By Denny Patterson
South Florida’s Island City Stage is proud to kick off its 10th season by revisiting the play that started it all: The Twentieth Century Way.
Not only does the production still resonate today, but it serves to remind audiences that the mission of Island City Stage, at 2304 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors, is to tell socially-relevant stories that explore LGBTQA+ issues and history with flair. Written by Tom Jacobson, The Twentieth Century Way is based on the true events of two actors who are hired by the Long Beach Police Department in 1914 to entrap “social vagrants.”
Directed by Michael Leeds, the show will run October 1-31, 2021 and stars Alfonso Vieites and Clay Cartland. OutClique had the opportunity to connect with Cartland, who performed in the original production 10 years ago. Well-known among the South Florida theatre community, some of his other credits include Jean-Michel in La Cage aux Folles, Thomas Jefferson in 1776, and John Hinckley in Assassins.
Denny Patterson: The Twentieth Century Way was Island City Stage’s debut production 10 years ago. How does it feel to come back and reprise your role?
Clay Cartland: Older [laughs]. It is honestly very exciting because, basically, I have learned a lot in 10 years. So, I am excited to see how that is going to translate on stage.
DP: Without revealing too much, can you tell us more about the story and your character?
CC: It is based on true events about how actors in the early 20th century were hired by the government to out homosexuals, so they could be arrested. I play Warren, who is the older of the two. He kind of recruits the other one.
DP: What makes The Twentieth Century Way a production worth checking out?
CC: Any two-man show is worth checking out, in my opinion. The fewer actors on stage, the more interesting it can be, because the other actor and I both play seven or eight different characters in the span of 90 minutes with full-on dialogue. So, that’s fun, just from a theatrical standpoint if you are a nerd about that stuff. The other point is, if you are a history person like I am, I love learning about stuff like that. When we did the show the first time, I was literally gobsmacked that, first off, homosexuality was even a crime. I had no idea because I grew up in an era where we were not completely welcomed, but more welcomed than that.
DP: Is it challenging for you to play multiple roles?
CC: Honestly, it’s not as hard as you would think. I am not trying to make light of it because it is a very difficult thing, but it’s not like you show up and do it all the first day. I knew how the rehearsal process was going to be this time around. The first time we did the show, it was me and Mike Westridge, he played Brown, and we were rehearsing for 6-7 hours a day for about a month before we opened. The first week, all we did was read the script over and over and over again and work with accent coaches.
DP: Within that 10-year time span, have you performed with Island City Stage other times?
CC: Yes. The year after The Twentieth Century Way, I was in Body Awareness by Annie Baker. It’s about a family consisting of two mothers who have an autistic child, which I played. I was the largest austic child ever. I was also in The Star Maker where I played Rock Hudson.
DP: How has Island City Stage evolved since its beginning?
CC: It is a completely new venue than it was when I first did it. It’s about three times the size of the theatre that we first did it in. Island City has really grown. We were just shoe stringing it together for the first show, and since then, they have won tons of awards and they have a solid fanbase.
DP: Have you always had a passion for acting and performing?
CC: I guess you can call it a passion. I don’t really know what it is, but it is just always something that I loved doing and have been good at. We all have stories to tell.
DP: Do you have any future goals you would like to achieve as an actor?
CC: That’s a really good question. I like to think that my goal as an actor has always been to inspire other people. When I did Shrek, we had a lot of performances for children, and my friends’ kids would come, and they are still talking about it. They are like, we want to do theatre now, we think that is so cool, we’re not afraid to be silly or break out of our shell. I think my goal is just to inspire others to either not be afraid to be silly or go after their dreams.
Stay up-to-date with Cartland by following him on Instagram and Snapchat @clayzerbeamm. Visit IslandCityStage.org for more information and tickets to The Twentieth Century Way.
