If you want to run a theater company respected by critics and audiences alike, Andy Rogow has a simple formula: Work with the best talent you can find — and know absolutely what kind of work you want to do.
Over 13 years ago, when members of Broward County's LGBTQ+ community asked Rogow to start a theater, he absolutely knew what kind of work he didn't relish.
"At that time, my impression of most LGBTQ+ theater was lots of nudity and sex or drag queens," says Rogow, the founder and artistic director of Island City Stage, in Wilton Manors.
"It's great and it can be a lot of fun and there's definitely a place for it, but it was not what I was looking to produce," he says.
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Rogow says that he made the decision early on that his choice of material would include deep characterizations, interesting storylines and would be "more about how the LGBTQ community functions in the larger world."
Finding those sorts of plays is no small task. Rogow says he scours the New York Times every day to keep on top of what's being produced on and off Broadway. He also speaks with artistic directors of other LGBTQ theaters nationwide to check out what their seasons look like. Original plays are welcome, also.
"I like to do a balance of dramas and comedies," he says.
This week, Island City Stage goes up with a production of At The Wedding, a comedy by Bryna Turner.
The main character is a lesbian crashing the wedding of her ex-girlfriend, who is marrying a man. Rogow confesses that when he first read the play, he found that lead character "kind of unlikable."
"But as I got to know the play better, I realized she just has put up such armor and it makes her very sarcastic. And then I saw a production in Washington, D.C. and the audience loved it. And I was like, 'Of course we should be doing this play.'"
In recent years, Rogow says he decided to add more classics to the theater's repertoire. That includes Tennessee Williams' Suddenly, Last Summer as part of its 2021-22 season. Earlier this year, Island City Stage got raves for its production of Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance. And its upcoming season will include Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes.
But finding plays with nuanced portrayals of LGBTQ+ people remains a big challenge. On that score, Rogow has some advice for budding playwrights.
"Write about characters, not about issues or necessarily even plot line," he says. "Make sure that character is interesting, someone we care about.
"Playwrights, you know, they want to tackle an issue. But then the play becomes about that and it's just usually not as interesting."
IF YOU GO
What: Island City Stage presents At The Wedding by Bryna Turner
When: August 21 - September 14, 2025
Where: Island City Stage, 2304 N Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors, FL
More Information: www.islandcitystage.org
