Season 2, Episode 5: Behind every summer is a community that keeps Fire Island alive. This episode explores the history of the beloved Pines Pantry through the eyes of its iconic Pantry Girls, alongside the volunteer firefighters of The Pines and Cherry Grove who protect the island from fires, hurricanes, beach erosion, and an uncertain future.
Upstage Productions To Debut With DEATHTRAP At Empire Stage This October
Janice Hamilton launches new theatre company with Ira Levin’s classic comedy-thriller.
By: A.A. Cristi
Upstage Productions, the brand-new theatre company founded by actress, singer, auctioneer, and businesswoman Janice Hamilton, will make its debut this fall with Ira Levin’s Deathtrap. The production will run October 10–November 2, 2025, at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.
Levin’s Deathtrap (Rosemary’s Baby) is a masterfully crafted comedy-thriller that mixes gasp-inducing suspense with sharp humor. The play follows Sidney Bruhl, a once-successful playwright whose career has faltered. When a young former student arrives with a brilliant new script, Sidney sees his chance to return to glory—but the twists, turns, and betrayals that follow keep audiences on edge until the very end.
Hamilton brings decades of theatrical, television, and film experience to her new role as producer. A familiar face on South Florida stages, her credits include City of Angels and Crazy for You (Jupiter Theatre), RX and Gingerbread Lady (Boca Stage), The Savannah Sipping Society and Morning After Grace (Pigs Do Fly Productions), and Don’t Dress for Dinner (Caldwell Theatre). She has toured nationally in Viagra Falls, appeared Off-Broadway in The Dutchman and Be Happy For Me, and acted in films including Boynton Beach Club, Just My Type, and the Hallmark movie A Royal Makeover.
“I chose Deathtrap as our opening production because I adore the murder-mystery genre and thought the timing was perfect in conjunction with Halloween,” said Hamilton. “Plus, Deathtrap is a comedy and pure escapism—something I believe we all need in the present social climate.”
The production will be directed by Hamilton’s longtime collaborator DK Kondelik, who will also serve as prop master and set dresser. “Whether on stage or in the classroom, we strive for artistic excellence that entertains, challenges, and inspires,” Kondelik said. “Our mission is to celebrate the joy of live performance while elevating voices and provoking meaningful dialogue.”
Ticket Information
Deathtrap will run October 10–November 2, 2025, at Empire Stage (Fort Lauderdale). Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online at upstageproductions.net or by calling 954-678-1496.
More on Empire Stage
Upcoming Shows
Love Theater in Miami? Join The Community!
Whether you've got past experience writing about theater or just starting, the BroadwayWorld Community offers a unique opportunity to become a champion for your local arts community, helping raise awareness of local offerings and adding another local voice to the conversation at a time arts coverage is shrinking in the press across the continent. Join us and become a pivotal part of the movement that celebrates and promotes the arts in the digital age.
Learn More
Broadway news in your inbox
Weekly top stories - unsubscribe anytime.
Weekly top stories - unsubscribe anytime.
Popular episode
|
Liberation GableStage (3/19-4/18) |
|
We Had a World GableStage (1/22-2/14) |
|
Come From Away Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre (1/27-2/21) |
|
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre (3/31-4/23) |
|
Monty Python's Spamalot Kravis Center (11/10-11/15) |
|
CHROMA 2026 – A Miami Art Week Fair for Contemporary Art & Community Lucid Art Gallery (12/02-12/16) |
|
We Had A World GableStage (1/22-2/14) |
|
SongFest - Love Letters: Songs of Romance Devotion and Desire Florida Grand Opera (3/12-3/12) |
|
Liberation GableStage (3/19-4/18) |
|
The Bodyguard Kravis Center for the Performing Arts [Dreyfoos Hall] (11/27-11/29) |