"Monsters of the American Cinema"

About this event

Bridge Street Theatre presents the regional premiere of “Monsters of the American Cinema” by Christian St. Croix, directed by Tony Speciale, running May 28–June 7, 2026, in Catskill, New York. Performances are Thurs–Sat at 7:00pm and Sun at 2:00pm. Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for students.

Set in a Southern California trailer park over the course of four days, “Monsters of the American Cinema” follows Remy, a Black, gay man who inherits a drive-in movie theater and becomes guardian to his late husband’s teenage son, Pup. In the wake of loss and transition, the two are forced into a new and uncertain relationship, searching for common ground.

They find it, at first, in a shared love of classic horror films. Monster movies become a language between them—a way to connect, to escape, and to make sense of a world that feels unstable. What begins as a fragile but genuine bond does not remain safe.

As real-world behavior begins to mirror the violence and fear of the films they watch, that connection is tested—and begins to unravel in unsettling ways. The distance between fiction and reality narrows, and the stories on screen begin to echo more dangerously in their lives.

Blending humor with emotional tension, “Monsters of the American Cinema” explores questions of identity, masculinity, grief, and accountability through the lens of a relationship in flux. As Remy and Pup struggle to understand one another, the play asks what it means to confront difficult truths—and what it takes to truly see another person.

Intimate in scale and sharply character-driven, the play is built for close-up viewing, where every shift in tone and relationship is felt in real time. Bridge Street Theatre’s 84-seat space places audiences directly inside the story, heightening both its humor and its emotional impact.

Bridge Street Theatre is located at 44 W Bridge St in Catskill, NY.
Tickets and information: https://bridgest.org/monsters-of-the-american-cinema/