Richard Prioleau, Olivia Washington and More Lead Masterworks Theater's THE GLASS MENAGERIE, Opening Tonight

Masterworks Theater Company presents the first show of their season: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. Directed by Christopher Scott, The Glass Menagerie will feature Saundra Santiago ("The Sopranos"), Richard Prioleau (HBO's "A Normal Heart") as Tom, Olivia Washington (Lee Daniels' The Butler) as Laura, and Doug Harris (The Found Dog Ribbon Dance) as Jim. The play began on May 8 and opens tonight, May 14 running through May 30 at the 47th Street Theatre (304 West 47th Street). Tickets are $45 - $65. They can be purchased by visiting www.ticketcentral.com or by calling 212-279-4200.

"Although THE GLASS MENAGERIE gets numerous productions around the country including a very well received production recently staged in New York, we hope to offer a fresh look at this amazing masterwork through our diverse cast. This production highlights our mission by making these classic works accessible to emerging audiences, emphasizing their universality. I am excited to be working with such a talented group of actors as they bring their own unique qualities to these roles." - The Glass Menagerie director/Masterworks Theater Company Artistic Director, Christopher Scott.

THE GLASS MENAGERIE is Tennessee Williams' semi-autobiographical account of St. Louis in the 1930' s. A heartbreaking yet often funny "memory play" told from the perspective of Tom Wingfield (Richard Prioleau). THE GLASS MENAGERIE is the story of a family desperate to break free of the burdens of their past and their present. Tom's mother, Amanda (Saundra Santiago) has been abandoned by her husband, and now lives only for her children; his unmarried sister, Laura (Olivia Washington), is a fragile and painfully shy creature who retreats into a world of glass animals; and Tom himself is torn between his poetic inclinations and the responsibility of supporting his mother and sister. Each escapes into their own personal "glass menagerie" as a means of eluding the pain of their own - and each other's - existence.

Masterworks Theater Company presents The Glass Menagerie. Begins performances May 8; Open May 14 through May 30. Tickets are $45 - $65. They can be purchased by visiting www.ticketcentral.com or by calling 212-279-4200. Group Tickets now on sale - $33 per person for student groups of 10 or more. Groups should contact their usual group sales agent, or contact Masterworks at 212-967-8278. Performance Schedule: Tuesday - Thursday at 7:00pm; Friday at 8:00 pm; Saturday at 3:00 pm & 8:00 pm; Sunday at 3:00pm; Student matinee - Thursday, May 28th at 11:00am. The 47th Street Theater is located at 304 West 47th Street. For full performance schedule and updated information, visit: www.masterworkstheatercompany.org.

WHO'S WHO:

CHRISTOPHER SCOTT (Director, A Glass Menagerie). Now the Artistic Director for the Masterworks Theater Company, Christopher has been in the in the New York City theatre industry for over 20 years. Starting as an actor, Christopher appeared On and Off - Broadway. He appeared on the 1990 Tony Awards where he performed the part of "Lon" while he was appearing in the Broadway production of Meet Me In St. Louis. He performed over 1,000 performances as the Boy in The Fantasticks! the world's longest running musical. Currently a member of the Playwright Directors Workshop at the legendary Actor's Studio where he has been developing a new play about Claude Monet by playwright Lanie Robertson (author of Broadway's Lady Day At Emerson's Bar And Grill) called The Gardner. He has directed many Off-Broadway Productions. Most recently Greed: A Musical For Our Times produced by longtime collaborator Eric Krebs, as well as the hit musical Golf:The Musical by Michael Roberts and Nancy Friday's My Secret Garden which he not only directed but also adapted from her ground-breaking bestseller. For many seasons, Christopher worked as Director for Theatreworks/USA, the nation's largest professional not-for-profit theatre for young audiences, including working with Mary Rogers on the musical adaptation of her book Freaky Friday and The Workshop and subsequent Off-Broadway productions of Jekyll and Hyde (written by the creators of "Friends"). He is an adjunct faculty member at Baruch College/CUNY where he teaches in the fine and performing arts department and an Artistic Associate with AMAS Musical Theatre, founded by Rosetta Lenoire.

