Photo Flash: Daniel Davis et al. in Hartford Stage's THE TEMPEST

The Tony Award-winning Hartford Stage, under the leadership of Darko Tresnjak, Artistic Director, and Michael Stotts, Managing Director, presents William Shakespeare's magical masterwork, The Tempest, directed by Darko Tresnjak, playing now through June 10, 2012 (press opening: Wednesday, May 16 at 7:30pm).

Tony Award nominee Daniel Davis, best known for his recent NYC roles in Classic Stage's The Cherry Orchard, Lincoln Center's The Invention of Love, and the 2004 Broadway revival of La Cage aux Folles, as well as six seasons as Niles the Butler on TV's "The Nanny, plays Prospero.

See photos of Davis and the rest of the cast on stage below!

One storm rages on the sea. Another storm rages inside of a man. Will Prospero, the banished Duke of Milan, exact his revenge or forgive his foes? Shakespeare's magnificent last play is a meditation on family, love, mercy, and-ultimately-the theatre itself. With wonder, imagination and sheer theatricality, this powerful production will take you on a breathtaking journey filled with song, dance, masks and puppetry.

"Our Acting Company for The Tempest includes veterans from the leading American and Canadian Shakespeare festivals and talented young performers from the Hartt School," said director Darko Tresnjak. "I look forward to working with all of them on this magnificent contemplation of life and art."

As previously announced, Broadway, television and film actor Daniel Davis will star as Prospero. The Tempest cast features Noble Shropshire (Gonzalo), Bruce Turk (Trinculo), William Patrick Riley (Ferdinand), David Barlow (Sebastian), Michael Spencer- Davis (Stephano), Shirine Babb (Ariel), Sara Topham (Miranda), Joshua Dean (Sailor/Spirit), Jonathan Lincoln Fried (Antonio), Christopher Randolph (King Alonso), Ben Cole (Caliban), Alex Saffer (Francisco/Boatswain), Mark Ford (Sailor/Lord) , Jane Cracovaner (Spirit/Goddess), Jillian Greenberg (Spirit/Goddess), and Annastasia Duffany (Spirit/Goddess).

The creative team includes Tony Award nominee (for Roundabout's Present Laughter) Alexander Dodge, scenic design; Fabio Toblini, costume design; Michael Chybowski, lighting design; David Budries and Nathan A. Roberts, sound design and original music; Joshua Dean, aerial consultant; and Mary K. Klinger, production stage manager.

Making his Hartford Stage debut is Daniel Davis (Prospero) This Arkansas native's 40-year career includes work in regional theatre in the U.S. and Canada, primarily The American Shakespeare Festival, The Stratford National Theatre of Canada, The Guthrie, Seattle Rep, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Old Globe Theatre, ten seasons with the Williamstown Theatre Festival, and six seasons with The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. Favorite roles include Garland Wright's production of The Misanthrope (Alceste), the American premiere of David Hare and Howard Brenton's Pravda (Lambert LeRoux) directed by Robert Falls, the world premiere of The Film Society (Jonathan Balton) by Jon Robin Baitz and title roles in Hamlet, Peer Gynt, and Arturo Ui. New York credits include Wrong Mountain (Tony nomination), Talking Heads (Obie and Outer Critics Circle Award) La Cage aux Folles (2004 revival), and for Lincoln Center: The Invention of Love and The Frogs. In 1971 he toured with Katharine Hepburn in Coco and toured again in 1982 as Salieri in Amadeus which he also played on Broadway. Recent stage work includes the Classic Stage Company's revival of The Cherry OrchardI,, in which he played Gaev opposite Dianne Wiest and John Turturro. In 2011, he starred in A.R.Gurney's Black Tie at Primary Stages. He has played the title role in King Lear for the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Kreon in Medea opposite Annette Bening for the U.C.L.A InterNational Theatre Festival and with the New York Philharmonic in a concert reading of Stravinsky's L'Histoire du Soldat with Alec Baldwin. He spent six seasons as Niles the Butler on "The Nanny" and has had numerous guest roles on TV, most notably as Professor Moriarty on "Star Trek: The Next Generation". Films include The Prestige, Sydney Pollack's Havana and The Hunt for Red October.

Darko Tresnjak joinEd Hartford Stage in 2011 as Artistic Director. He was the Artistic Director of The Old Globe Shakespeare Festival in San Diego from 2004 to 2009. His directing credits at The Old Globe include The Women, The Pleasure of His Company, Bell, Book and Candle, Cyrano de Bergerac, Coriolanus, All's Well That Ends Well, Hamlet, Titus Andronicus, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Winter's Tale, A Comedy of Errors, Antony and Cleopatra, The Two Noble Kinsmen, and Pericles. Recent directing credits include the national tour of The Merchant of Venice, starring F. Murray Abraham; City of Angels at Goodspeed Musicals; and Titus Adronicus at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. He has also directed productions at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, RSC Complete Works Festival, Joseph Papp Public Theater, Theater for a New Audience, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Long Wharf Theatre Company, Westport Country Playhouse, Vineyard Theatre Company, Blue Light Theater Company, Huntington Theatre Company (four seasons), Williamstown Theatre Festival (eight seasons), Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Florida Grand Opera, and Los Angeles Opera.

Tickets for The Tempest are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 860-527-5151 or by visiting hartfordstage.org. Press Night for The Tempest is tomorrow, Wednesday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. Opening Night for The Tempest is Friday, May 18 at 8:00 p.m.

The production runs now through June 10. Evening performances are weeknights (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday) at 7:30 p.m. and weekends (Friday and Saturday) at 8:00 p.m. Matinee performances are Sundays and selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:00 p.m.

Cocktails with the Cast takes place after May 25 performance at 10:30pm. Join members of the cast after the show for drinks in our lower lobby lounge. Cocktails with the Cast events are free and held on Friday evenings after opening night. Drink specials and cash bar.

The Dinner and Design performance is May 16. Pre-show dinner hosted by Hartford Stage's costume shop manager and guest artists with a discussion focused on costumes and the design the process of each show. $20 per person. Reservations Required.

Hartford Stage, since its founding in 1963, has been known for innovative revivals of classics and the development of important new works, including 65 World or American premieres. Recent work includes Horton Foote's The Orphans' Home Cycle which had a celebrated run at the Signature Theatre in New York during the 2009-2010 season; a landmark production of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird; the premieres of Michael Kramer's Divine Rivalry; Quiara Alegria Hudes' Water by the Spoonful; and Daniel Beaty's Resurrection (later retitled Through the Night, which had a successful run off-Broadway during the 2010-11 season). In 1998 the theatre launched an unprecedented ten-year retrospective of Tennessee Williams, which included the premiere of three plays. Other new work includes the premieres of Eve Ensler's Necessary Targets, Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo, Matthew Barber's Enchanted April (which transferred to Broadway), Matthew Lombardo's Tea at Five, and many others. The theatre has earned numerous distinguished honors, including a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, the Margo Jones Award, OBIE awards, New York Critics Circle and Drama Desk awards. In 2005 Hartford Stage was awarded The Hartford Courant's Tapestry Award recognizing its outstanding work in diversity, and in 2008 it was awarded the Bank of America Neighborhood Builder's Award recognizing its excellence in building community in Greater Hartford. Hartford Stage is currently under the leadership of Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak and Managing Director Michael Stotts.

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