The Master Builder / The Glass House: cast announced

Resonance Ensemble have announced that Emmy nominated actor Harris Yulin (for guest appearance in "Frasier"), will lead the cast of The Glass House by June Finfer, as part of Resonance Ensemble's 2010 season entitled 'Building Characters.'

'Building Characters' includes The Master Builder, by Henrik Ibsen and directed by Eric Parness, and June Finfer's The Glass House, directed by Evan Bergman, playng in repertoire from 9 May - 5 Jun 2010 (opening on 16 May) at Theatre Row's Clurman Theatre.

Joining Harris Yulin in The Glass House are David Bishins, Gina Nagy Burns and Janet Zarish.

The cast for The Master Builder features Pun Bandhu, Chris Ceraso, Brian D. Coats, Susan Ferrara, Jennifer Gawlik, Peter Judd and Sarah Stockton.

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 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 dramatic plot that entwines the epic conflict between artist and patron. The play explores the classic struggle of ambition, passion and betrayal.

The press notes say, "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), Sidney Shannon (Costume Design), Pamela Kupper (Lighting Design), Nick Moore (Original Music and Sound Design).