Andy Rogow is the founding Artistic Director of Island City Stage.
Under his leadership for 12 seasons, the theater has produced Carbonell and Silver Palm award-winning productions that have not only entertained but explored issues such as gender transitioning, racism, Alzheimer’s, gay marriage, rape, HIV in the Black community, autism, bullying, and more. He is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and is a past president of the Theater League of South Florida. He has also chaired the GLBX Gay and Lesbian Business Exchange at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce and is a co-chair of the Silver Palm Awards.
Prior Related Employment and/or Education: Artistic Director-Hollywood Playhouse. Freelance director. BFA from NYU and MFA from UNLV.
Mission Statement: Island City Stage is a professional theater committed to sharing stories of universal interest, engaging diverse audiences with entertaining, challenging, and inspiring productions and programs, often exploring the LGBTQ culture.
What would you say is the most rewarding part of your job?
I love watching and working with talented artists. But my greatest reward is interacting with audience members after they have just seen one of our productions and hearing about how they have been entertained, challenged, and affected by the story they had just experienced, told in that unique way only live theater can deliver.
What would you say is the most challenging part of your job?
Programming a season of great plays with amazing stories and creating projects that add value to our community, challenge our artists, and we can deliver as fully realized, quality productions our audiences expect. Then we have to accomplish all of that within the confines of a budget that keeps our ticket pricing accessible and our audiences coming back again and again.
What would be a “dream come true” for your organization?
To win the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre.
Where would you like to see your organization in 10 years?
To be in a larger facility capable of meeting the needs of our imaginations and the aspirations of our community. We want to be producing the best and most amazing stories - plays and musicals - our artists are passionate about, staged in theatrical, surprising, and creative ways that our audiences will love.
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