Brian Dennehy, back on Broadway in Desire Under the Elms, will present Spacey with his award. Entertainment will be provided by Eve Best, André De Shields, John Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt. The evening will also include a musical tribute to Bobby Darin featuring singer-songwriter Matt Alber and a Juilliard Jazz/Swing combo.

Spacey receives the award in recognition of "his distinguished accomplishments and contributions to the American and international theater community," according to a press statement.

The 6:30 PM evening will include a selection of readings from plays that have featured Spacey.

O'Neill executive director Preston Whiteway said in a previous statement, "Kevin could not be a more ideal fit for the Monte Cristo Award. His breadth of work and success are remarkable, and his devotion to and love for theater is widely celebrated. He is a master interpreter of Eugene O'Neill's most iconic characters, and I could not be more pleased to honor him on the 26th of April, and to have masters of stage and screen to help celebrate him."

The Monte Cristo Award is given in recognition of "distinguished careers exemplifying Eugene O'Neill's standard of excellence and pioneering spirit." Past winners include Neil Simon, Edward Albee, August Wilson, Zoe Caldwell, Brian Dennehy, Karl Malden, Arthur and Barbara Gelb, and Wendy Wasserstein. Honorary committee members include Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones; Emanuel Azenberg; John Barlow; Eve Best; Jeff Bridges; Colin Callender; Stephen Daldry; Howard Davies; Brian Dennehy; Clint Eastwood; Jeff Goldblum; Ruth and Steven Hendel; Dina Merrill and Ted Hartley; Sam Mendes; Al Pacino; Bernadette Peters; George Stevens, Jr.; Jay Roach; Tom Viertel and Pat Daily; and George White and Betsy White.

Spacey has served as the artistic director of London's Old Vic Theatre Company since 2003. His London stage credits include National Anthems, The Philadelphia Story, Richard II, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Speed-the-Plow, and The Iceman Cometh, for which he earned the Evening Standard and Olivier Award for Best Actor. Spacey was awarded a Tony for Lost in Yonkers and has been Tony-nominated for his Broadway appearances in the Old Vic transfers of A Moon for the Misbegotten and The Iceman Cometh. His numerous screen credits include Oscar-winning performances in "American Beauty" and "The Usual Suspects," as well as "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," "Superman Returns," "Pay It Forward" and "HurlyBurly."

For table and ticket reservations, contact Suzanne Hendrix at (860) 443-5378, ext. 217 or e-mail [email protected].