaned into a couple of classics. Then added some fun, unfamiliar, works. The mood I was getting from the patrons was that they didn’t want to go to the theater to see on stage what they were reading in the news every day.

Charles Baran: So, would you say this is your “fun” season?

Andy Rogow: I think they’re all fun. But you could say it’s our “lighter” season.

Charles Baran: What shows are on your bucket list?

Andy Rogow: I’d love to do a big musical but unfortunately our stage can’t accommodate a cast that large. We are seriously considering doing our first (Edward) Albee and (Christopher) Durang plays. I love Nicky Silver and Lanford Wilson. I’m always on the lookout for the next up and coming LGBTQ+ playwright. And of course, we love to do another play by our very own South Florida resident, Michael McKeever.

Charles Baran: Tell us about the remaining shows in the current season.

Andy Rogow: Which Way to the Stage, currently running until February 11, is a show I relate to. A lot. It’s about struggling musical theater performers. It’s told in a fun way from very interesting characters. After that is Pulp, a steamy and sultry 50’s era lesbian musical set in a nightclub in Chicago. A very stylized piece with a cast of five. Comic and sensual. It’s directed by Nicole Stoddard. Then there’s Skintight, a dramedy about a 70-ish Calvin Klein type designer in a relationship with a 20-year-old guy with porn star looks. The designer’s daughter comes for a surprise visit. It’s really about love and the different kinds of love. We close the season with Die, Mommie, Die by the incredible Charles Busch. We have Kris Andersson, aka Dixie Longate, playing the Busch role, an aging singer who plots to kill her husband and run off with her younger paramour. It’s a hoot.

Charles Baran: With a season like that, I can’t wait to find out about Season 13.

Andy Rogow: We’ve got some surprises in the works. Stay tuned!