Bridge Street Theatre Presents The World Premier Of THE LETTERS By David Zellnik

Catskill's intimate Bridge Street Theatre will inaugurate its 2019 Subscription Season with the world premiere of playwright David Zellnik's brilliant and deeply moving "The Letters". This haunting new play about unrequited love from the author of "Sharon/Herzl", "The F#@%ing Wright Brothers", and the musical "Yank!", is directed by John Sowle and features a magnificently diverse cast of four.

It's 2002. Henry and Rachel are language nerds - he studies dead languages, she studies living languages. And Rajiv is the artist who lives with them both in a squat in Berlin, enmeshed in a post-collegiate tangle of friendship, love, and sex. They're all 22, the world is full of possibility, and they want it all. Then suddenly it's NYC 12 years later and it's all coming apart. Henry is gone and Rajiv and Rachel's long engagement is fraying when a fourth character enters their lives. In the course of a single day (with flashbacks to the times they shared in Berlin), these achingly human characters wrestle with the past and try to chart a future for themselves in a language they have yet to create.

Featured in the cast (all making their Bridge Street Theatre debuts) are Shivantha Singer (Rajiv), Sara Parcesepe (Rachel), Christopher Joel Onken (Henry), and Alexis Cofield (Laura). The show is directed and designed by Bridge Street Theatre's Artistic and Managing Director John Sowle, with costumes by Michelle Rogers and sound designed by Carmen Borgia. Production Stage Manager is Joshua Martin. The play was developed with the support of New York Stage and Film, March 2018, and production of this world premiere has been underwritten in part by a generous gift from Nina Matis and Alan Gosule.

"We're long-time fans of David's work and I've previously directed a number of his one-acts," says director John Sowle. "Bridge Street has developed a reputation for finding and producing exceptional new plays, and we've been drooling over this one for the past two years, ever since David sent us its first draft. We're so privileged to be presenting its world premiere here in Catskill."

"The Letters" is recommended for audiences ages 13+ and plays Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2:00pm from April 25 - May 5, 2019 at Bridge Street Theatre, located at 44 West Bridge Street, in Catskill, NY, just a block and a half west of Main Street across the Uncle Sam Bridge, which spans Catskill Creek. Eight performances only. General Admission is $25, Students 21 and under are only $10. Discounted advance tickets are available at letters.brownpapertickets.com or by calling 800-838-3006. Tickets will also be sold at the door one half hour prior to each performance on a space available basis. "Pay What You Will" performances will be held on Thursday April 25 and Sunday April 28 ("Pay What You Will" tickets are available only at the door one half hour prior to those performances). And time is running out to subscribe to Bridge Street Theatre's entire five-play 2019 Season and receive substantial discounts on many other BST events plus special offers from local businesses. To purchase your Season Pass, visit bst2019.brownpapertickets.com or call 800-838-3006, and for more information, visit the theatre online at BridgeSt.org.

Events at Bridge Street Theatre are supported in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and by Public Funds from the Greene County Legislature through the Cultural Fund administered in Greene County by the Greene County Council on the Arts.

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