DARLIN' World Premiere and More Set for Bridge Street Theatre 2026 Season

Bridge Street Theatre has revealed its 2026 MainStage Season and SoloFest lineup, a dynamic year of theatre that spans comedy, drama, world premiere work, and intimate solo performances. Featuring beloved classics, contemporary voices, and new works in development, the season promises a wide-ranging exploration of identity, family, resilience, and what it means to stand your ground.

2026 MAINSTAGE SEASON

Bakersfield Mist

By Stephen Sachs
Directed by Mark Perry
April 16-26, 2026
Thurs-Sat at 7:00 PM, Sun at 2:00 PM

Inspired by true events, this hilarious and thought-provoking comedy-drama pits small-town smarts against big-city credentials in a battle over art and authenticity. When Maude, brash and unapologetic, buys a thrift-store painting she's convinced is a lost masterpiece worth millions, she calls in Lionel Percy, a highbrow New York art expert, to authenticate it. What follows is a fiery clash about truth, worth, and integrity.

Monsters of the American Cinema

By Christian St. Croix
Directed by Tony Speciale
May 28-June 7, 2026
Thurs-Sat at 7:00 PM, Sun at 2:00 PM

A gripping, heartfelt drama about family, responsibility, and moral courage. After inheriting a drive-in theatre and the care of his late husband's teenage son, Remy forms a fragile bond with Pup over classic monster movies. But when Remy uncovers Pup's bullying of a gay classmate, their relationship is thrown into turmoil, forcing both to confront prejudice, grief, and the gray spaces between right and wrong.

The Lisbon Traviata

By Terrence McNally
Directed by John Sowle
August 6-16, 2026
Thurs-Sat at 7:00 PM, Sun at 2:00 PM

A razor-sharp exploration of obsession, identity, and chosen family set against the soaring passions of opera. When two friends collide over love and betrayal, witty banter spirals into a devastating confrontation that exposes the cost of living for art versus living for truth.

Happy Days

By Samuel Beckett
Directed by Matthew Earnest
September 3-13, 2026
Thurs-Sat at 7:00 PM, Sun at 2:00 PM

This renowned masterpiece, which contributed to Beckett's Nobel Prize for Literature, is a hauntingly comic meditation on resilience and the human spirit. Trapped waist-deep-and later neck-deep-in earth, Winnie clings to optimism and routine as her world slowly closes in around her.

Storm Still

By Gab Reisman
Directed by Jasmine Roth
October 1-11, 2026
Thurs-Sat at 7:00 PM, Sun at 2:00 PM

Three sisters reunite in their late father's backyard, transforming the task of sorting his belongings into a raw, electrifying reimagining of King Lear. With biting humor and aching honesty, the play explores grief, memory, and how we hold onto ourselves as we weather the past together.

Darlin' (World Premiere)

By Michelle Carter
November 5-15, 2026
Thurs-Sat at 7:00 PM, Sun at 2:00 PM

A poignant, time-hopping tapestry that explores the fierce, funny, and often fraught bonds between mothers and daughters across generations. Developed at Bridge Street Theatre over the coming year, this new play examines the search for identity, connection, and the histories that shape who we become.

SOLOFEST 2026

Bridge Street Theatre's popular SoloFest returns in March with three distinctive one-person performances:

Palatable Gay Robot
Written and performed by Stephen Brower
March 6-8, 2026

A fast-paced, razor-sharp comedy about a gay robot built to entertain straight audiences who begins to question his programming, identity, and purpose. With biting humor and emotional depth, the show explores authenticity, identity, and the cost of fitting in.

Herkimer! How My Ignorant Immigrant Ancestors Saved America and You Can Too

Written and performed by Ned Averill-Snell
March 13-15, 2026

A funny and moving journey through an overlooked chapter of American history, blending storytelling, humor, and reflection to explore a Revolutionary War moment that still resonates today.

Archie Parrish's Parting Words

Written and performed by Ernest Thompson
March 20-22, 2026