South Florida Premiere of THE DYING GAUL Comes To Island City Stage

A salacious love triangle, secrets and intrigue haunt the modern American tragedy The Dying Gaul by Craig Lucas making its South Florida premiere at Island City Stage on May 22. The show runs through June 15.

“The Dying Gaul, whose title is based on the ancient Roman statue depicting a warrior in his final moments of life, examines the complex professional and sexual relationship between Robert, who wrote a screenplay about his boyfriend who died of AIDS, and Jeffrey, a movie studio executive, and his wife, Elaine, who will only commission the script if the main character is changed to a woman and the plot focuses on heterosexual relationships,” said Andy Rogow, artistic director of Island City Stage. “It's a thrilling drama where sexual deception, internet chat rooms, lies, betrayal and artistic compromise are woven together, resulting in a stunning conclusion.”

Hailed in 1998 as the best American play by The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, The Dying Gaul premiered off-Broadway at New York City's Vineyard Theatre to rave reviews. Craig Lucas later adapted the play into a 2005 film (starring Peter Sarsgaard, Campbell Scott and Patricia Clarkson) marking his directorial debut. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize and the National Board of Review awarded the film Special Recognition for Excellence in filmmaking.

The personal and professional life of acclaimed playwright, screenwriter and film director Craig Lucas is as engrossing as his plays. Abandoned as a child when he was eight months old and adopted by a conservative Pennsylvania couple, he repressed both his Jewish identity and sexual preference for years. It was only till he embraced his identity as a gay Jewish man that he was able to develop as an artist and as a person. A 1973 graduate of Boston University, earning a bachelor's degree in creative writing and theater, his mentor Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Anne Sexton, urged him to move to New York City to become a playwright. In 1979, his life-changing professional break took place when he collaborated with theater and film director Norman René. The two wrote several plays throughout the 1980s. They both achieved their biggest commercial and critical success in 1990 with Prelude to a Kiss, which earned a 1991 Pulitzer Prize nomination. The play was later made into a film starring Meg Ryan and Alec Baldwin. René died of complications from AIDS in 1996. Since 2001, Lucas has received numerous awards as a playwright, director and screen writer including a 2001 Obie Award and a 2003 New York Film Critics Award. In 2022, he was nominated for a Tony Award for the musical, Paradise Square.

Island City Stage's production of The Dying Gaul is directed by Rogow and stars Amir Darvish (Jeffrey), Jorge Amador (Robert), Autumn Kioti Horne (Elaine), and Ted deChatelet (Foss).

Amir Darvish (Jeffrey) has appeared in the New York productions of Seen/By Everyone, This Lingering Life, I Came to Look For You On Tuesday, The (*) Inn, Taxi to Janna and the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway one-man show, Mercury about the life of Freddie Mercury. Other selected regional credits include The Golden Dragon (Studio Theatre DC), Disgraced (Florida Repertory Theatre), and Rafta Rafta (Old Globe Theatre San Diego) He has appeared in the television programs "Madam Secretary," "Shades of Blue," "The Blacklist," "Michael J. Fox Show," “Person of Interest,” "Damages," and "The Daily Show", amongst others. Darvish has appeared in numerous commercials and print advertising around the world and has done voice-over work. Additionally, he is co-founder, creator and producer of Five on a Match. His directing works include COCK by Mike Bartlett, ART by Yasmina Reza & HARAM IRAN by Jay Paul Deratany and Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet.

Jorge Amador (Robert) is making his Island City Stage debut. His New York City credits include Sticks and Stones: Concert (Broadway Workshop) Rep Book (Green Room 42) and Glee! In Concert (Pit NYC). His regional credits include Mortiz in Spring Awakening, Gabe Goodman in Next to Normal, Peter in Peter and the Starcatcher, Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow), Benny from In The Heights,  Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid, Darius in Afterglow, Tony in West Side Story, Frank Abagnale Jr. in Catch Me If You Can, Swing in Be More Chill, Enoch Snow Jr, in Carousel plus roles in Beauty and the Beast and Matilda.

South Florida artist and actor Autumn Kioti Horne (Elaine) returns to Island City Stage after performing in Pulp and Rotterdam for which they received a Silver Palm Award, Outstanding Performance. Horne recently appeared Dry Powder (Boca Stage), POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive (Zoetic Stage), Tango Palace (Thinking Cap Theatre) and Last Summer at Bluefish Cove (The Foundry). Other regional credits include performances at Theatre Lab, Caldwell Theatre and GableStage. In New York City, Horne appeared in The Hive (Galapagos Art Space) and She Calls Me Firefly (New Perspectives), among others. Horne is the co-founder of Sea Change Collective, creating unique devised physical performances in unusual places. When not performing, Horne is an interdisciplinary artist, poet, and environmental educator exhibiting global interdisciplinary work.

Ted deChatelet (Foss) is an actor, film maker, director, teacher, and fight choreographer who has worked extensively at theatres and universities around the country. He teaches acting for the camera, and acting Shakespeare at Florida Atlantic University. His theatre credits include performances at Portland Center Stage, the Oregon Symphony, Salem Rep, ACT Seattle, Milwaukee Rep, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and seasons with the Shakespeare Festivals of Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, and North Carolina. His film and television credits include “Wild,” “Grimm,” “The Librarians,” “The Wonderland Murders,” Saturday Night Live, and numerous commercials. He will soon star in the web series, “Mackerel” the short film “Anxious!” and The Tempest (FAU Theatre).

The Dying Gaul is co-produced by Thel Boyette and David Page. Lights and Sound Sponsor is Scott Bennett. Costume sponsor is the Parrot Lounge. Additional funding is provided by the following: The Our Fund Foundation, The Schubert Foundation Inc., The SHS Foundation, The Maval Foundation, Warten Foundation and the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council.

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