Hedgerow Theatre will present Shakespeare's final masterpiece, The Tempest, directed by Producing Artistic Director Penelope Reed, May 4 through June 10 on Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. The production will star Robert Lanchester of Princeton as Prospero, pairing Ms. Reed and Mr. Lanchester, veterans of the Milwaukee Repertory and McCarter Theaters, together once more.

The Tempest presents some of the Shakespeare's most insightful meditations on the cycle of life - ending and beginning, death and regeneration, bondage and freedom. Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer of the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist. He wrote approximately 38 plays and 154 sonnets. The Tempest is believed by scholars to be his last play and contains some of his most lyrical language and memorable characters.

Robert Lanchester, who leads the Hedgerow ensemble in the Bard's magical drama, has a revered national reputation gained from performances on Broadway in New York City, at The Shakespeare Festival and The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. For the New York Shakespeare Festival, he played Cornwall to James Earl Jones' Lear and was Polonious in Hamlet at the Santa Fe Rep. He was also a member of the touring production Nicholas Nickleby, and has numerous credits at The Milwaukee Repertory and McCarter Theatre, where he was an actor, director and Associate Artistic Director. It was at the latter theatres that he and Ms. Reed worked under the Artistic Direction of Nagle Jackson.

The cast will also feature Hedgerow Theatre fellows Miriam Ani as Ariel, Keon Mohajeri as Caliban, Giselle Chatelain and Caryln Miller, intern Ghasan Alkassir and ensemble members Zoran Kovcic, Newton Buchanan, Spencer Gates, McKeever and Dan Sheehan. Other guest artists for this production are Richard Brown, Lauren Thomas and Jean Haskell.

Tickets are $22 for Sunday performances; $25 on Friday and Saturday, with $3 discounts for seniors and $10 for age 18 and under. This show is available for weekday bookings for area schools and groups. Call Susan Wefel at 610-565-4211 for details.

For reservations or more information, call 610-565-4211 or visit www.hedgerowtheatre.org. Hedgerow Theatre is at 64 Rose Valley Road, Media, Pa.