Harris Yulin, Chris Ceraso Star In Resonance Theatre's BUILDING CHARACTERS

Resonance Ensemble's 2010 season entitled "Building Characters" will open on Sunday, May 16. THE MASTER BUILDER, by Henrik Ibsen directed by Eric Parness and June Finfer's THE GLASS HOUSE, directed by Evan Bergman will play in rep. Resonance Ensemble is a Theatre-in-Residence at Theatre Row (410 West 42 Street). Performances will begin May 9, opening on Sunday, May 16 and will run through June 5, 2010. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased through Ticket Central at 212.279.4200 or at www.ticketcentral.com, for more information please visit www.ResonanceEnsemble.org. Performance schedule is listed below.

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 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.

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.

The cast includes Harris Yulin (Bway: Hedda Gabler, The Price, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Visit. TV: "24", Emmy nomination "Frasier") as Meis van der Rohe in The Glass House along with David Bishins (Catch 22, A Mother, A Daughter and A Gun, The Boys in the Band. Film: A Magic Helmet), Gina Nagy Burns (TV: Line of Fire," "Law & Order: SVU") and Janet Zarish ("One Life to Live," Season of Youth. Theatre: The Countess, Other People's Money).

The cast for The Master Builder includes: Pun Bandhu (Film: The Understudy, Michael Clayton. Stage: Yellow Face, Resonance's Caesar and Cleopatra), Chris Ceraso (TV: "Hot for Teacher." Theatre: On the Road to Ruin, Caesar and Cleopatra), Brian D. Coats (Public's Two Gentleman of Verona, Merchant of Venice. HBO's "How To Make it in America"), Susan Ferrara (Theatre: Darger, The Cherry Orchard), Jennifer Gawlik (Ghosts, Toys in the Attic. Film: Shades of Grace), Peter Judd (Film: Phineas Gage, The Village Barbershop. Stage: The Cherry Orchard), and Sarah Stockton (Caesar and Cleopatra, Time of Your Life).

Resonance Ensemble is a Theatre-in-Residence at Theatre Row (410 West 42 Street). Performances will begin May 9, opening on Sunday, May 16 and will run through June 5, 2010. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased through Ticket Central at 212.279.4200 or at www.ticketcentral.com. For more information please visit www.ResonanceEnsemble.org. Performance schedule is listed below.

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

"BUILDING CHARACTERS" featuring RESONANCE ENSEMBLE 2010 Season

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: 1 hour and 40 minutes, no 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 and 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.
Performance 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