Glass Mind Theatre to Present WELCOME TO THE WHITE ROOM, 11/14-12/14

Glass Mind Theatre brings a brand-new world to Baltimore with WELCOME TO THE WHITE ROOM by Trish Harnetiaux (IF YOU CAN GET TO BUFFALO). The world premiere kicks off the company's fifth season, full of never-produced work. Chris Cotterman directs.

Three strangers are thrust into an unknown world, working towards an unknown goal. Follow their journey as they navigate The Anonymous Letters, The Device, The Last Deck of Cards in the World, and The Test of the Kiss -- challenges meant to bring them closer to the endgame. But when this senseless world summons its puppeteer, we find out who is really in control.

Director Cotterman, who is actively involved with The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory, speaks highly of the contemporary piece. "I hope the audience comes away with the same exhilaration I had when I first read it, and the same questions about its implications," he says. Cotterman still abides by the same set of principles for new work or Shakespeare: "Whether it's RICHARD III or WELCOME TO THE WHITE ROOM, I follow the same principles: honor the text, find the truth in each moment, and make sure the language is clear."

He speaks humbly about his role as director: "The text gives us the foundation, they bring it to life, and my job is just to shape what they come up with and make sure it's clear; it's a very collaborative process, and I like that."

Playwright Harnetiaux surprised even herself with where the play ends up, but it began with her interested in how information is spread. While she does not prescribe the audience's reaction to the world premiere, she does have an ideal in mind.

"I want them [the audience] to think about how we get so swept up in momentum sometimes that we are blinded to (ugh, sorry to use this big annoying word) humanity," she says.

Cotterman expresses enthusiasm about premiering the show in this city's DIY arts scene. "Baltimore is such a thriving scene for bold voices in theatre, music, and art, so it's wonderful to be able to premiere a new work like this here."

Harnetiaux lives in New York, but her work seems to find another home in Baltimore. This is Harnetiaux's second show produced by a Baltimore DIY company. The Acme Corporation presented IF YOU CAN GET TO BUFFALO in 2013. She says Baltimoreans are "so cool and willing to dig deep in work that's not exactly easy on the surface... perhaps the best thing is, there's an audience for it."

Glass Mind brings WELCOME TO THE WHITE ROOM to Gallery 788 in Hampden (3602 Hickory Ave.) The play will run various dates from November 14 - December 14. See www.glassmindtheatre.com for more details on dates and to purchase tickets.

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