Maryland Ensemble Theatre Presents A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE

Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET), an award-winning theatre dedicated to the creation and production of extraordinary theatre, presents A View from the Bridge, a tragedy in which the limits of family bonds and personal honor are tested. Written by Arthur Miller (The Crucible), A View from the Bridge focuses on the poverty of an American working class family comes face to face with the sheer destitution of their immigrant cousins, desperate to make a new life when an admirable longshoreman takes in two if his wife's Italian cousins who have been smuggled into the country. One falls in love with his niece and a 1950s plot becomes more topical than ever!

The show is narrated by Alfieri, an Italian-born man now working as an American lawyer. Due to this crossover, Alfieri is able to provide an interesting perspective on people of Italian background living in New York; he captures this amalgam of culture through the story of Eddie, an Italian American living with his wife Beatrice and her niece, Catherine. When family members Marco and Rodolpho immigrate to New York and begin to live with the family, cracks in their household begin to form.

Director Gerard Stropnicky is excited to bring this play to life. "I am absolutely thrilled to be directing A View from the Bridge," Stropnicky says. "The concerns of 'A View from the Bridge' are as timely and vital to our lives as ever. Although set in the 1950s, rather topical issues are addressed in A View from the Bridge creating a unique environment where more recent topics, such as homosexuality, are presented centerstage in an older setting. I'm honored to present a vivid and urgent portrait of real people and their lives - people who are flawed, full of dreams - people we all know and care about."

The A View from the Bridge crew includes: director Gerard Stropnicky, scenic design by Cody Gilliam, costume design by Stephanie Hyder, lighting design by Diane Bass, Jerry Matheny on sound design, fight choreographer is Sam Little, the dialect coach is Kirsten Trump, and Donna Quesada on props. The production stage manager is David Allerton, with assistant stage manager Amber George.

The cast bringing this play to life includes Tad Janes as Alfieri, Jack Evans as Eddie, Jeanine Collins-Evans as Beatrice, Karli Cole as Catherine, Jeremy Myers as Rodolpho, and Clay Comer as Marco.

A View from the Bridge opens on Friday, May 25th and runs until Sunday, June 17th. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances are at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 (special 20th season rate!); with special pricing for Hood College, McDaniel College, and Frederick Community College students. Tickets may be purchased by phone at (301) 694-4744, online at marylandensemble.org or in person at the MET box office. Come get hooked on an adventure of a lifetime.