SAUNDRA SANTIAGO (Amanda Wingfield) has worked television, movies, and on Broadway. She was last seen on the Fox Series, "Gang Related," and "The Following." Other credits include: CBS.'s "Person of Interest," "The Unusuals," FX's "Damages" starring Glenn Close, "One Life to Live," Det. Gina Calabrese on "Miami Vice," acclaimed HBO series, "The Sopranos," "Law and Order". The Hallmark Movie Channel's "Meddling Mom," She will seen in the in the 2nd Season of HBO's, "True Detective, as Irma. Films include: Spike Lee's, 25th Hour, Bruja. Theatre credits include Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge (Broadway debut), Manipulation (The Cherry Lane Theatre), LCT's Bernarda opposite Phylicia Rashad, Tony nominated musical Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Nine, Bernarda Alba (LCT), Hello Again, and the musical production of Smile and Evita (National Tour). She has played opposite the likes of the great Sidney Poitier & the late Elizabeth Montgomery in MOWs, the talented Antonio Banderas in the Tony award winning revival of Nine on Broadway, to the sublime Kevin Bacon, Off-Broadway. She created the role of Carmen Santos on CBS's longest running soap opera, "Guiding Light." For which she was awarded the Alma Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama and nominated several times. She's a member of the famed, Actor's Studio in New York City. Santiago holds a BFA from the University of Miami, and an MFA from Southern Methodist University. She was born in the Bronx. On occasion she performs her cabaret show throughout the cabaret clubs in NYC.

RICHARD PRIOLEAU (Tom Wingfield) is incredibly excited to make his debut in the inaugural season of Masterworks Theater Company. Prioleau has recently appeared in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner at the the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Love's Labour's Lost at the Actor's Theatre of Louisville, Wild With Happy at TheaterWorks, Silicon Valley, A Raisin in the Sun at the Clarence Brown, the title role in Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet and A Christmas Carol at the American Conservatory Theater; Henry V at Arkansas Rep, Othello and Love's Labor's Lost at Shakespeare Santa Cruz; Macbeth at the Access Theater; Six Degrees of Separation at The Gallery Players, the national tour of The Color of Justice with TheatreworksUSA; Abandon at La MaMa E.T.C.; and Man-Made at The Ohio Theatre, NYC. His Television and film credits include HBO's A Normal Heart and 30 Rock. Education: Fordham University at Lincoln Center - BA, and The American Conservatory Theater - MFA.

OLIVIA WASHINGTON (Laura Wingfield) This is Olivia's New York City theatre debut and she is beyond thrilled to be joining such an inspiring group of people. She graduated with a BFA in Drama from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts by way of Stella Adler. Her regional theatre credits include Bruce Norris' Clybourne Park (Hangar Theatre, Ithaca, NY). Film credits: Lee Daniels' The Butler.

DOUG HARRIS (Jim O'Connor) is a NYC based actor. He was most recently seen in the world premiere of The Found Dog Ribbon Dance by Dominic Finocchiaro and is a performing member of the artistic team behind the We Are Animals series written by Catya McMullen (HERE ARTS/ The Brick Theater). Other performances include: The Chicken Situation (Sam French Play Festival), Oh, Gastronomy (Humana Festival of New American Plays), Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity (Actors Theater of Louisville), Hero Dad (A/I TENS). Doug has also taken part in numerous workshops through such amazing venues as The Lark, New York Theater Workshop, Bookshop Workshop, The PEN Literary Festival, Spookfish Theater Company and more. He is also a proud graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and an alum of the Actors Theater of Louisville Acting Apprenticeship.

Masterworks Theater Company, a professional not-for-profit Equity theater company, whose repertoire will include the masterworks of the theater (plays, musicals and stage adaptation of novels) that every young person should have an opportunity to experience. Masterworks Theater Company will offer a school-friendly schedule with affordable ticket prices ($33 for student groups; $45 - $65 for non-students). In addition to the live theatrical experience, Masterworks Theater Company will also offer study-guides as well as teacher workshops with each production to help enrich the student's experience.

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