Photo Flash: Resonance Ensemble's Opening Night of Glass House & Master Builder

Resonance Ensemble is dedicated to producing groups of related theatrical presentations that resonate across time and culture and confront universal themes and ideas significant to audiences of today. This season's resonating works include the Ibsen classic THE MASTER BUILDER and June Finfer's new play, THE GLASS HOUSE.

THE MASTER BUILDER tells the story of a revered but aging architect who is haunted by painful memories and fears of the future. When a figure from his past suddenly reappears, his outlook, and his destiny, will be forever changed. The cast for The Master Builder includes: Pun Bandhu, Chris Ceraso, Brian D. Coats, Susan Ferrara, Jennifer Gawlik, Peter Judd, and Sarah Stockton.

The design and building of Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House and Philip Johnson's Glass House is the background for THE GLASS HOUSE's penetrating dramatic plot that entwines the epic conflict between artist and patron. The play explores the classic struggle of ambition, passion and betrayal. The cast of The Glass House includes: Harris Yulin, David Bishins, Gina Nagy Burns and Janet Zarish.

Although THE MASTER BUILDER and THE GLASS HOUSE were written more than a century apart, both tell the story of architects whose personal and professional life become dangerously intertwined as they struggle to balance idealism and integrity with functionality and finance. Each protagonist is burdened with a tendency towards extreme perfectionism, defining themselves by what they create. Both are master builders, who climb to dizzying heights with towering egos. By pairing these two plays, Resonance Ensemble hopes to demonstrate the universal and timeless themes of Ibsen's classic story by putting them in context with the resonating modern issues explored in THE GLASS HOUSE.

Creative team includes: Jo Winiarski (Scenic Design), Valerie Marcus Ramshur (Glass House Costume Design), Sidney Shannon (Master Builder Costume Design), Pamela Kupper (Lighting Design), Nick Moore (Sound Design), Daniel Heffernan (Projection Design).

RESONANCE ENSEMBLE 2010 Season
"BUILDING CHARACTERS" featuring
THE MASTER BUILDER and THE GLASS HOUSE
Begins performances Sunday, May 9; Opening, Sunday, May 16 through June 5
THE GLASS HOUSE by June Finfer, directed by Evan Bergman
Running Time: 95 minutes including intermission
Press nights: May 12 at 8PM; May 14 at 8PM; May 15 at 2PM: May 16 at 7PM (opening night)
THE MASTER BUILDER by Henrik Ibsen, directed by Eric Parness
Running Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes including two intermissions
Press nights: May 11 at 7PM; May 13 at 8PM; May 15 at 8PM: May 16 at 2PM (opening night)
Clurman Theatre, Theatre Row is located at 410 West 42 Street.
Performances schedule: Tuesday at 7PM; Wednesday - Friday at 8PM; Saturday at 2PM & 8PM;
Sunday at 2PM & 7PM (see below for specific shows)
Tickets are $18 and can be purchased at Ticket Central
by phone 212-279-4200 or visit www.ticketcentral.com
For more information about Resonance Ensemble, please visit www.ResonanceEnsemble.org