New York Classical Theatre Brings THE TEMPEST to Battery Park, Now thru 8/4

New York Classical Theatre will present a free outdoor production of Shakespeare's The Tempest, transforming the Lower Manhattan waterfront into Prospero's fantastical enchanted isle.

From today, July 11th to August 4th, the acclaimed company will bring its signature "Panoramic Theatre" staging style to Battery Park, with Prospero, Caliban, and company raging against the backdrop of Castle Clinton, the Statue of Liberty, and the dramatic sunsets behind New York Harbor.

Named one of the 101 best things to do this summer by Time Out New York and described as "a moveable feast" by The New York Times, the 14-year-old New York Classical Theatre has won widespread praise for its roving productions of classical plays in Central Park, Battery Park, Governors Island, One Liberty Plaza, and Brookfield Place (formerly the World Financial Center). The company most recently staged Chekhov's The Seagull in Central Park and Brooklyn's Prospect Park to accolades from The New York Times.

The Tempest is an epic tale of magic, revenge, and redemption led by Prospero, a magician who whips up a raging storm that delivers his duplicitous brother to his shore. New York Classical Theatre's production locates the story in the Victorian era, when the onset of the Industrial revolution inspired a countervailing renaissance in spiritualism and a penchant for all things occult.

"Half surrounded by water and steeped in history, Battery Park is the perfect setting for Shakespeare's most magical, otherworldly play," said New York Classical Theatre founder and artistic director Stephen Burdman. "In 2006, our Mary Stuart was the first professional play to be staged inside Castle Clinton in 100 years, and we're honored to be returning to celebrate the re-opening of this historic site with the first Off-Broadway production following Hurricane Sandy."

The free production will be directed by Sean Hagerty, Associate Producer and Director of Education for New York Classical Theatre. The cast will feature John Michalski* (Prospero), Hannah Kahn (Miranda), Rin Allen*, Molly Densmore, and Kelly Gibson* (all as Ariel), Brendan McMahon* (Caliban), Daniel Patrick Smith (Ferdinand), Clay Storseth* (King Alonso), Andrew Boyer* (Gonzalo), Greg Brostrom* (Sebastian), Nick Salamone* (Antonio), Blake Habermann (Trinculo), and Kevin Orton* (Stephano). The production designer is Mike Floyd.

Select performances will be preceded by the company's popular pre-performance family workshops. Open and free to the public, the workshops guide children (7-11) and their families through games and exercises that help them better understand the play.

Described as "a moveable feast" by the New York Times, New York Classical Theatre has won acclaim for its roving productions of classical plays by Shakespeare, Shaw, Moliere, and more in Central Park, Battery Park, Prospect Park, Governors Island, One Liberty Plaza and Brookfield Place. Founded by Stephen Burdman in 2000, the company has performed 30 free plays for more than 125,000 spectators and reaches a broad demographic of our urban community spanning all ages, ethnicities, education and income levels. In addition to their accessible productions, New York Classical Theatre presents free educational workshops before selected performances of each production that offer children and their families an introduction to the world of a given play. For more information, visit www.newyorkclassical.org.

*Member Actors' Equity Association