"This is great theater! … The play seems fresh and new, a tribute to the author, and the characters seem so very familiar which is a tribute to the actors … Director Matthew Earnest is appropriately named. His production is an earnest one and it is fascinating. His work is embraced and enlightened by the scenic and costume design of Will Bezek, the lighting design by John Sowle, and the sound design by the director himself. With the excellent acting of Fay and Patterson this team constructs the perfect puzzle … I defy you to leave the theater unmoved." — J. Peter Bergman, Berkshire Edge

"Captivating … Riveting performances. Roxanne Fay is able to do more with a nod of her head, the glance of an eye, and the delivery of a line than many actors are able as they cavort over an entire stage. Steven Patterson is a delight as the little seen and rarely heard Willie. Matthew Earnest does a wonderful job directing, Will Bezek’s set design creates a world that easily makes one feel a part of the hot sand dunes in which the couple reside and John Sowle’s lighting, particularly in the second act, creates some stunning effects that lure the audience into Beckett’s odd world … A master class in theatre." — Bill Kellert, TheSpot518

"Last night I saw an extraordinary production of Samuel Beckett‘s ‘Happy Days,’ at the Bridge Street Theatre, starring Roxanne Fay and Steven Patterson, and directed by Matthew Earnest. Underlying the surrealist situation of a woman buried in a pile of dirt, is a study of the human soul, the drive in every person to see another day as good, and the struggle between life and death. You need to witness it for yourself." — Brent Buell

"IF YOU CAN SWING IT, COME AND SEE THIS GORGEOUS PRODUCTION!" — Timothy Dunn

"Check this out…must see!" — Arely Orta

"Don’t question it, just do it! ‘Happy Days’ at Bridge Street Theatre is a tour-de-force. It’ll take you places you’ve never been, and places you never even knew you wanted to go." — Tony Pallone

"Stellar production of Samuel Beckett’s ‘Happy Days’ at Bridge Street Theatre – this too rarely staged two-act absurdist play begins with a woman interred in a mound of earth and despite the limited range of mobility and the lengthy monologue Roxanne Fay gives a bravura performance, transfixing us as she gets buried deeper in the earth. It’s a haunting, hilarious, existential reckoning full of dread and innuendo." — Ravi Shankar

"I don’t get to the theater as much as I’d like because of health limitations, but last night I was fortunate enough to witness a superb performance at one of my favorite theaters, and I’d urge you to catch it while you can. Bridge Street Theatre offers a remarkably realized version of Samuel Beckett’s ‘Happy Days’ that far exceeded my expectations (and my expectations for BST are always high). Roxanne Fay’s Winnie may well be the finest interpretation of that very complex role I’ve seen to date. Steven Patterson was a delightfully decrepit Willie, and the marriage of witty-yet-horrifying scenic AND costume design by Will Bezek, inspired director/sound designer Matthew Earnest, and the stealthy-yet-shocking lighting design by John Sowle come together in that rare theatrical alchemy that honors the playwright and his vision. Kudos to stage manager Timothy Dunn for realizing what had to have been tireless, rocket-fueled support for the cast and crew. Please spread the word about this triumphant show. We’re so fortunate to have Bridge Street Theatre in our neck of the woods." — Roseann Cane

"Just saw it today. Amazing production." — Katherine Davies Daves

"Awesome performance by both actors! Impressive set, sound and lighting, too! Wonderful production — congrats to the cast and crew." — Marianne Matthews

This renowned Masterpiece, which led to Beckett’s 1969 Nobel Prize for Literature, is a hauntingly comic meditation on resilience and the human spirit. Trapped waist-deep (and later neck-deep) in earth, Winnie clings to optimism and routine as her world literally closes in around her. Beckett transforms this stark image into a powerful exploration of hope, habit, and the absurdity of existence, reminding us that even in the most confining circumstances, the will to endure—and to find joy—persists.

Bios

Roxanne Fay (Winnie) was honored with a Berkie Award by the Berkshire Theatre Critics’ Association for her portrayal of Mary Tyrone in the Bridge Street Theatre production of Long Day’s Journey Into Night (2022). She has appeared at Bridge Street in Mary Jane, Leni, The Effect Of Gamma Rays…, and in her original works Thrice To Mine, Upon This Rock: The Magdalene Speaks, Home Fires Burning and Dream Child: The Trial Of Alice In Wonderland. Most recently, Roxanne appeared as Brutus in Julius Caesar (which she also adapted for an all woman cast of 8) at The Studio 620 (FL). As a writer, Roxanne was named a 2016 Hawthornden Fellow (residence, Hawthornden Castle, Scotland) and creates work for the Dali Museum (FL) including the film, Breton And The Muse: A Midnight In Paris, focal point of the Dali’s acclaimed exhibition coordinated with Le Centre Pompidou (Paris). Roxanne is grateful and HAPPY to return to Bridge Street Theatre.

Steven Patterson (Willie) has appeared both Off- and off-off-Broadway in NYC, as well as with such theaters as South Coast Repertory, Capital Repertory Theatre, TheatreWorks/Silicon Valley, freeFall Theatre, Kaliyuga Arts, Lexington Conservatory Theatre, Chenango River Theatre, Centenary Stage Company, and the Oregon, Orlando, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Utah, Tennessee, Richmond, and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festivals. Favorite roles have included Vanya in Uncle Vanya, James Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, August Howe in The Mound Builders, Almira Gulch in Miss Gulch Returns!, Austin Wiggin in The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World, Jake Sturdy in Kill Me Now, Lear in King Lear, David in Poor Super Man, Judi Boswell in How to Pray, Giovanni in ’Tis Pity She’s A Whore, Zach in A Chorus Line, Michael Williams in Henry V, and Rob in King of the Crystal Palace. He also created, performed, and toured internationally for four years with his own one-man play Beauty, inspired by the life and works of Jean Genet. He currently resides in Catskill, NY, where he is co-founder (with his husband John Sowle) of Bridge Street Theatre.

Matthew Earnest (Director) directs new plays, reimagined classics, musicals, opera, and his own original works and literary adaptations across the US, in NYC, on tour, and in festivals internationally. These include Wanderlust: a History of Walking, which he adapted and directed with a commission from the NEA, Himmelweg (Off-Broadway, New York Times Critics Pick), On the Verge… (Dallas Theater Critics Forum Award; Best of Dallas, Dallas Observer), blood pudding (Audience Favourite Award, Dublin Festival Fringe), …don Quixote (Local Production of the Year, Fort Worth Weekly), Peter Pan (Innovator of the Year, Cleveland Scene; Director of the Year, Cleveland Plain Dealer), Dead Letter Office (Best of the Berkshires), Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Achievement in Directing, Carolina Curtain Call), among many others. His work has been featured in American Theatre magazine and The New Yorker, and he has taught at many universities, including Marymount Manhattan College, The University of Rochester, The University of Delaware, and The University of Southern Mississippi, where he recently completed his tenure as Head of the MFA Directing Program. A member of SDC since 2007 and a published playwright, Matthew holds an MFA in Directing from York University, Toronto. His husband is award-winning scenic and costume designer Will Bezek. matthewearnest.com

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