Hartford Stage artistic director Michael Wilson (Enchanted April) directs the work for his Connecticut company for a run through Nov. 14.
Set in a museum gallery in Leningrad in 1956, The Bay at Nice revolves around an attempt to authenticate a suspect painting. The title refers to the work of art by Matisse. The play made its world premiere — with another Hare work, Wrecked Eggs — at London's Royal National Theatre in 1986 with Irene Worth and Zoe Wanamaker starring.
The cast led by Parsons also features Peter Maloney (Dinner at Eight, Judgment at Nuremberg)‚ Angelica Torn (Side Man, Anna Christie) and Corey Brill (Kennedy Center A Glass Menagerie, Cabaret national tour).
The design team for The Bay at Nice includes Tony Straiges (scenic), Rui Rita (lighting), Willa Kim (costumes) and John Gromada (sound).
Parsons was last seen on the Connecticut stage in Samuel Beckett's Happy Days in 1998. The actress, who directed the recent Broadway staging of Salome, has been Tony Award-nominated for her turns in Morning's at Seven, Miss Margarida's Way, And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little and The Seven Descents of Myrtle. She is also known as the mother to the title character in "Roseanne" and the Academy Award winner for her turn in the film "Bonnie and Clyde." Director Wilson has staged 15 new productions for Hartford Stage including Enchanted April and the world premieres of Horton Foote's The Carpetbagger's Children and Eve Ensler's Necessary Targets all of which transferred to New York. He also directed the recent Off-Broadway run of Horton Foote's The Day Emily Married with Parsons.
Playwright Hare has penned The Breath of Life, The Permanent Way, Amy's View, The Blue Room, The Judas Kiss, Racing Demon and Via Dolorosa — which he performed himself in London and on Broadway. Hare's controversial new play Stuff Happens — which debuted at the National Theatre in London — will receive a reading as part of Hartford Stage's "Red, White & New," a politically-themed "Brand:NEW Festival of New Works," Oct. 24.
The current season at Hartford also includes Theresa Rebeck's Bad Dates (Jan. 6-Feb. 6, 2005), Eduardo Machado's The Cook (Feb. 24-March 27, 2005), Othello (April 7-May 8, 2005) and Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (May 26-June 26, 2005).
Tickets for The Bay at Nice at Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street in downtown Hartford, CT are available by calling (860) 527-5151. For more information, visit www.hartfordstage.org.
