Telly Leung (Aladdin, Allegiance, Glee) is set to produce an invite-only industry reading of Gianfranco Lentini's Ocean Walk, held December 5 at Open Jar Studios. Marc Acito will direct. 

Set in the aftermath of a catastrophic storm that has submerged Fire Island, Ocean Walk centers on Harry, a longtime resident of Fire Island Pines, who refuses to evacuate his submerged home even as Casey, a teenage Sayville Ferry deckhand, arrives to rescue him. 

The cast will feature James Lloyd Reynolds as Harry, Caroline Keegan as Casey, and Benjamín Cardona as Glen/Martín. Julie Monteleone will serve as stage manager.

“I believe in Gianfranco’s vision,” Leung said in a statement. “He’s captured the beating heart of the community that holds Fire Island Pines—an iconic queer sanctuary—dear. But it’s about the universal bond we all have to the places that define who we are. I’m thrilled to be working on this project, which feels both urgent and timeless.”

Ocean Walk is the first in Lentini's series of works titled The Pines Plays, a cycle that reflects the changing cultural and environmental landscape of Fire Island and the queer community. Lentini, a researcher and board member with the Fire Island Pines Historical Society, brings a uniquely informed perspective to the project.

“What most people don’t realize is that Fire Island Pines is only 71 years old,” Lentini said in a statement. “However, in just the span of a single lifetime, this tiny barrier island has gifted the world with so much life and legacy. My hope is that Ocean Walk honors the lived experiences of those who call the Pines home while sharing the queer magic of this haven with those who’ve never taken the ferry ride over.”

New York's Life Jacket Theatre Company is co-producing the reading.