Four Stars Shine Bright at Island City Stage’s ‘EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL HAPPENS AT NIGHT’

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. 

Personally, I’m glad we got to attend its second run here in South Florida because I believe under Linser’s exquisite direction and the perfect casting of two award-winning, highly accomplished local stars (Laura Turnbull, Christopher Dreeson) and a young, up-and-coming one who more than holds his own (Aidan Paul), we are blessed by the best possible production. Especially considering the clever addition of a “fourth character” in endearing, full-color projections of picture-book pages by award-winning, Miami-based illustrator Bong Redila. The pages tell the ongoing stories of “Chipmunk and Squirrell” while Dreeson and Paul enact the dialog in cute, character voices. 

And who could predict when this play was first written – featuring an author’s struggles with writer’s block, quest for inspiration, late-in-life identity crisis, ultimate self-acceptance and consequent drive to share his authentic, gay self – it would become so timely an issue in today’s insane book-banning universe? Where books even hinting at “objectionable” subjects (to the narrow-minded), lifestyles and personalities (including classics that were assigned reading in my high school days) are now being removed from the shelves of Florida schools. Malawer shows us how this was already happening in the publishing industry, to some degree, when he set his story in 1980’s New York City. For a time, things were looking up, but sadly in our current political climate it’s only gotten worse. 

The writer’s life is a lonely one, especially if you’re a closeted popular children’s book author like Ezra Stein whose primary long-term relationship is with his female (who “won’t admit she’s a dyke”) editor Nancy who’d plucked his manuscript from the slush pile decades ago and has been “the invisible guiding hand” encouraging him “to go deeper, be better” ever since. In some ways, Nancy’s jealousy at Ezra’s suddenly finding love and their altercations over lunch reek of the bickering of an old married couple. Only far more clever, sharp and witty.   

Ezra Stein, as manifested in an incredibly nuanced, believable, award-worthy performance by Christopher Dreeson, is a complex character – erudite but generally nervous, insecure, and highly emotional. We meet him being tormented by worries about mortality after the sudden heart-attack death, at age 55, of someone he knew. Ezra is also a comical neat freak, like Felix in “The Odd Couple,” who no matter the crisis or passion, is compelled to hang up jackets and ensure shoes are removed before anyone enters his apartment. A lifetime opera fan, he owns a collection of vinyl records which he plays to relax or set a mood, varying from Pavarotti to Maria Callas. Why opera? Perhaps it speaks to his depression. Or as he explains to his young first lover: “All the characters are miserable. When you get right down to it, there’s nothing more Jewish than opera.”

Ezra tries to share details of one-off sexual encounters with his only friend and confidante, editor Nancy, who absolutely refuses to hear this type of talk. I can’t imagine anyone better suited than local acting legend Laura Turnbull for the endlessly challenging role of Nancy – fast-talking, driven, obnoxiously assertive (at times reminiscent of Vogue editor Anna Wintour’s character in “The Devil Wears Prada”). 

But while formidably “out there,” we can still sense underlying insecurities. Nancy rebukes grief-stricken Ezra for arriving late and forcing her to suffer the ridicule of fellow diners at the restaurant who see her waiting alone at the table. We realize this is one more sign of her inflated ego; the public around her likely couldn’t care less. When Ezra shares the reason for his late arrival and distress, her reaction is: “Nothing is worse than death. Except mediocrity.” She even adds, “This is why it’s good to be born without a heart, like me.”

And then it’s back to business with Nancy pressing her writer about when he’ll deliver the next manuscript for his popular “Chipmunk and Squirrell” series that’s past due and paid for. When his response is, “I can’t think of anything to say,” she says, “I will tell Marjorie [at the publishing house] she’ll have it in a month, and she will have to deal with it.” Despite badgering her writer to produce, Nancy is also fiercely protective. Upon meeting young “aspiring actor” Jake, now comfortably ensconced in Ezra’s home, she won’t believe this May/December match is anything more than a handsome young man living off his sugar daddy and tells Ezra as much. (She’s also extremely jealous that Jake had seen the new book he’s working on while she’s left in the dark.)

