Burning Leaves, a new play

NYC’s Historic LGBTQIA+ Theatre Company, presents the world premiere of this funny and profoundly affecting new play written by Tom Rowan, directed by Graydon Gund.
In need of a fresh start, Matt Leland, a young actor on the run from New York, takes a job teaching at a small high school in the Midwest – where he finds himself feeling unprepared for the unexpected challenges that await. His most talented student is Jesse Wade, a troubled sixteen-year-old on the verge of coming out. Isolated in the small conservative town, Jesse desperately needs a gay role model—and other things Matt may or may not be able to provide. Burning Leaves is a humorous, compassionate play that asks serious questions about education, friendship, and love.
“Burning Leaves is by turns funny and devastating,” says Gund. “Making you laugh, tear up, and feel for these characters, as they stumble their way through shifting social and political terrain. To me, the play is about balancing a connection with another person who needs you and how that will be perceived.”
Gund directs a cast of six, including Brady Dalton Richards, Campbell Idol, Annemarie Rosano, Jonathan Stewart, Sophie Tananbaum, and Becky Rusch.
The running time is two hours, plus one 15-minute intermission.