By Charles Baran
There’s a buzz happening on the streets of Wilton Manors and it’s not from the smooth double-shot lattes coming out of Java Joe’s. It’s over at the Island City Plaza across the street from Wilton Station where the new Gray Box Theater recently opened its doors. This exciting new 240-seat performance venue is the brainchild of Gary Van Horn, who, interestingly enough, was handed the seeds of inspiration from none other than comedian and writer Bruce Vilanch. But we’ll get to that in a second.
The past several years have been a particularly fruitful time for the arts in Wilton Manors. Several new galleries have opened around town featuring a bevy of talented painters, photographers, and sculptors. New theater companies have mounted ambitious and thrilling productions—note last season’s All My Sons and Steel Magnolias. And each year brings more and more opportunities for our local performers to appear before our enthusiastic Wilton Manors’ audiences. Gary’s new addition to the Wilton Manors’ cultural scene is well timed and most welcomed. The Gray Box Theater, with its ability to configure seating and stage placement per the requirements of the production, state-of-the-art lighting and sound, ample free parking (a rarity in Wilton Manors) and ADA accessibility including the availability of Auri assisted listening technology for the hearing impaired may just be the icing on the cultural cake. Being a lover of positive progress that enhances creativity and unites people, I definitely wanted to find out more. After connecting with Gary, I discovered he’s not only a savvy impresario but one with a terrific sense of humor and a gift for bringing people together.
CHARLES BARAN: So, Gary, where are you from?
GARY VAN HORN: I’m originally from Pittsburgh. I came down to South Florida in 2020 to be the best man at my brother’s wedding. COVID hit, and I stayed!
CHARLES BARAN: What was your impetus to open a new performance space?
GARY VAN HORN: In the spring of 2023, my friend Bruce Vilanch came down to visit and stayed with me for about a week. One morning, over coffee, he looked at me and said, “You’re miserable. All you do is go out on your boat.” I laughed, but he wasn’t wrong. A few days later, Bruce was on a Zoom call with Gavin Creel. In the middle of their conversation, he turned his laptop toward me and said, “Say hello to Gavin.” So, I did. Bruce added, “Gary’s lost and needs a purpose.” Gavin smiled and said something that stopped me in my tracks. “You need to get back to doing something creative—something that brings people together.” Fast forward a few years, Wilton Manors Commissioners (and friends) Chris Caputo and Don D’Arminio were talking about the old theater building in the Island City Plaza on NE 26 Street and how the landlord wanted to tear it down. I remember thinking what a loss that would be. And it was at that moment that something clicked. I remembered what Gavin had said, and that Bruce told me to find my spark again. And that’s how the Gray Box Theater was born!
CHARLES BARAN: Why did you call it the Gray Box?
GARY VAN HORN: The name Gray Box came from the idea that life—and art—rarely exists in black and white. The magic happens in the gray area: the space in between, where contrast meets connection, and where stories, identities, and experiences blend together. It’s where creativity thrives, where community meets curiosity, and where everyone belongs, no matter where they fall on the spectrum. At the Gray Box, we are anything but black and white.
CHARLES BARAN: Tell me about the flexibility of the space.
GARY VAN HORN: It’s one of the most exciting things about the Gray Box. We designed it as a truly transformative space—a blank canvas that can shift and adapt to whatever story needs to be told. One night it’s a cabaret club with intimate tables and chairs, the next, it’s a concert hall, or a comedy club, a black-tie gala, or a full theatrical performance.
CHARLES BARAN: Amazing. What’s coming up next at the Gray Box?
GARY VAN HORN: Lots of exciting things! November 8, 2025, we have Ry Rivers, November 13, an evening with Andrew Keenan-Bolger presented by OUR Fund, November 22 and 23, a Bette Midler tribute show called Bathhouse to Broadway with Shelley Keelor and friends. December 5 brings KAYKO featuring Lost Stars – Manic Pixie Dream Girl Tour, then, on December 11, the Benjamin Jackson Comedy Hypnotist Show. January 20 we have Cameron Cody – Praise, Playbills and the Grand Piano. We’re planning to have my friend Bruce Vilanch do a reading of his brand-new play and, from across the pond, an evening with acclaimed UK singer-songwriter Benedict Cook. So, lots coming up!
CHARLES BARAN: I’ll say! It’s such a great thing to have the Gray Box in the community. Thank you for making it happen. Anything you’d like to leave us with?
GARY VAN HORN: Yes. Someone once asked me if I wanted to be a promoter. My answer was easy: absolutely not. I don’t want to sell tickets—I want to create connections. I want to tell stories. Because when you do that, hearts open, minds grow, and communities come together. The most remarkable thing about the Gray Box isn’t the equipment or the design—it’s the people.
The Gray Box Theater is a registered 501(c) 3. For more information on upcoming performances, rentals, volunteering or to donate, visit the Gray Box website at www.graybox.theater
