Veteran actor Richard Hoehler has been around the block a few times, and when he’s not pounding the pavement in New York City, one can find him at his home in Glen Spey, NY, where, for the past 12 years, he often finds himself musing about his experiences in New York and the people who live there. One such story is played out in R.J. Bartholomew’s “I of the Storm,” a one-man show currently running at the Playroom Theater on Manhattan’s West 46th Street, and coming to Narrowsburg’s Tusten Theatre for one performance only on Saturday, May 2.

In between performances, Hoehler took a few minutes to discuss how the show came into being, and what impact it’s had on his career and the audiences flocking to see it. “The show has been a little over two years in the making, and started out as a short piece that was presented at festivals, before being fleshed out,” Hoehler told me. Director Janice L. Goldberg had worked with Hoehler in the past, so when he approached her for help with a 10-minute long version of “Storm” a few years ago, she jumped on board and “really helped me refine the piece. It’s all on her,” he said. “No one could do this alone.” In addition to Goldberg, Hoehler’s lighting designer Michael Abrams will also be coming to the Tusten, to ensure that audiences here will have the same theatrical experience currently taking place in New York. “What Michael has created for the show is incredibly effective,” Hoehler said, “enhancing the production, thereby making my job that much easier and allowing me to concentrate on making this man on stage real.”

The man he refers to is someone many of us have seen, but rarely interact with: one of the many homeless that populate the streets of New York. “This is a segment of the population that I feel is very important,” Hoehler says, “and I felt honored to be able to give tickets to the New York City Rescue Mission and discuss the show with those who attended. Their response and input have been invaluable, and as the show moves forward, it can’t help but continue to evolve.” When asked if the man portrayed on stage is based on a real person, Hoehler paused. “Yes… and no,” he said. The character was one of several in a different show, and he seemed to connect with me and the audience in a strong way that seemed to resonate more than the others.”

One of the women currently living in a shelter approached Hoehler after the show and thanked him for his honest, thoughtful and sometimes brutal portrayal of life on the streets. “You don’t know how fast it can all go away,” she told him, shaking hands backstage. “Thank you for telling our story.” That story, told through monologue, poetry and song is played out on city sidewalks and centers on the thought processes of a street performer, who acknowledges his audience as they pause at the curb to absorb his world-weary words of wisdom.

Heralded as “Poetic, reflective and inspiring” by frontrowcenter.org and “a contemporary, fresh, incomparable must-see” by broadwayworld.com, Bartholomew’s play has garnered Hoehler “some of the best reviews of my career” and given rise to a sense of satisfaction that the actor has not experienced before. While the subject matter may be serious in tone, the play is not depressing. “Oh, it is not a downer!” Hoehler assured me. “Audiences have thankfully found it uplifting and inspirational, and I like to think of the piece as ‘triumph over tragedy’—not the other way around. I’ve never worked this hard, but this show has been the best thing I’ve ever done. Even though I had sworn off any more one-man shows, I realized that if I wasn’t going to do this now, then when?”

The reviews and audience reaction have been rewarding for the team behind “I of the Storm,” and Hoehler considers this production one of the finest of his career, but doesn’t rule out taking it to another level. “After we play the Tusten, we’ll take a short break before moving the show to a new venue,” he said. “There are plans in the works, so who knows how far we can go? It’s not a true story, but everything in it is true. Regardless of what happens with the show in the future, it’s already changed me in so many ways. As far as I’m concerned? Mission accomplished.”

For tickets and information, call 845/252-7576.