Who Killed Joan Crawford? At Island City Stage - Serial Laughs Pay Homage To Everyone’s Favorite Drama Queen In This Campy Comedy

"Fabulous... The best thing about the show is not knowing where it was going!" — Walter McBride, audience member

"Thanks for a really great night and a really great whodunnit!" — Kris Anderson, audience member

"Definitely coming back! We sold out the theatre tonight and we're coming back again!" — David Weber, audience member

“Who Killed Joan Crawford? makes no pretense to cure society’s ills. It is a bitchy, exaggerated and deliberately ridiculous fun little play with murder tossed in as the main course, and a twist ending we promise you won’t see coming.” – Britin Haller, Florida Theater on Stage

“In addition to recreating a fast pace, unexpected shockers, terribly clever, witty dialog and hilarious situations – Leeds truly nailed, and even at times surpassed, some of the mystery and comedy styles of his forebears with topical originality and verve!” – Mindy Leaf, South Florida Theater Magazine

On a dark, stormy night in 1993, five men arrive at a cabin for a soap star's surprise birthday party. Each guest has been asked to dress as the birthday boy’s favorite actress, Joan Crawford, in one of her signature roles… and the results aren't pretty! As they wait for the star, the five "Joans" begin drinking and dishing. Dark secrets emerge and soon there’s one Joan less ... and then another... leaving the remaining Joans — and the audience — asking, “Who Killed Joan Crawford?!”

The show is both written and directed by Michael Leeds. Leeds began his career performing on Broadway under the direction of such luminaries as Gower Champion, Ron Field, and Martin Scorsese before moving into directing, choreographing and writing. As a writer/director, Leeds is perhaps best known for writing and directing Swinging On A Star on Broadway, which received a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical. His plays also include The First Step, Impressions, The Gift, Starmaker, and his adaptation of Cole Porter’s Red, Hot And Blue which he directed at both Goodspeed Opera and PaperMill Playhouse as well as co-writing book, music and lyrics for Mating Habits of the Urban Mammal which has had productions throughout the country. For film, Leeds’ history with director Linda Yellen began when he choreographed End of Summer starring Jacqueline Bisset and Peter Weller. Since then he co-wrote with Yellen, The Simian Line starring William Hurt, Lynn Redgrave and Tyne Daly, The Last Film Festivalstarring Dennis Hopper and Jacqueline Bisset, Showtime’s Fluidity starring Nico Tortorella, and Chantilly Bridge, starring Lindsay Crouse, Jill Eikenberry, Ally Sheedy, Talia Shire, Patricia Richardson, Helen Slater and JoBeth Williams (Paramount+). His latest film, an adaptation of Stewart Lewis’s YA book, One Stupid Thing, starring Corey Fogelmanis (Girl Meets World), Skye Katz (Surviving Summer) and Jack White was awarded Best Picture at the Boston International Film Festival, Best Feature at the Edinburgh Film Festival, and is currently a semi-finalist in the London International Filmmakers Festival. As a director, aside from his Broadway credits, Leeds directed and choreographed the production of Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah- The Songs of Allan Sherman for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Best Director/Best Choreographer. Other Off Broadway credits include Showing Off, the York Theatre’s revivals of 70, Girls, 70 and Lerner & Lane’s Carmelina which he adapted with the original book writer Joe Stein. His production of the European premiere of Arthur Miller’s Playing For Time won the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival First Award. He also directed and choreographed A Little Night Music for the Houston Grand Opera and Marc Blitzstein’s Regina for Florida Grand Opera. In South Florida, he’s directed at GableStage, Palm Beach DramaWorks, Broward Stage Door Theatre and Island City Stage where he is associate artistic director. His many productions there have earned him South Florida’s highest honors: the Carbonell, Remy and Silver Palm Awards.

“The idea for Who Killed Joan Crawford? started with just the title. I loved the fast-paced wit of writers like James Kirkwood, Christopher Durang, and Paul Rudnick, and I was a big fan of Agatha Christie; I had read all of her books when I was a kid. And finally, I was in “the biz” and had gay friends “of a certain age” like myself, who, at times, I wanted to kill,” said Leeds. “The ending actually changed three times in rehearsal for the original production 10 years ago. I think the one we settled on is really a surprise and not anything the audience will expect!”

Island City Stage’s 2026 revival production of Who Killed Joan Crawford? stars Michael Coppola (Harvey Goldberg), Luke Di Liddo (David Hoch), Christopher Dreeson (Stewart Fry), Jay Eisler (Trick Roberts), Bruce Linser (Gene Harlowe) and Stephen Trovillion (Leo Lawrence).

Island City Stage’s 15th Anniversary Season promises a captivating and eclectic collection of works, imaginative productions and extraordinary shared experiences. Upcoming shows in 2026-27 are: Grey Gardens (The Musical) with Music by Scott Frankel | Lyrics by Michael Korie | Book by Doug Wright from Thursday, January 14th, 2026 - Sunday, February 14th, 2027; Paper Cut by Andrew Rosendorf from Thursday, March 11th, 2027 – Sunday, April 4th, 2027; Messy White Gays written by Drew Droege from Thursday, May 20th, 2027 - Sunday, June 13th, 2027; and The Lion in Winter by James Goldman from Thursday, July 8th, 2027 -Sunday, August 1st, 2027. The theater will also offer a limited engagement of Broadway Barbara's Holiday Spectacular from Thursday, December 17th, 2026 – Sunday, December 20th, 2026.

Who Killed Joan Crawford? Co-producers are Mark Tews & Raymond Griffis, Jeffrey Danielson and Michael Mullins & Terry Gaw. Lights and Sound Sponsor is Scott Bennett and Set Sponsor is Glenn Goldberg. Costume Sponsors are The Doug Pew & Don Croxton LGBT Trust at Our Fund. Additional funding is provided by the following: The Our Fund Foundation, The Schubert Foundation Inc., the SHS Foundation, the Warten Foundation, and OutClique.

Individual show tickets start at $50. A Women’s Night at the Theater with a pre-show reception will take place on Friday, October 23rd, 2026. The show runs for 70 minutes with no intermission.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: www.islandcitystage.org. Call: (954) 928-9800. Or email: boxoffice@islandcitystage.org. Follow Island City Stage on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/IslandCityStage and on Instagram at @islandcitystage.

About Island City Stage

Founded in 2012, Island City Stage is a professional regional theater committed to sharing classic and contemporary stories, engaging audiences with entertaining, challenging, and inspiring productions and programs. These shows are brought to life on stage through the talents of professional artists whose credits include Broadway, Off Broadway, national tours, major regional theaters, film and television. Island City Stage offers an intimate setting with six rows of stadium seating to foster a feeling of inclusion and participation at each theatrical event. Island City Stage is a 501 (c) 3 NonProfit Organization. It is located at 2304 North Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors, Florida 33305.

For tickets and more information, please call: (954) 928-9800. Or: visit: www.islandcitystage.org.