BWW Previews: CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH WITH DEBUT OF DANIEL'S HUSBAND at West Coast Players

With comedic scenes and raw moments that will gut you, Daniel's Husband is a play that is sure to take you on a rollercoaster of emotions. Written by Florida playwright Michael McKeever, when the play world debuted in 2015 to stellar critic reviews, Dan Kelley was in the audience to support his dear friend. Dan was so captivated by the production that he dreamed of directing and one day bring Michael's words to life.

Fast-forward six years, and Dan is directing Daniel's Husband on stage at West Coast Players for its west coast Florida debut June 4 - 20th during Gay Pride month. He hopes that audiences won't shy away from an LGBTQ story because it is an emotional love story at the heart of it. The show plays to everyone, not just the LGBTQ community.

Starring Mark Williams Myers, Richard Isaacs, Avery Anderson, Samantha Marti Parisi, Daniel McKay, and Daniel Lyons, Daniel's Husband is a contemporary American play about the perfect couple - Daniel and Mitchell - who happen to have polarized worldviews views on gay marriage. These conflicting views set in motion a significant chain of events.

"One of the things that attracted me to the play was it very disarming. It's funny, endearing, and moving," said Dan. "A lot of times when I see a script of a show that I enjoy, I'm like it's not as great as I remember, but in this case, I even fell in love with Daniel's Husband, even more, when I read it and read it and read it. Every time I read it, it never fails to move me. It's very nicely written. He's been produced in places like New York, LA, and San Francisco."

Dan explained that the theme is of the show is that although you can't choose your family, you can select your friends who become your family.

"Early on, our stage manager said that this play is going to spark so many different discussions and bring up so many different questions like who was right and who was wrong," said Dan. "The mothers are going to think one thing; the gay couples are going to think another thing. It's just opening up a whole bunch of conversations."

Dan said that when he first saw the show, afterward, the audience just sat there taking it in.

"Michael did such a good job with this play. I'm hoping the LGBTQ community comes out to support this play because that will tell producers that it's ok to choose gay-themed works."

Daniel's Husband runs June 4-20 at West Coast Players, 21905 US-19 N Clearwater, FL. Shows are Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm. Learn more and buy tickets at wcplayers.com/daniels-husband.