It's the Mount Everest of American drama. Arguably the greatest play written by a native dramatist in the 20th Century. And this towering masterpiece of world theater is coming to Catskill's Bridge Street Theatre (that just won the Best of Greene County award for the third time) for eight performances only, November 11-21, 2021.
In Long Day's Journey Into Night, Nobel Prize-winner Eugene O'Neill takes audiences on a deep dive into the dark heart of an American family. Over the course of a single day, his autobiographical Tyrones (based on the playwright's own family) alternate between compassion and blame, love and hatred for one another as each grapple with or succumb to their inner demons. Intensely personal revelations of addiction, co-dependence, resentment, guilt, and jealousy are all laid bare in a play O'Neill never intended to be published or performed until at least 50 years after his death and which, in his own words, he wrote in "tears and blood" and with "deep pity and understanding and forgiveness" for all its haunted protagonists.
"The dysfunctional family is the major over-arching theme of so many great American dramas," says the production's director John Sowle, "and this one pretty much tops them all. It's an undisputed classic, and one I think any theater worth its salt eventually has to grapple with. It's a big commitment for us, as well as our patrons, to make, especially now as we're just starting to emerge from this pandemic. Over the course of its three-plus hour running time (with two intermissions), it puts audiences and actors on a roller coaster of emotional extremes. By play's end, you're stunned, exhilarated, and totally wrung out. We actually plan to have stickers printed up that read 'I survived Long Day's Journey Into Night' to pass out to all attendees who make it through. But it's an epic experience we think is eminently worth taking on, and we're pulling out all the stops for this production. We've hired local sculptor Marc Swanson, who has a major exhibition coming to MASS MoCA early next year, to create our sets. We've commissioned an original piano score from renowned jazz and orchestral composer Justin Morell. And we've assembled an absolutely phenomenal cast who are giving their all to do justice to this amazing mountain of a script."
Featured in the cast are
Roxanne Fay (Mary Tyrone),
Christopher Patrick Mullen (Jamie), Christopher Joel Onken (Edmund),
Steven Patterson (
James Tyrone), and, in her Bridge Street Theatre debut, Taylor Congdon (Cathleen). Lighting will be designed by Nicholas Hawrylko, costumes by Michelle Rogers, and sound by
Carmen Borgia. Production Stage Manager is
Liz Powers. Bridge Street Theatre's entire Fall 2021 American Roots Re-Awakened Season has been sponsored by
Nina Matis and Alan Gosule, and production of Long Day's Journey has been funded in part by underwriting support from Jay Lesenger, as well as a Restart NY Grant from the New York State Council on the Arts.
For the safety of both audiences and artists, Bridge Street Theatre follows union and state guidelines for indoor entertainment venues. All attendees will need to provide proof of vaccination or a recent negative test for COVID at the door prior to entry. In addition, masks will need to be worn at all times while in the theatre building. For more detailed information on the theatre's safety precautions and attendance requirements, visit
bridgest.org/covid-safety-rules-at-bst/.
Long Day's Journey Into Night will be performed Thursdays - Sundays, November 11 - 21, 2021, on Bridge Street Theatre's "Priscilla" Mainstage, located at 44 West Bridge Street in the Village of Catskill. The show is recommended for audiences ages 12 and over. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances are at 7:00pm (please note the earlier than usual curtain time), with Sunday matinees at 2:00pm. Admission at the door is $25, Students and Children ages 18 and under are only $10. Discounted advance tickets (highly recommended) are available for $22/$10 (+ a small service fee) at
ldj21.brownpapertickets.com. In addition, the Thursday November 11 preview and Sunday November 14 matinee will each be bargain "Pay-What-You-Will" performances.
For further information on "Long Day's Journey" and other upcoming events at Bridge Street Theatre, check the theatre's website at
BridgeStreetTheatre.org. Live theatre is back! Don't miss the chance to experience this epic theatrical adventure up close in Bridge Street Theatre's intimate 84-seat house.
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