Most people who work with and at the Waterfront Playhouse would say that Managing Artistic Director Danny Weathers is the driving force of the theater.

Since he joined the Waterfront Playhouse in 2003, Mr. Weathers has held just about every role possible in a theater. He has directed 31 productions in his 13 years at the Waterfront Playhouse, and produced a number of concerts and special theater events.

Mr. Weathers has called Key West home since 1986.

“In February of 1986, my partner Alan Melnick and I escaped a brutal Manhattan winter to visit Key West. We fell in love with Key West’s charm, beauty, warmth — and especially the vibrant arts scene. At the time, I was doing an Off- Broadway musical (with fellow Key West theater personality and Broadway star Bruce Moore) and Alan was a maritime lawyer. But we were disenchanted with the city and looking for an escape,” he said, adding, “I was growing weary with the constant auditioning and hustling for theater work.”

“Within a year, we had moved to Key West to open Seascape, a guest house on Olivia Street that we completely renovated,”

Mr. Weathers said. “After about a year of getting settled and (getting) the business going, I started doing local theater. We ran the guest house successfully for 11 years, but I was VERY happy when we sold it in 1998.”

In addition to his production prowess, Mr. Weathers performed in the Broadway cast of “A Chorus Line” as Gregory Gardner, a role he played for more than four years. He has also been in a number of Off-Broadway productions, the film version of “Annie,” and in concerts with the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization at Symphony Space in New York City and at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

At the Waterfront, Mr. Weathers has acted in “The Drowsy Chaperone,” “Lend Me a Tenor” and “Little Shop of Horrors.” The success of the Waterfront Playhouse today can be attributed in large part to Mr. Weathers’ talent, creative vision and broad production experience.

As a local theater, the Waterfront Playhouse has an impressive array of performance material and a deep pool of local talent from which to draw. But running the Waterfront is not without its challenges.

“For the most part, mainland theaters have many more resources at their disposal, both technical (costumes, props, etc.) as well as a larger and more diverse acting pool,” Mr. Weathers explains. “After all, we’re on a tropical island 150 miles from a large city. Also, with four or five theaters in town, it’s a challenge to get shows cast. Mainland theaters have much larger talent pools, often with more minority and younger actors.”

That said, Key West still has a lot to offer from a theatrical standpoint.

“I hear from actors who have worked elsewhere, as well as audiences, that our productions have a lot of heart. That’s a huge compliment,” Mr. Weathers says, adding the Waterfront Playhouse constantly strives to distinguish itself.

“A couple of things set us apart locally,” he says. “One major factor is Michael Boyer and his beautiful set designs. You always know you’re going to see something special on our stage. Michael and the Waterfront also tend to create larger scale productions than other theaters,” he explains. “For instance, we’re the only local producing theater that could have carried off “The Producers” last season — and in reality, it was probably too big even for us: The backstage barely had an inch to move with huge set pieces, hundreds of costumes, shoes, wigs, and everything else, but I’m very proud of that production,” he says. “We also use more Equity and ‘imported’ actors,” Mr. Weathers continues. “My priority is to always cast local actors first, but that’s not always possible,” but the focus on crafting top-notch performances with experienced and proficient actors is evident in the Waterfront’s offerings, for which he is almost singularly responsible for choosing each season.

To begin the process, he says, “I do a lot of research,” which means he reads and sees a lot of plays, noting that he and his partner saw 18 productions during a recent trip to London, and he’s always on the lookout for plays that are a good fit for Waterfront and Key West.

“Since we’re part of a resort town, we depend a great deal on tourists coming to the theater,” he says, noting that more than 50 percent of any audience is usually from out of town. “My decisions are based on what might appeal to those folks, and of course, locals. Is it a compelling story with characters that audiences can relate to? Does it have heart? Can we technically pull it off? Can we cast the show? Can we financially do justice to the production? Does it ‘grab’ me?

“For the season, I like to put together a range of material,” he continues. “We always do a musical, a couple of comedies, at least one dramatic work and concerts. I view it as putting together a balanced meal … and take on a big challenge,” he says.

The Waterfront Playhouse’s 2016/2017 season is no exception to Mr. Weathers’ expert eye for curating performances.

“I think we have some amazing productions lined up, and I’m excited about all of them. I’ve wanted to do the musical ‘Avenue Q’ for a long time. It’s hilarious and raucous, but also really smart and full of heart. I’m really looking forward to ‘Good People,’ which I’m directing,” he says, adding that David Lindsay-Abaire’s play “is the kind of piece I’m most drawn to — literate, full of twists and turns, funny, great characters and a great story. Plus, it packs an emotional wallop.”

And, the artistic director says, “I’m always happy when we have something by the great Terrence McNally, as well as the beauty of the American classic,” referring to upcoming productions of “It’s Only a Play” and “The Trip to Bountiful.”

“And then we’re closing out with the fun and great music of ‘Forever Plaid.’ It’s a great season,” he says.

To learn more about more about the Waterfront Playhouse’s season, visit www.waterfrontplayhouse.org.