Written by: Bill Rogers
Directed by: Gerald vanHeerdan
Theater Company: Tara Lane Productions

"Dangerous to Dance With" by Bill Rogers, the acquaintances of a brilliant yet paranoid playwright are forced to put up with his verbal abuse as he manipulates them like the characters in one of his plays. This dark comedy will be presented for its New York debut by Theater for the New City as part of its 2019 Dream Up Festival August 30 to September 5, directed by Gerald vanHeerden. Harris Stepp III, a successful playwright with delusions of grandeur, despite not having seen a Broadway stage in several years. He believes that his box office appeal has value added to it by the rumors of him killing a famous theater critic. Harris’ delusions are matched only by his cunning for manipulating his guests and tenants like the characters in his plays. His understanding of human frailty allows him to exploit the vulnerabilities of the people closest to him including: Nick, his former son in law who was left paralyzed after a drunken accident on the Stepp farm ending his acrobatics career; Jill, his niece who after a brutal sexual assault was left unable to relate to men, and Stratemeyer, a farmer who is burdened by his German heritage and his morbidly irrational fears of bankruptcy. The only one he can’t manipulate is Joe, his daughter’s most recent fiancé, who may very well be a hit man sent to kill Harris.

 

Bill Rogers is an award-winning playwright and educator. He has written three other full-length plays: "Broken Strings," "Breaking the Trust," and "Caldwell's Bomb," two-hour long plays: "Death of a Publican," and "Collisions," and a full length musical, "Wild and Willful Women" for which he also wrote the lyrics. Currently, Rogers lives in San Diego California, where he is finishing his first novel.

Director Gerald vanHeerden is a graduate of the Boston Conservatory and an alumnus of Webster University Theater Arts Conservatory. Mr. vanHeerden has worked Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway as the director of several original plays and musicals including "Dangerous Walk," "Caldwell's Bomb," "Farm Hill," and "Your Name On My Lips... a new musical." Mr. Rogers and Mr. vanHeerden have previously worked together on Rogers' play, "Caldwell's Bomb," which was presented at the Venus Theatre Festival in February 2016.