by Jess Hoffman
Monsters as a metaphor for mental illness or extreme human emotion is quite overdone in the horror genre, almost as overdone as the concept that the most evil is done by humans who are the “real monsters.” These clichés and more come together in Monsters of the American Cinema, currently playing at Bridge Street Theatre. From the beginning, Monsters of the American Cinema is strange, corny, heavy-handed in its messaging, and riddled with overdone tropes, and yet somehow, I loved every single second of it.
The play concerns a man named Remy who, in the wake of his husband’s death, has become the guardian of said husband’s son and the proprietor of said husband’s drive-in theater. Nostalgic cinema and classic creature features thus become the groundwork against which Monsters of the American Cinema explores themes of mental health, growing up, violence, prejudice, and various, flawed models of modern masculinity. It may not sound like a particularly refined or gripping concept, but with a nuanced script (by Christian St. Croix), expert direction (by Tony Speciale), and talented leading actors (Robert Zelaya and Nicholas Snipes), Monsters of the American Cinema is riveting and evocative, as well as nostalgic and melodramatic. But the melodrama serves its purpose well in bridging the gap between the modern world and classic cinema.
Robert Zelaya leads the show as Remy, a gay widower trying to make the best of what life has thrown at him. Remy is a little flamboyant but not in a way that turns him into a stereotype; Zelaya’s portrayal of Remy is nuanced and real most of the time, and in moments where the script calls for him to play his part like he’s in a campy mid-century horror flick, Zelaya nails these performances as well. Opposite Zelaya is Nicholas Snipes as “Pup,” the young teen son of Remy’s late husband. Pup is a fairly typical adolescent with excellent taste in movies, questionable taste in friends, and an unspecified, untreated mental illness that has haunted him since childhood. Thus, Pup uses movie monsters as a way to make sense of his own inner-turmoil. Snipes displays even more breadth of talent than Zelaya (who sets a high bar!) and some expert physicality as he navigates his reality and his dark fantasies.
The play takes place in a small trailer, and the set is cramped by design. It is decorated and well-kept as one might expect a well-loved (if small) home to be, but with just enough clutter and mismatch to feel lived in. Plus, the mint green cabinets are a nice nod to mid-century sensibilities in a play about mid-century movies and classic nostalgia. Between scenes, moments from classic films project on the back of the stage, and unfortunately the set furniture can’t avoid interrupting the projections. On the one hand, this puts one in mind of a drive-in cinema. But more could have been made of the projections if the stage furniture and the projector had been more carefully placed.
Having grown up on classic monster movies, campy old horror thrillers, and late nights at the drive-in, perhaps this play spoke to me in a way it couldn’t possibly speak to everyone. But I don’t think you need to have strong opinions about the 1932 The Mummy vs. its 1999 reimagining (even if the 1932 film is far superior) or about The Creature from the Black Lagoon’s place in the canon of horror cinema (even if it is a paradigm) to enjoy Monsters of the American Cinema. At its core, Monsters of the American Cinema is a beautiful piece of theater about two people at very different points in life making sense of the real-life horrors of the world. I think everyone can get something out of this show; and if they enjoy all the classic cinema references, then that’s just a little extra butter on the popcorn!
Bridge Street Theatre presents Monsters of the American Cinema by Christian St. Croix, directed by Tony Speciale, runs from May 28 – June 7, 2023, at the Bridge Street Theatre, 44 West Bridge Street in Catskill, NY. Assistant director and fight director: Adam Rihacek. Cast: Robert Zelaya as Remy and Nicholas Snipes as Pup. Costume design and stage management by Timothy Dunn. Lighting design by Travis McHale. Sound and production design by Carmen Borgia. Scenic design by Mark Perry.
Performance dates are Thursday-Sunday. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday curtains are at 7:30pm and Sundays are matinees only at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $28, student tickets available for $15. Runs approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes with no intermission. Contains explicit language, including homophobic and racial slurs, as well as references to substance abuse, overdose, and violence. Recommended for ages 14+. Tickets are available online at https://bridgest.org/monsters-of-the-american-cinema/, by phone at 518-943-3818, or at the door for any performance. For more information visit https://bridgest.org or email contact@BridgeSt.org.