by Patrick White
Bridge Street Theatre is celebrating storytelling with one of the theater’s greatest stories ever told, King Lear, used as a cathartic salve for three grieving sisters in their new production of Storm Still by Gab Reisman playing at the invaluable Catskill house through 10/11 in an effervescent production directed by Jasmine Roth.
Three sisters are gathered to settle their recently departed father’s estate, sorting through junk in the hardscrabble backyard of their childhood home (great set by Mark Perry and lights by Jo Averill-Snell) when they quickly take to playing out a game from their childhood of acting out King Lear which I guess is natural enough when your names are Cordelia, Regan and Goneril.
Cordelia (Katherine Callaway in the evening’s most protean performance) needs some convincing to be dragged into the playing but she is soon putting on the old man’s fedora and ruling over his kingdom. All the characters are represented with a simple clothing piece that the ladies throw on and discard at will-a vine for Poor Tom, a blindfold made out of a tie for Gloucester, a cape for the deliciously stuffy Cornwall played by Goneril (Elizabeth Loyacano).
The great fun of the evening is watching this monumental tragedy being torn into by these three inventive actors (Jess Kadish plays Regan) and their endlessly resourceful director, Jasmine Roth. A leaf blower assists in creating the storm, a garden hose represents the cliffs of Dover to the blind man’s searching foot and a flattened box crawled through is the blasted heath. It is a thrillingly inventive take on the story which epitomizes the word play.
I have to give extra points for a dance break to Fleetwood Mac’s “Everywhere” which was fun, transformative and a great use of music to deepen our connection to the characters and their relationship to each other.
The three sisters must also confront the reason for their gathering which doesn’t come until late in the play and the biographical details of the family are rather meager. The daughters battle amongst themselves with their memories and claim on his possessions but the quick sketch of their father makes him sound abusive and not altogether royal at all.
The evening flys by and you always know where you are with Shakespeare’s scenes and acts called out in the brisk 90 minute show. A cursory knowledge of King Lear would greatly assist any audience member attending but there is plenty of pleasure to be had watching these three women rivet your attention and command praise in their joyful creation.
Bridge Street Theatre presents “Storm Still” by Gab Reisman, directed by Jasmine Roth, from October 1-11, 2026, at the Bridge Street Theatre, 44 West Bridge Street in Catskill, NY. CAST: Katherine Callaway as Cordelia, Jess Kadish as Regan, and Elizabeth Loyacano as Goneril. CREATIVE TEAM: Sets by Mark Perry; Lights by Jo Averill-Snell; Costumes by Michelle Rogers; Stage Manager Spencer Newman.
“Storm Still” will be performed October 1–11, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. at Bridge Street Theatre, 44 West Bridge Street in Catskill, New York.
Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for students.
For tickets and additional information, visit www.bridgest.org/storm-still/.