THE MASTER BUILDER Plays People's Light 3/23-4/17
By: Kelsey Denette Feb. 23, 2011
People's Light & Theatre presents The Master Builder, by Henrik Ibsen and translated by Paul Walsh. It runs March 23 - April 17, 2011 on the Steinbright Stage. Co-Founder Ken Marini directs. People's Light & Theatre is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA 19355. For tickets call 610.644.3500 or visit PeoplesLight.org.
People's Light's tradition of reinterpreting classics continues with this new translation of The Master Builder. At the height of his career, Halvard Solness finds his creativity threatened and his personal life in shambles. The unexpected arrival of the young, attractive, and manipulative Hilda Wangel breathes new vitality into his work, but exacts a terrible cost.
"This is a play I've wanted to do for a long time," Director Ken Marini says. "For me, The Master Builder is ultimately about what happens in the brief moment when you meet someone. In that encounter, you create a story about the person based on the minute details you subconsciously observe, which affects how you see that person in the future. In the play, Hilda desperately wants Halvard to be the person she imagined in her story about him."
"Hilda and Halvard have a power over another that comes from that a visceral, primal, and yet deeply subconscious connection. Hilda drives the great Master Builder to consider the impossible," explains Resident Dramaturg Elizabeth Pool. "It's a thrilling and dangerous encounter." To convey the deep passion between the characters, Designer Daniel Vatsky will produce videos to project onto the bare walls of the set. The videos will express what the characters are thinking and feeling. "Throughout the play, two stories will take place simultaneously: the action actually happening on the stage and the internal experiences of the characters being displayed on the walls around them," Marini says. "That is what I am particularly drawn to in The Master Builder-the very human quality of the characters' interior."
TICKET INFORMATION
The Master Builder previews on Wednesday, March 23rd and Thursday, March 24th at 7:30pm. The play opens on Friday, March 25th at 8pm and runs through Sunday, April 17th. Audiences are encouraged to join the artists after each Thursday evening performance to discuss the production.
Single tickets range in price from $25 - $45. For tickets, call the box office at 610.644.3500. Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase group tickets, call 610.647.1900 x134 or email group@peopleslight.org. Actors, prices, performances dates and times are subject to change. Additional service charges may apply. Contact the box office for more details.
THE SCOOP
With this production People's Light continues its program called The Scoop: History, Context, and Gossip, a lively discussion before every performance. Cast member Susan McKey will discuss the world of the play, how and why it was chosen, as well as how it was cast, designed, and rehearsed. Refreshments will be available in the lobby before The Scoop begins and before the performance. The program will start one hour before curtain time and will take place in the theatre. No reservations are necessary.
ABOUT PEOPLE'S LIGHT
People's Light, a professional, not-for-profit theatre founded in 1974 in Chester County, Pennsylvania, makes plays drawn from many sources to entertain, inspire, and engage our community. We extend our mission of making and experiencing theatre through arts education programs that excite curiosity about, and deepen understanding of, the world around us. These plays and programs bring people together and provide opportunities for reflection, discovery, and celebration.
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