Daly Siblings Make First Stage Appearance in DOWNSTAIRS Tonight at Dorset Theatre Festival

Dorset Theatre Festival opens its 40th Anniversary Season with the World Premiere of Theresa Rebeck's Downstairs, starring brother and sister Tim Daly and Tyne Daly, who will be appearing together for the first time on the stage.

Downstairs, under the direction of Resident Director Adrienne Campbell-Holt, runs for 16 performances tonight, June 22, through July 8, 2017. All performances take place at the Dorset Playhouse, 104 Cheney Road, Dorset.

Downstairs is a thought-provoking family drama written with Tim and Tyne in mind. The World Premiere of Downstairs marks the first time that Tim and Tyne will work together onstage and the first ever that they will be playing brother and sister. Downstairs follows the story of Eileen (Tyne Daly), whose brother Teddy (Tim Daly) has decided to move home and live in her basement. Eileen's husband is less than thrilled about this. And Teddy is more than a little off his game. As the brother and sister struggle to understand their present and their past, questions of betrayal, disappointment, and madness rise and fall. Who is saving whom?

"It is always a gift to collaborate with Theresa, our resident playwright, but to bring in such a cast-and in particular, to have Tim and Tyne working together in a play written just for them-is a dream come true. It doesn't get any better than this," says Artistic Director Dina Janis.

Tim Daly is an Emmy-nominated actor, director, producer and philanthropist, beloved by Dorset Theatre Festival audiences for his critically acclaimed performances as Mark Rothko in Red by John Logan and in The Scene by Theresa Rebeck. Downstairs will mark the third collaboration between Tim and director Adrienne Campbell-Holt. Tim's other theatre credits include The Exonerated; Six Degrees of Separation; The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial; Henry Flamethrowa; Coastal Disturbances; Oliver, Oliver; Buried Child, and most recently, The Ruins of Civilization for the Manhattan Theater Club. Since 2014, Tim has played the role of Henry McCord in the hit CBS series Madam Secretary. He is also well known for his past roles as Joe Hackett on the NBC sitcom Wings, as Clark Kent/Superman in Superman: The Animated Series, and as the drug-addicted screenwriter J.T. Dolan on The Sopranos, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award.

Behind the camera, Tim produced the documentary film Poliwood, directed by Barry Levinson. He also produced and starred in Edge of America, which earned the Humanitas Prize, Peabody Award, Writers Guild Award and Directors Guild Award. Tim is also the longtime president of The Creative Coalition, which is a non-profit, non-partisan, social and political advocacy organization in which members of the entertainment community promote issues of public importance, specifically in the areas of First Amendment rights, arts advocacy and public education.

Tyne Daly is an accomplished American stage and screen actress best known for her work on the acclaimed television series Cagney & Lacey as title character Detective Mary Beth Lacey alongside Sharon Gless as Detective Christine Cagney. The two won the series a record six Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Leading Actress in a row, which remains unmatched to this day. Tyne's performance earned her four of the six Emmy Awards. Tyne is also well known on television for her role as social worker Maxine Gray, who was the mother to the show's title character on the CBS drama Judging Amy (1999-2005). More recently, Tyne can be seen alongside Sally Field in the feature film Hello, My Name is Doris. Tyne will next appear in Spiderman: Homecoming as Anne Marie Hoag for Sony/Marvel to be released July 2017.

Tyne has been in Broadway stage productions since 1967, including hits like Gypsy, (1989) for which she won the 1990 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, The Seagull (1992), as well as Rabbit Hole (2006) where she played the mother of the protagonist, played by Cynthia Nixon. Over the past several years, Daly has continued to appear in Broadway and Off-Broadway plays. In 2012, she reprised her role as Maria Callas in the West End Production of Master Class.

Theresa Rebeck is a widely produced playwright throughout the United States and abroad. Theresa is the author of three novels: Three Girls and Their Brother, Twelve Rooms With A View, and I'm Glad About You, which was recently released in February 2016. For television, Theresa has written for Dream On, Brooklyn Bridge, L.A. Law, American Dreamer, Maximum Bob, First Wave, and Third Watch. She is also the creator of the NBC drama Smash. Her produced feature films include Harriet the Spy, Gossip, and the independent features Sunday on the Rocks and Seducing Charlie Barker, which is an adaptation of her play, The Scene.

Dorset Theatre Festival, sponsored for its 40th anniversary season by Manchester Designer Outlets, creates bold and innovative theatre that engages a diverse, multi-generational community: enlightening, entertaining, and inspiring its audience through the celebration of great plays produced with the highest degree of artistry.

The World Premiere of Downstairs will open Dorset Theatre Festival's four show mainstage season with a limited run June 22 - July 8, 2017. Subscriptions for the 2017 Summer Season go on sale March 1. Single tickets go on sale April 1. The box office may be reached by calling (802) 867-2223 ex. 2 Monday through Thursday from 12-4 pm. For more information, or to purchase subscriptions and tickets online, visit Dorset Theatre Festival's website at www.dorsettheatrefestival.org.