Edward Albee’s inscrutable Tiny Alice, which has stumped many a director, critic, and theatre goer since its unveiling in 1965, is getting a fresh examination at Hartford Stage, under the direction of the company’s former artistic director, Mark Lamos. Performances begin May 16. Hartford Stage’s obsession with the play is not new. The theatre first staged the work in 1972. Indeed, after Shakespeare, Albee is the most produced playwright in Hartford’s 34-year history. Lamos has collected a seasoned cast for the production, headed by Richard Thomas, who will play the lead role of Brother Julian, a man of the church seduced by Alice’s sexuality and wealth. Also in the cast are Gerry Bamman (Off-Broadway’s Nixon’s Nixon and Bedfellows), John Michael Higgins (Broadway’s La Bete), Tom Lacy (the Drama Dept.’s production of Kingdom of Earth), and Sharon Scruggs (Floyd Collins). For more information, call (860) 527-5151.

The original production of Tiny Alice was presented on Broadway in December of 1965, with John Gielgud and Irene Worth under the direction of Alan Schneider.

--By Robert Simonson