Island City Stage Presents I WANNA F*#%ING TEAR YOU APART Next Month

Island City Stage, in co-production with Out Front Theatre Company in Atlanta, will present the South Florida debut of I Wanna F*#%ing Tear You Apart by Morgan Gould, from March 2 - April 2. Bring your bestie to see this new limited show that tackles love, friendship and jealousy with a touch of snark.

Samantha and Leo are a team - best friends, roommates, allies against the world - until a new friend enters and upends their co-dependent world of mutual self-loathing and "Grey's Anatomy" marathons. A play about the nature of friendships in all of its f*#%ked up forms, with a special shout-out to the kind of love that sometimes looks like a lot of rage.

"I was approached by Out Front Theatre Company's Artistic Director Paul Conroy to bring this relatable friendship comedy to South Florida and the answer was a resounding 'YES,'" said Andy Rogow, artistic director of Island City Stage. "I Wanna F*#%ing Tear You Apart is like Will & Grace on steroids. It's an unpredictable roller coaster ride of emotions filled with awkward conversations, satirical banter, bittersweet moments and nostalgic musical nods sure to resonate with theatregoers."

I Wanna F*#%ing Tear You Apart was developed by and with the Brooklyn College MFA Writer's Workshop, SPACE on Ryder Farm, and through the 2016 Beatrice Terry Award/ Drama League. In February 2017, the play ran at Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C. The production was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play.

Directed by Melissa Foulger and co-produced by DC Allen and Ken Flick, I Wanna F*#%ing Tear You Apart stars Matthew Busch as Leo and Sofia Palmero as Samantha. Both actors are starring in the Atlanta production and will continue their run at Island City Stage. Joining the cast is Casey Sacco as Chloe who has appeared at Island City Stage in Summer Shorts and Zanna Don't and designed the costumes for the current production of Rotterdam.

Matthew Busch will reprise his role of Leo from Atlanta's Out Front Theatre production of I Wanna F*#%ing Tear You Apart. The actor and director also appeared in the company's productions of The Flower Room, The Thrush & The Woodpecker, and Equus. He has also appeared in Atlanta productions of Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Actor's Express), Exit Strategy (Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre), Entertaining Lesbians, Tokens of Affection, The Credeaux Canvas, Other Desert Cities, The House of Yes (Out of Box Theatre), among others.

Also hailing from Atlanta to appear in the Island City Stage production is Sofía Palmero. Palmero's credits include The Santa Closet (Out Front), Bull in a China Shop (Out Front Theatre), Fuddy Meers (Essence to Crux), Spirits to Enforce (Vernal & Sere), and Henry IV & V (Shakespeare on Draft). You may also catch a glimpse of them in Blumhouse's queer horror film, "They/Them" on Peacock.

Melissa Foulger is the artistic director of DramaTech, Georgia Tech's student run theatre. Foulger has directed throughout the Atlanta area at theatres such as 7 Stages, Actor's Express, Theatre in the Square, Aurora Theatre, Theatrical Outfit, and Dad's Garage. Her productions of Wolves, Suddenly Last Summer and Far Away have garnered top director nods from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Creative Loafing and The Sunday Paper. Wolves, Pluto, See What I Wanna See and Clybourne Park have won multiple Suzi Bass Awards. She was nominated for a Suzi Award for Best Director for Wolves at Actor's Express. She has guest lectured on topics such as "Improvisation and Technology," "Theatre as a Form of Game," and "Ritual and Play" and is a member of the Digital Performance Initiative, which researches the intersection of performance with the latest technology.

Creating quality professional theatrical experiences focused on the LGBT+ community for a universal audience, Island City Stage's 11th South Florida season tackles thought-provoking productions that explore poignant longing, gender questions, loneliness, the ins and outs of friendship and the magic of random human connection. Upcoming shows include Tracy Jones by Stephen Kaplan from May 18 - June 18 and a season closer (to be announced) from August 3 - September 3.

Tickets for I Wanna F*#%ing Tear You Apart start at $40. Enjoy a special Mimosa Sunday on March 12 for $55 that includes a light bites pre-reception and a post-show talkback, sponsored by Bill Volbrecht and Jay Molluso.

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