CATSKILL, NY — Performances begin Thursday, August 6, for Bridge Street Theatre’s production of Terrence McNally’s “The Lisbon Traviata,” a gloriously funny and ultimately heartbreaking drama of friendship, love, jealousy, obsession, and the transcendent power of opera.
Once one of America’s most celebrated contemporary plays, “The Lisbon Traviata” has become an all-too-rare presence on today’s stages. Bridge Street Theatre brings McNally’s daring, deeply human work back to the Hudson Valley for eight performances only, August 6–16, 2026.
Stephen is consumed by the suspicion that his lover, Mike, is being unfaithful. Rather than confront the crisis waiting at home, he retreats to the apartment of his closest friend, Mendy, an exuberant opera fanatic whose world revolves around Maria Callas, rare recordings, theatrical gossip, and the emotional grandeur of “La Traviata.”
What begins as a wildly funny evening of friendship, rivalry, and operatic obsession gradually gives way to something far more dangerous. When Stephen finally returns home, the comedy falls away and McNally exposes the pain, desperation, and volatility beneath the lives of men struggling to love one another.
Set in Manhattan in 1987, “The Lisbon Traviata” captures both the dazzling wit and the emotional urgency of a community living through a moment of profound uncertainty. The play makes you laugh until it hurts—and then breaks your heart.
“McNally understood that comedy and tragedy don’t exist separately from one another,” says director and designer John Sowle. “These characters are hilarious because they are intelligent, frightened, loving, impossible people trying desperately to survive their own emotions. The play’s great theatrical trick is how quickly laughter can become heartbreak.”
The production stars Timothy Dunn as Mendy, Michael Raver as Stephen, Jeff Brackett as Mike, and M. Damon Hawkins as Paul.
“The Lisbon Traviata” is directed and designed by John Sowle, with costumes by Michelle Rogers. Steven Patterson serves as assistant director, Stacey Dobos is the production stage manager, and Carson Borst is fight choreographer.
Terrence McNally was one of the most acclaimed and influential American playwrights of his generation. His extensive body of work includes “Love! Valour! Compassion!,” “Master Class,” “Lips Together, Teeth Apart,” “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune,” “The Ritz,” and the books for the musicals “Ragtime,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “The Full Monty,” and “The Visit.” Over a career spanning six decades, McNally received four Tony Awards, an Emmy Award, and a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.
“The Lisbon Traviata” will be performed at Bridge Street Theatre, 44 West Bridge Street in Catskill, New York, from August 6–16, 2026. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:00pm and Sundays at 2:00pm.
Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for students.
For information and reservations, visit bridgest.org/the-lisbon-