Bridge Street Theatre to Host Free Reading of DARLIN This Week

Bridge Street Theatre invites audiences to experience the creation of a new play in real time with a free developmental reading of “Darlin'” by Michelle Carter, on Friday, March 27 at 7:00 PM.

Directed by Zoya Kachadurian, the reading offers a rare opportunity to hear an early draft of a new work that will receive its full Mainstage production at Bridge Street Theatre in November 2026.

Following the performance, audiences are invited to share their reactions and feedback—insight that may directly influence the play's continued development.

Playwright Michelle Carter, whose previous works “How to Pray” and “Better” have been produced at Bridge Street Theatre, returns with a piece that is at once poetic, expansive, and emotionally searching. Moving fluidly through memory, time, and shifting perspectives, “Darlin'” is performed by a cast of four actors portraying multiple roles across interwoven narratives.

Director Zoya Kachadurian, who helmed Bridge Street Theatre's acclaimed 2025 production of “Mary Jane,” reunites with the company for this developmental process. Critics praised “Mary Jane” as “more than exceptional” (Berkshire on Stage), “a joy to watch” (Nippertown), and “funny and agonizing” (Metroland Now).

The cast for the reading includes Rebecca Brown Adelman, Amanda Duarte, Phil Mansfield, and Barbara Pitts, a group of accomplished performers with extensive credits in regional theatre, television, and new work development.

The creative team will spend several days workshopping the script prior to the reading, shaping and refining the material in collaboration with the actors. The March 27 event offers audiences a unique window into that process—from page to performance.