We hope you enjoyed your Quantum experience, and we’d love to hear your thoughts on The Master Builder. Leave a comment below and tell us what you liked, disliked, or anything in particular that may have resonated with you. Thank you for your feedback!
A superb, haunting performance by each of the actors. I particularly liked the stunning architectural backdrop for this tragedy– it cut a bit, a wee bit, out of the tragic proportions of the play.
We raise a glass ( again) to Karla’s fertile imagination. Thanks for finding these remarkable places in which to put on serious theater.
b jones
We saw the performance this past Saturday night and could not fully appreciate the performances nor the scope of the play due to the lack of air conditioning – it was sweltering- and the bathrooms which were unusable. It made for a very difficult if not traumatic evening for some of us. My husband and I would have left early if the people we were with were not driving. Sorry for the critique.
How could such a sweet, generous, sensitive, altruistic man like John plays such a self-serving, egotistical, obtuse boor? It must be acting!
The play was incredible. John Shephard, the main actor was marvelous !!!!!! We can’t say enough about his acting. He stole the show!!!!!
I’d like to see lots of plays with him is the main actor !
The setting in the old building on the north side was a wonderful place to have this play .
Thank you for having beverages and a little snack. That was very very appreciated !
The view from the building is incredible. The fireworks display was also incredible.
Do more in that building !!!!!!!
Thank you.
The directing and acting were fabulous and revealed the levels upon levels of meaning in the play.
The performance(s) this past Wednesday were outstanding! John Shepard’s Solness as the focus of the play was powerfully rendered. At first, I had a little difficulty following the first speaking parts, probably due to the usual problem of one’s ears adjusting early in theatrical settings until speech patterns become understood. And also because John Reilly (Knut Brovik) had to affect a cough due to his perceived illness.
As always, Tony Ferrieri’s minimalist set design really worked in the space, especially because its spareness was necessary to not upstage (pardon the pun) the city-scape background.
Regret having to leave a bit early in Act III, but the impact of the play was not lost on me, as I am familiar with its denouement. Great setting and staging all around!
We saw the play Friday night and both really enjoyed it. I thought that each member of the cast was perfect for the part he/she played. The play was really powerful; the city in the background was dazzling, and the effect of opening the blinds at the intermissions to let in the sparkle of the nighttime sky was a nice touch.
I loved the setting for the play. Very apt! The addition of architecture lectures and tours were a wonderful add on. The direction and some of the acting (John Shepard, John Reilly and Phil Winters) was exceptional. Some of the others fell short and were a disappointment. Not a fan of Ibsen, I’d seen “The Master Builder” once before and didn’t find it very memorable. In spite of the fine acting and valiant production efforts, this version is also one that will become vague in my mind with the passing of time.
Another innovative setting, which really added value. Nothing like a totally stripped-down floor of a highrise to get one thinking about architecture (and its failures, as exemplified by numerous sites around Pittsburgh). From a building (or floor) stripped down to the very basics, we had a 360 degree view of a vibrant city at dusk & at night — quite inspiring! Of course, Ibsen is grim — there is no other word for it. But confronted with examples of what architecture both can and cannot do provided a fine subtext for the play, and took it out of any particular time and place.
We thoroughly enjoyed the venue in the context of the play.
The choice of venue was risky. The views were spectacular and could easily have drawn attention from the play. That it did not, is testimony to have well the acting drew one’s attention to the inner demons that drive the characters and shape the story