ANNOUNCES ITS 2016-2017 SEASON
In its fifth anniversary season, Island City Stage continues it’s commitment to producing new work in addition to finding unusual selections of LGBT-themed plays from around the country. ‘SON,’ James L. Beller‘s family drama, will open the season November 10th. After twelve years, Jean and Day, a lesbian couple, are finally slated to get married. On the morning of the wedding a police officer appears to arrest their 15 year old son for date rape of a girl. The impact is devastating and brings to the surface family secrets that test the love for a son and the long term relationship of two mothers. Runs November 10- December 11, 2016.
In January, Associate Artistic Director Michael Leeds will direct his play ‘THE FIRST STEP – DIARY OF A SEX ADDICT.’ Originally produced at Empire Stage in 2011, the play deftly veers from comedy to drama as it graphically depicts the story of a gay sex addict’s turbulent journey toward recovery. Provocative and poignant, full of music and flights of fantasy, ‘THE FIRST STEP – DIARY OF A SEX ADDICT’ reveals a life rarely seen on the stage. Audience members should be warned there is strong language and nudity. Runs January 12-February 12, 2017.
April brings the biting comedy ‘PERFECT ARRANGEMENT’ by Topher Payne. It’s 1950 and new colors are being added to the Red Scare. Two U.S. State Department employees, Bob and Norma, have been tasked with identifying sexual deviants within their ranks. The twist: Both Bob and Norma are gay, and have married each other’s partners as a carefully constructed cover. Inspired by the true story of the earliest stirrings of the American gay rights movement, madcap ‘I Love Lucy’ sitcom-style laughs give way to provocative drama as two “All-American” couples are forced to stare down the closet door, confronting the very struggles facing society today. Runs April 6- May 7, 2017.
The summer heats up with the world premiere of Stuart Meltzer’s funny and moving play, ‘THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS’ . It’s the Goldberg family’s annual celebration of Grandma Bessie’s birthday, even though she’s been dead for 21 years. A surprise crisis forces this quirky family to come together to deal with the present, let go of the past, and face the future as we see the story unfold through the lens of each character in wildly creative ways. Runs June 15 – July 16, 2017.
The season will close with the 5th Annual version of ‘SHORTS GONE WILD,’ the popular series of eight 10-minute plays produced in partnership with City Theatre. Runs August 17- September 10, 2017
