The Douglaston Community Theatre invites audiences to experience a powerful American classic this spring, as it stages Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge from May 1 through May 18 at the Zion Church Parish Hall in Douglaston.
Set in 1950s Red Hook, Brooklyn, the play centers on Eddie Carbone, a hardworking longshoreman whose seemingly stable life unravels after two undocumented relatives arrive from Italy. As tensions mount inside the household, the drama explores themes of loyalty, identity, cultural conflict, and the blurred lines between justice and obsession.
“This is a play where a conflict kind of ensues between culture and age, and society—and a whole host of crap,” said director Danny Higgins. “But seriously, the beauty of A View From the Bridge is that it doesn’t hand you easy answers. Miller challenges us to sit with uncomfortable questions and think deeply about the choices these characters make.”
Higgins added that audiences can expect a thought-provoking and emotionally charged performance that reflects the timelessness of Miller’s work and the relevance of its themes today.
Higgins described protagonist Eddie Carbone as a deeply troubled man, grappling with an obsessive attachment to his niece and a rigid, intolerant worldview that ultimately leads to his downfall.
Higgins emphasized that Arthur Miller’s depiction of Eddie’s flaws—particularly his emotional immaturity and culturally ingrained biases—was remarkably forward-thinking for its time.
“One of the main things I would say is that the play explores the tension of a generational cultural divide, where values don’t always align,” Higgins explained. “When you have someone like Eddie—who’s stuck in his ways and discriminatory in all sorts of ways—it inevitably leads to tragic consequences.”
He noted that A View From the Bridge remains strikingly relevant in today’s world, especially in its exploration of immigration, gender roles, and toxic masculinity.
“What should resonate with us is how little things have changed since 1950,” Higgins said. “The immigrant experience, the challenges faced by the working class, the limited roles available to women—these struggles are still very real.”
As for Eddie’s emotional state, Higgins doesn’t shy away from calling out the character’s deeply problematic behavior.
“He’s not right in the head. He’s emotionally stunted, socially stunted. He’s a harmed person who harms others,” Higgins said. “But that’s what makes the play so compelling—confronting the humanity of someone like Eddie. You have to see him as a person. If we can’t do that, how do we expect to help people like him?”
Higgins also reflected on the significance of the play’s title. “The play is A View From the Bridge—a bridge between cultures, between genders, between past and present. What do we see from that view? Do we fully understand it? No. But that doesn’t mean we stop trying.”
For Higgins, the story is more than just a dramatic narrative—it’s personal. Three generations of his Italian-American family lived in Red Hook, the Brooklyn neighborhood where the play is set.
“There’s something very me about this play,” he said. “I know the men in this play. I know the women. I know the community being portrayed. It feels like a piece of my own family history brought to the stage.”
The Douglaston Community Theatre will present Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge on the following dates at Zion Church Parish Hall, 243-20 Church St. in Douglaston:
Thursday, May 1, at 8 p.m.
Friday, May 2, at 8 p.m.
Friday, May 9, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 10, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 17, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 18, at 2 p.m.
To purchase tickets, call 718-885-4785 or email dougcommthtr@gmail.com.
