Catskill, New York – Bridge Street Theatre in Catskill, New York, the region’s “most fearless professional stage company,” is currently accepting submissions for casting consideration for the upcoming production of Stephen Sachs’ acclaimed two-character play, Bakersfield Mist, directed by Mark Perry.
Rehearsals begin around March 30, 2026 in Catskill, New York, with performances April 16 – 26th, 2026, on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Inspired by true events, Bakersfield Mist is a hilarious and thought-provoking comedy-drama that pits small-town instincts against big-city expertise in a battle over art and authenticity. When Maude, a brash and unapologetic woman from Bakersfield, buys a thrift-store painting she’s convinced is worth millions, she calls in Lionel Percy, a sophisticated New York art expert, to authenticate it. What follows is a fiery and gripping clash about truth, class, worth, and integrity.
We are actively seeking submissions from both Equity and non-Equity performers.
All artists will be compensated. Compensation details will be discussed at callbacks.
Bridge Street Theatre reaffirms its commitment to diversity and maintains a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, we strongly encourage performers of all ethnicities, gender expressions, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to submit.
This play contains strong language and mature themes.
SUBMISSION PROCESS:
For consideration, please email Casting@BridgeSt.org ASAP. Please include:
• Your current headshot (or a current photo)
• Your current theatrical resume
• The role you would like to be considered for
• A brief email introducing yourself
• A character-appropriate one-minute monologue of your choosing
Selected actors will be sent sides and invited to in-person auditions.
NYC in-person auditions will be held at Ripley-Grier Studios on February 21, 2026.
Local in-person auditions will be held at Bridge Street Theatre in Catskill, NY on February 22, 2026 (beginning at 2:00pm).
Actors invited to audition will be asked to prepare provided sides. Local actors should be prepared to have Side #1 memorized and may also be asked to read Side #2. Sides will be shared directly with selected performers.
ROLES AVAILABLE:
Maude Gutman – Female-presenting, 50+
A former bartender living in a rundown trailer park in Bakersfield, California. Brash, funny, sharp-tongued, unfiltered, intelligent, incisive, emotionally perceptive, and surprisingly discerning about art—even if her tastes fall outside the mainstream. Tough, vulnerable, and deeply human.
Note: This character smokes and uses strong language.
Women submitting for Maude are asked to please include answers to the following in their submission:
• Do you smoke?
• Are you comfortable smoking herbal cigarettes onstage?
• Do you vape?
• Are you comfortable vaping onstage?
Lionel Percy – Male-presenting, 60+
A former curator from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and an expert in abstract expressionism and authentication. Polished, elegant, refined, intellectual, authoritative, and professorial. Cultured to the point of elitism, yet full of vulnerability, regret, and insecurity.
Email submissions will be accepted through Sunday, February 16, 2026 at 5:00pm.
Selected actors will be contacted and provided with sides, and invited to attend in-person auditions in New York City (Saturday, February 21, 2026) or Catskill, NY (Sunday, February 22, 2026). Please email Casting@BridgeSt.org with all questions and considerations!