Which Way to the Stage by Ana Nogueira at Island City Stage

Broadway superfans Jeff and Judy eagerly await their idol Idina Menzel after her performance in If/Then at the stage door every night. But when a sexy stranger enters the scene and upends their decades-long friendship, the musical theater aficionados have to go off book to rewrite their own finale in Island City Stage’s production of Which Way to the Stage by Ana Nogueira. This playful yet profound comedy  about friendship, ambition, and what happens when dreams fall just out of reach runs January 18 – February 11.

Set in 2015, Which Way to the Stage introduces outspoken best friends since college Jeff and Judy who are regulars at the stage door and take pride in their vast knowledge of the theater. Aspiring performers themselves, the duo soon face the music inadvertently by revealing the insecurities underneath their carefully constructed facades. As new relationships are formed and the story digs deeper, so does the insightful examination of gender, sexuality, and drag. Do the two ever meet their idol? Can they reconcile their differences of opinion? And what happens next?

Ana Nogueira is a Brooklyn-based writer and actress. Which Way to The Stage had its world premiere at MCC Theater in New York City. The play was chosen for the 2019 Kilroy’s List and the Pacific Playwrights Festival at South Coast Rep, where Nogueira was the recipient of the Elizabeth George Emerging Playwright Commission. In 2016, her play Empathitrax premiered Off Broadway at Here Arts Center with the critically acclaimed theater company Colt Coeur, where she is a company member. Her work has been developed at Second Stage, The New Group, SPACE on Ryder Farm and Barrington Stage. Nogueira co-wrote and starred in the short film We Win, which premiered at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival and won Best Screenplay at the Rhode Island Film Festival. Her acting credits include Bob And Carol And Ted And Alice (The New Group); Engagements, Mala Hierba (both at Second Stage); Bump (Ensemble Studio Theater); Knives And Other Sharp Objects (The Public/LAByrinth); and three seasons on the Starz series Hightown. She is a proud alumnus of the Obie Award-winning playwriting group Youngblood at Ensemble Studio Theater.

Which Way to the Stage is directed by Michael Leeds and stars Matthew Buffalo (Jeff), Sofia Porcel (Judy), Clay Cartland (Mark) and Gaby Tortoledo (Actress/Bachelorette/Casting Director).

Which Way to the Stage is sponsored by Co-Producers Russell Vance and The Bears of South Florida, Set Sponsors William Sandrik and Henry Smith, and Lights and Sound sponsor Scott Bennett. Additional funding provided by the following: The Our Fund Foundation, The Schubert Foundation Inc., The SHS Foundation, The Maval Foundation, The Warten Foundation, FlockFest, the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council, and by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of Arts and Culture and the State of Florida. 

Island City Stage’s 12th Season opened with sold out performances of Love! Valour! Compassion! Other shows this season include Pulp by Patricia Kane; Music by Amy Warren & Andre Pluess with lyrics by Patricia Kane (Apr. 11 – May 5); Skintight by Joshua Harmon (May 30 – Jun. 23) and Die! Mommie Die! by Charles Busch (Aug. 29 – Sept. 22).

Tickets for Which Way to the Stage start at $40. A Mimosa Sunday performance sponsored by Jimmy Cunningham will be held on January 28 with tickets at $55. The show runs for two hours and five minutes with one intermission.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.islandcitystage.org, call (954) 928-9800 or email boxoffice@islandcitystage.org. Follow Island City Stage on Facebook at facebook.com/IslandCityStageFL and on Instagram at @islandcitystage1.