Photo by Dennis Dean

A complicated romantic triangle develops between (from left) Jeffrey (Amir Darvish), Elaine (Autumn Kioti) and Robert (Jorge Amador) in Island City Stage’s impressive production of Craig Lucas’s play, The Dying Gaul.

By AARON KRAUSE

The set design for Island City Stage’s (ICS) intense, believable, and moving production of Craig Lucas’s complex, layered play The Dying Gaul is immaculate. It is white, upscale, spotless — practically perfect in every way, as Mary Poppins would say.

The set in no way hints at the darkness and filth that soon seep into the story. Perhaps scenic designer Alyiece Moretto-Watkins deliberately chose such a light-colored, pure-looking space to contrast with the piece’s moral muck.

Beneath the set’s pristine surface lies a play that dives into murky territory: grief, guilt, betrayal, manipulation, and a moral darkness that would disturb almost anyone… unless they are amoral.

You may conclude that at least one of The Dying Gaul’s characters fits that description. But that should not totally shock us. After all, the play’s setting is Hollywood — that cutthroat, often unethical playland where profits can take precedence over principles, and where sincerity is often no more than a performance.

ICS’s professional production, which runs about two hours and 15 minutes with intermission, continues through June 15 at the company’s intimate black box space in Wilton Manors. Michael Leeds directs a trio of talented leads — and a supporting actor — with polish and precision.

The play’s title references the ancient statue of a dying Gallic warrior — a beautiful figure caught in the agony of death. This can represent one of the characters’ grief, but it may also carry a deeper, more elusive meaning that leaves you scratching your head.

The Dying Gaul can be a tough play to grasp, but that should not keep you from experiencing it — and then wrestling with its many themes and ideas. In fact, the play, which can seem dense and tries to do too much at times, sounds deceptively simple.

The setting is the mid-1990s in Los Angeles, in the heart of Hollywood (Lucas, who used to work in Hollywood and lost his lover to AIDS, writes from experience). Robert, a young, struggling gay screenwriter, has recently lost his lover, Malcolm, to an AIDS-related illness. Robert has written a deeply personal screenplay about their relationship. The movie’s title: The Dying Gaul — once again referencing the ancient Roman sculpture symbolizing a beautiful, noble death.

Jeffrey, a successful, charismatic Hollywood producer, courts Robert and offers to buy and produce the screenplay. However, Jeffrey insists that Robert literally “straighten” the story for commercial viability. He basically tells the young writer that nobody likes gay people, and audiences will not watch a film about them. That can be hard to hear today, during a time when the LGBTQ community is under attack — even though gay marriage has been legal for some time now.

In 2025, we are also well past the time when AIDS was a death sentence, so mention of AIDS may not hit us as hard as it did, say, during the 90s. However, with the COVID pandemic still in our mind, we know what it is like to be helpless in the face of a killer disease – much like Robert probably felt as he watched Malcolm slowly and painfully slip away. That kind of loss can leave a person emotionally raw and vulnerable — perhaps too vulnerable for the psychological game that is about to unfold in The Dying Gaul. Because just as Jeffrey begins courting Robert professionally, Jeffrey’s wife, Elaine, becomes emotionally entangled with him. And with that, a twisted psychological and emotional game begins.

Frankly, the nervous and sensitive Robert seems out of place in this ruthless setting. It threatens to make mincemeat out of him before too long. And a youthful, eager Jorge Amador deftly captures Robert in all his fragility, enthusiasm, naiveté, and nervousness. However, you also sense that Amador’s Robert carries a fierce determination and will to succeed. He has already survived Malcolm’s long and drawn-out struggle with AIDS, and the trauma of his lover’s death. But will Hollywood prove a deadlier test?

When we first meet her, Autumn Kioti’s Elaine is kind of like Moretto-Watkins’ pristine, perfect set. She seems warm and free-spirited, without a bad bone in her body. But people are complex, and Elaine proves to be multifaceted. From Lucas’s script, it is hard to fully understand this woman’s motivations. She remains something of an enigma, even after witnessing Kioti’s nuanced, convincing portrayal. Notice her desperation as, with urgency, she types out messages in an Internet chat room.

Internet chat rooms — remember those? — were quite popular during the 1990s and early 2000s. Even back then, the Internet allowed people to hide behind anonymous profiles while performing less than reputable acts. In fact, The Dying Gaul raises questions about online ethics related to anonymity.

Just as it can be hard to read Elaine, the same holds true for Jeffrey. He proves to be a great actor. For much of the play’s first half, Amir Darvish expertly maintains the producer’s polished façade. He comes across as carefree, calm, and completely content. In fact, his sympathetic manner convinces you that everything is going to be OK. But eventually, Jeffrey’s mask slips, revealing a troubled man wracked with internal conflict — and perhaps guilt.

One of Jeffrey’s most explosive moments in the play is devastating to watch and hear. And Darvish performs it with credible intensity without sacrificing realism. It reveals a versatile, seasoned performer at the top of his game.

In a supporting role, Ted deChatelet also impresses as Robert’s earnest, caring therapist. He, like some of the other characters, may quietly carry his own burden of guilt.

Leeds directs with an attention to detail. For instance, enthusiastic characters like Robert lean forward at times, reinforcing their intensity. In contrast, Jeffrey leans back — seemingly calm, content, and in control.

The production’s pacing seems just right — not too fast, not too slow. It allows us to keep up with the action.

The Dying Gaul is not an easy play to watch or grasp. Indeed, Lucas packs a lot into the work without all the pieces necessarily cohering all the time. But you cannot question the piece’s emotional power. It forces us to wrestle with challenging topics without providing easy answers. Certainly, the play lingers with you. That is a credit not just to Lucas — perhaps best known for his more accessible romantic fantasy, Prelude to a Kiss — but to ICS. This award-winning professional theater company continually proves its commitment to excellence by consistently presenting top-notch productions that entertain, enlighten, and challenge.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Island City Stage’s production of Craig Lucas’s powerful play, The Dying Gaul

WHEN: Through June 15. Performances are at 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, as well as 2 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday.

WHERE: Island City Stage’s intimate theater, 2304 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors.

TICKETS: Prices start at $50. Call (954) 928-9800 or go to www.islandcitystage.org.