Daniel Davis Stars in Hartford Stage's THE TEMPEST, Beginning 5/18

The Tony Award®-winning Hartford Stage, under the leadership of Darko Tresnjak, Artistic Director, and Michael Stotts, Managing Director, presents William Shakespeare's The Tempest, directed by Darko Tresnjak, playing May 18 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, will play Prospero.

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.

Key Dates and Information
Tickets for The Tempest are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 860-527-5151 or by visiting hartfordstage.org.