To be fair, her arguments, at least initially, make sense. Given that at their first encounter, Jake, who’d arrived eager for some action, is bewildered by Ezra’s hesitation and insistence on taking it slow. Ezra is even nervous about anyone seeing him come over, informing Jake: “This is the Upper West Side. No one has any sex whatsoever.” When Jake can’t seem to keep his clothes on, Ezra leaves the room to fetch him footsie pajamas to cover what he refers to as his “ugly dancer toes” so they can spend the night simply cuddling in bed. But as soon as he’s gone, Jake rummages through Ezra’s wallet, pilfers some cash, then also grabs the first edition of his children’s book, proudly displayed on a shelf, as it might have some value. 

It’s only when Jake shows up at Ezra’s door a couple of weeks later, battered and bruised from a rough sexual encounter (whoever applied the stage makeup did an excellent job) and Ezra asks no questions but simply takes him in and cares for his wounds, that Jake honestly apologizes for his earlier behavior. He also tries to return the book (Ezra tells him to keep it). And we witness a real and more sensitive side to the beautiful young gay man who’s all alone in the world, estranged for years from a father who refuses to support both his lifestyle and his NYC career aspirations. Maybe the yearning for a loving father figure partially explains Jake’s attraction to much older Ezra, who he keeps insisting is sexy and attractive. And while their cultural references are miles apart – Jake is shocked that Ezra hadn’t heard of music sensation Madonna and Ezra is uncomfortable when he raves about how much he loved reading Ezra’s kids’ books as a child – they come to enjoy each other’s company. 

Brimming with the vim and vigor of youth, rising above pathos and hard knocks, while blessed with a quick, inquisitive intelligence and willingness to share and learn, we do soon see why Ezra is so drawn to this beautiful, bold and still needy, young man. Proving that true love can come in many forms, ages, social and cultural backgrounds yet continue to remain a mystery, a blessing … can we call it some sort of miracle? Beautiful and extremely talented, rising local actor Aidan Paul manages the miracle of making complicated Jake appear real for his audience; a young man we, too, can fully embrace, root for and love. Paul has a few impressive local performances under his belt but with this extremely challenging role, the thespian who embodies fictional “aspiring actor” Jake has fully arrived. I expect to see a lot more of Aidan Paul in the future as he takes the South Florida theater scene by storm. 

What a difference a year makes! With changing seasons depicted as soft, snowy parks and glittering NYC nightscapes, Winter 1984 through Winter 1985 is an eventful time of growth, joy, tragedy, and ultimate vindication for the play’s three live characters. Scenic and lighting design by Ardean Landhuis highlights the “fourth,” inert, character of illustrator Bong Redila’s beautifully painted background scenes conveying the passage of time and new picture book pages. All the action is spotlighted, as well, via Landhuis, David Hart sound design, and property design by Ana Calise. 

The stage is cleverly divided into three functional sections featuring restaurant seating stage right, a lectern for book talks and awards, stage left, and Ezra’s desk holding a writing area and manual typewriter surrounded by bookshelves. Other bookcases exhibit a vinyl record collection and an old-time record player. The centerpiece of Ezra’s elegant, conservative living room is a wide, variously utilized sofa and wingback chair. The play runs for a brisk hour and 40 minutes with no intermission on a set designed to eliminate the need for scene-change interruptions. For the build we can thank MNM Theatre Co./JB Green & Jordan Armstrong’s scenic construction. Additional period veracity was provided by costume designer W. Emil White, while stage manager Richard Weinstock kept everything running at a crisp pace.

Don’t miss the East Coast premiere (and only second staging) of Ted Malawer’s truly beautiful, unusual, heartfelt, humorous, enchanting and disturbing new play. EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL HAPPENS AT NIGHT is playing now through April 26 at Island City Stage, 2304 N Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors 33305. For tickets visit www.islandcitystage.org, call 954-928-9800 or email boxoffice@islandcitystage.org.