Vero Beach’s own Riverside Theatre is setting the stage for an exciting new theatrical venture. On May 11, the acclaimed local venue will host a private industry reading of The Mouse and The Mustache, an imaginative new play penned by Anthony Dodge. This exclusive presentation serves as a crucial developmental step ahead of the production’s highly anticipated world premiere, which is currently slated to open at the Vero Beach theatre in February 2027.
The upcoming production offers audiences a unique glimpse into a fictionalized encounter between two of the twentieth century’s most iconic artistic minds.
Set in a Hollywood hotel in 1947, the play explores a fascinating imagined meeting between animation pioneer Walt Disney and surrealist icon Salvador Dalí. The two artists debate art, commerce, and creativity before ultimately forming an unexpected partnership.
The industry reading boasts a talented cast and creative team preparing to bring this historical fiction to life on the Treasure Coast:
- Max Mendoza Crumm will take on the role of the eccentric Spanish artist, Salvador Dalí.
- James Taylor Odom will portray the legendary American animator, Walt Disney.
- Richard B. Watson will help guide the audience as The Narrator.
- Marcia Milgrom Dodge is set to direct the presentation, with casting handled by Scott Wojcik and the Wojcik Casting Team.
Both the playwright and the director bring an impressive Broadway and literary pedigree to Indian River County. Playwright Anthony Dodge is an Edgar Award-nominated writer whose notable works include Sherlock Holmes & The West End Horror, Venus Flytrap: A Femme Noir Mystery, and Free Burt Lancaster.
Director Marcia Milgrom Dodge is a celebrated figure in the theatre community, having earned Tony, Drama Desk, and Astaire Award nominations for her work on the Broadway production of Ragtime. She currently serves as the American Show Director for Tokyo Disneyland’s 40th Anniversary Parade. Local theatregoers may already be familiar with her exceptional work, as she previously directed and choreographed Evita at Riverside Theatre.
The development of The Mouse and The Mustache further cements Riverside Theatre’s longstanding reputation as a cultural cornerstone for Vero Beach and the wider Treasure Coast. Built in 1973, the premier local venue continues to draw massive audiences, producing high-quality musicals, plays, comedy programming, and children’s theatre for more than 120,000 patrons annually.
