Four Stars Shine Bright at Island City Stage’s ‘EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL HAPPENS AT NIGHT’
by Mindy Leaf for Florida Theatre Onstage
Who could predict when playwright Ted Malawer’s (co-writer of Emmy-nominated “Red, White & Royal Blue”) latest play was selected two years ago for Palm Beach Dramaworks’ new play reading festival run by Bruce Linser, the award-winning South Florida writer/actor/director would go on to direct the East Coast premiere (and only second staging) of EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL HAPPENS AT NIGHT at Island City Stage (ICS). The ideal LGBTQ-friendly venue. But I’m so glad he did!
We’d seen Linser act at ICS before, most impressively, in “Love! Valor! Compassion!” and “The Mystery of Irma Vep,” but not direct. (Though he has excelled in the role of director of late at other prestigious local theatres.) And it was he who first fell in love with “Everything Beautiful” and urged Island City’s artistic director Andy Rogow to read the script. Rogow was instantly smitten as well, pushed to get permission to produce the show, and wisely chose the play’s original champion, Linser, to direct.
Read the entire review here: https://southfloridatheater.com/2026/04/08/four-stars-shine-bright-at-island-city-stages-everything-beautiful-happens-at-night/
Taking comfort in spending the night with a good friend. A “Chipmunk and Squirrel” story illustration by artist Bong Redila echoes the feelings of children’s book author Ezra (Christopher Dreeson) as he comforts bruised and beaten Jake (Aiden Paul) by reading his favorite bedtime story aloud. Ezra’s longtime editor Nancy (Laura Turnbull) frowns upon their relationship and stands off to the side. Photo by Matthew Tippins.
