'MASTER BUILDER' A BLUEPRINT FOR MISERY.Byline: - Evan Henerson THE PLAYS of Henrik Ibsen are populated with men and women who are brought low by some unfortunate combination of their own behavior and the vagaries of fate. In his ``The Master Builder Master Builder can refer to:
But the man is miserable and believes he is at war with God. When he falls, as Ibsen characters also tend to do, he falls hard. A Noise Within's production, directed by the husband-and-wife team of Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez Elliott zeros in on the delicate pas de deux pas de deux (French; “step for two”) Dance for two performers. A characteristic part of classical ballet, it includes an adagio, or slow dance, by the ballerina and her partner; solo variations by the male dancer and then the ballerina; and a coda, or between Solness (played by Geoff Elliott) and Hilda Wangel (Julia Watt), a worshipful wor·ship·ful adj. 1. Given to or expressive of worship; reverent or adoring. 2. Chiefly British Used as a respectful form of address. , much younger woman whose ambitions for Solness rival his own. As a pair of twin forces, caroming dangerously off each other, Elliott and Watt have the goods to bring this difficult material to life. Solness is a part Elliott might have waited a decade to play, and anyone who has caught his Iago in Shakespeare's ``Othello'' (another in A Noise Within's concluding fall repertory season) would see that he excels at playing characters who are in control over those who are on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of chaos. He gives Solness a flair for manipulation (most notably in his dealings with his adoring bookkeeper Kaja, played by Rona Benson) that rolls out a bit too easily. Our pity for the man comes later rather than sooner. Fortunately for the arc of the play, Watt's Hilda clearly possesses bewitching be·witch tr.v. be·witched, be·witch·ing, be·witch·es 1. To place under one's power by or as if by magic; cast a spell over. 2. To captivate completely; entrance. See Synonyms at charm. powers of her own. Providing strong work are Jill Hill as Aline Solness, Halvard's brittle wife, and Len Lesser Leonard King "Len" Lesser (December 3, 1922) is an American actor best known for his role as Uncle Leo on Seinfeld after having joined the cast during the second season. as the elder architect, Brovik, over whom Solness has climbed on his way to master building prominence. Brovik is dying. His son (Stephen Rockwell) is a trapped apprentice to Solness in love with Kaja, who only has eyes for the boss. Yep, ample helpings of misery for everyone in Ibsen land. Sibyl sibyl (sĭb`ĭl), in classical mythology and religion, prophetess. There were said to be as many as 10 sibyls, variously located and represented. The most famous was the Cumaean sibyl, described by Vergil in the Aeneid. Wickersheimer's representational set does afford us a glimpse of Solness making his climactic ascent toward the play's end. Wide-open spaces can be a double-edged sword, however, and this production might have benefited from a greater sense of claustrophobia claustrophobia /claus·tro·pho·bia/ (-fo´be-ah) irrational fear of being shut in, of closed places. claus·tro·pho·bi·a n. An abnormal fear of being in narrow or enclosed spaces. , of people trapped on the ground floor when they want to scale the heavens. THE MASTER BUILDER - Three stars Where: A Noise Within, 234 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale. When: 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday; through Dec. 11. In rotating repertory. Call for specific days and times. Tickets: $32 to $36. Call (818) 240-0910, Ext. 1, or www.anoisewithin.org. In a nutshell: Geoff Elliott's Solness is a master of misery as well as architecture. |
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