The Master Builder

The show is playing at the Harvey Theatre located at 651 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, New York. It runs two hours and eleven minutes and closes on June 9, 2013.

The play was writen by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It was published in December 1892.

The Master Builder was first performed on January 19, 1893 at the Lessing Theatre in Berlin. It was first performed in the United States at the Carnegie Lyceum in New York on January 16, 1990.

Halvard Solness (John Turturro) is the master builder. He builds beautiful houses and is very successful at it. Having worked his way up in the firm he took over the ownership from Knut Brovik (Julian Gamble) and his son Pagnar (Max Gordon Moore). They both still work for the firm. Knut is dying and wants Halvard to let his son build the house for the company’s new client. He tells him he lacks the confidence and wants Halvard to let him do the job. He refuses. Pagnar fiancé Kaja Fosli (Kelly Hutchinson) is a book keeper at the firm. Kaja is all over Halvard. She thinks he has thing for her but he is leading her on.

Halvard and his wife Aline (Katherine Borowitz) are very distant when they are together. There is a strain in their relationship. The person she talks is Dr. Herdal (Ken Cheeseman).

Hilde Wangel (Wrenn Schmidt) shows up causing havoc. She met the master builder ten years ago when she was thirteen. He built a church in her home town. Hilde said she ran away from home and could she stay the night. She becomes the person he can pour out his heart to.

At the end of Act 1, we get a hint of the reasons why the characters are the way they are. Alion family home, where she was living with her family burned down. Their twin sons died at 20 weeks old.

Act two goes deeper into what happen and how the guilt affected the characters.

This is an interesting and well done play. It makes you think. How one thing happens to us can effect what we do with the rest of our lives.

The director took liberties with the way Kaja and Hilde act toward Halvard. It was more modern then would have been done for the period it was written in. Hilde outfit is modern while the rest of the cast isn’t.

You only have one week to see John Turturro and Wrenn Schnidt. They are worth seeing. They put their heart and soul into their characters. They do a wonderful job.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for recent photos. Click on recent photos for this and other shows.