Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks at Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre

Lily, an aging but formidable retiree, hires Michael, an acerbic dance instructor, to give her dance lessons in her condo in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. Antagonism between a gay man and the wife of a Southern Baptist minister gives way to profound compatibility as they swing dance, tango, foxtrot, and cha-cha while sharing barbs and intimacies along with the dance steps. During the sixth lesson, Lily reveals a closely guarded secret — she is terminally ill — and Michael shares his greatest gifts — loyalty and compassion. As Michael takes Lily in his arms on their final meeting, they both transcend fear and mortality while the sun sets on their last dance.

Authors

• Richard Alfieri