An investigation into a young Brazillian artist’s mysterious death leads an American playwright on a profound journey of introspection in “O Time” being presented at Catskill’s Bridge Street Theatre March 21-23 as the third installment in BST’s SoloFest 2025. Written and performed by David Zellnik (“Yank!”) and directed by Danilo Gambini, Associate Artistic Director at Studio Theatre (“Ni Mi Madre”), “O Time” was one of the top-selling shows in United Solo Festival’s 2024 line-up in NYC last spring. This will be the play’s Regional Premiere.
When “Yank!”, David Zellnik’s musical about gays in the military during WWII, became a huge hit in Brazil in 2017, David flew down to Rio and found himself part of a passionate community of theatre makers that included George Luis, the show?s vibrant 26-year-old producer. Two years later, George was dead – of a mysterious “sudden bacterial infection”. David returns to Brazil to attend his memorial, but the more he probes into George’s personal life, the more he’s forced to wrestle with his own feelings and fears and to examine the real source of his desire to understand George’s life and death. Part memoir, part mystery – “O Time” explores the space between countries and cultures, language and translation, past and present, truth and lies.
“Perhaps our favorite of any of the world premieres we’ve produced here at BST is David Zellnik’s haunting ‘The Letters’, which we presented back in 2019,” says Bridge Street Theatre co-founder Steven Patterson. “This new piece, based on an actual experience from David’s own life, is easily as riveting as any mystery. But, more than that, it’s a deeply personal reflection on friendship, mortality, and cultural erasure. We’re so thrilled and honored to be sharing it with our audiences in Catskill.”
“O Time” will be presented for three performances only – Friday March 21 and Saturday March 22 at 7:30pm, and Sunday March 23 at 2:00pm – on Bridge Street Theatre’s intimate “Priscilla” Mainstage, located at 44 West Bridge Street in Catskill, NY. For more details and ticketing information, visit
bridgest.org/solofest-2025-three/. While visiting the website, don?t neglect to purchase tickets for the final production in this year’s SoloFest – Erica Knight’s “Ghost Dance: Picture of a Madman”, the tragic
story of painter Ralph Albert Blakelock, created and performed by his own great-great-granddaughter! You’ll also find information on the availability of a Season Pass good for admission to all five plays in Bridge Street Theatre’s upcoming Mainstage Season for 2025 – Brian Dykstra’s “Polishing Shakespeare”, Amy Herzog’s “Mary Jane”, Carmen Borgia’s “South: A Nautical Musical”, Hannah Moscovitch’s “Red Like Fruit”, and Ernest Thompson’s “On Golden Pond”.
*Performance Calendar: *Bridge Street Theatre presents
SoloFest 2025 Show Three
*O TIME *Written and Performed by David Zellnik
Directed by Danilo Gambini
Three Performances Only!
Friday March 21 and Saturday March 22 at 7:30pm
Sunday March 23 at 2:00pm
Bridge Street Theatre?s “Priscilla” Mainstage
44 West Bridge Street, Catskill, NY
* Tickets: *Online in advance: $27
At the door: $29
Ages 18 and under: $15
https://bridgest.org/solofest-2025-three/
2025 Regular Season Pass: $125
https://bridgest.org/2025-season-pass/
*Bios: DAVID ZELLNIK* *(Author, Performer)* is the author of numerous plays and musicals. His work includes “Yank!” with composer Joseph Zellnik (Off Broadway 2010: 7 Drama Desk nominations, Best Musical nominations from the Outer Critics’ Circle and Lucille Lortel Foundation). It has received
productions in London’s West End, Rio de Janeiro (Winner of CENYM Best Musical of Brazil, 2017), Brisbane, as well as Chicago, Columbus, Richmond, and Louisville. Broadway Workshops directed by David Cromer. A Portuguese-language graphic novelization (“Yank: Diario de Guerra”) will be on sale soon! His plays include “The Letters” (World Premiere, Bridge Theatre 2019); “The Udmurts” (Winner: Equity Library Theatre Competition 2015, semi-finalist O’Neill; World Premiere, Defunkt Theatre Co, Portland, OR); “Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom” (New Ensemble, Defunkt). www.davidzellnik.net
*DANILO GAMBINI* *(Director) *is a director of theater, musicals and opera, the Associate Artistic Director at Studio Theatre, and a graduate of the Yale School of Drama. Recent credits include “Ni Mi Madre” by Arturo Lu’s Soria at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (Obie Award Winner; Drama Desk
Nomination, Drama League Nomination, Outer Critics Nomination., NYT Critic’s Pick, TheaterMania Editor?s Pick); and the new musical “Sabina”, by Willy Holtzman, with music by Louise Beach and lyrics by Darrah Cloud, co-directed with Daniella Topol at Portland Stage in Maine. Prior to Yale, Danilo worked as an opera and musical theater director in Brazil. Directing credits include Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”, “Ariadne Auf Naxos” by Strauss, Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin”, and the rock-opera “Tommy” by Pete
Townshend. Before Studio Theatre, he was the Associate Artistic Director at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, as well as part of the 20/21/22 Roundabout Director’s Group. https://www.danilogambini.com/
Poster design by Neo Avila
Flyer with photo of David in the foreground by John Sowle
*Events at Bridge Street Theatre are supported in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor of New York and the New York State Legislature and by Public Funds from the Greene County Legislature administered by CREATE Council on the Arts. Bridge Street Theatre’s entire 2025 Season is dedicated to the memory of Mary E. Barrett. *
