Film, Stage and Television Actress Tamara Tunie to Play Prospero in THE TEMPEST

Pittsburgh Public Theater News!Pittsburgh Public Theater Artistic Director Marya Sea Kaminski and Managing Director Lou Castelli today announced that award-winning actress and Pittsburgh native Tamara Tunie will star as Prospero in the company's upcoming production of The Tempest. Written by William Shakespeare and adapted and directed by Ms. Kaminski, The Tempest will run January 24 - February 24, 2019 at the O'Reilly Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater's home in the heart of Downtown's Cultural District. For tickets call 412.316.1600, click ppt.org, or visit the Box Office. The Tempest is Presented by PNC.

The play will be a homecoming for Ms. Tunie, who was born in McKeesport and raised in Homestead. She is a graduate of Steel Valley High School and Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama. Her most visible roles have been on TV, including attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS daytime drama "As the World Turns," and medical examiner Dr. Melinda Warner on NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Recently Ms. Tunie starred in the AMC hit series Dietland and stars in the BBC/Netflix drama "Black Earth Rising," which is currently airing in the U.K. and can be seen in the U.S. in January. She has also performed in nearly two dozen films, including The Devil's Advocate with Al Pacino, Flight with Denzel Washington, and 2018's Irreplaceable You.

In addition to her success on screen, Ms. Tunie has had a luminous stage career. She has said her first love is the theater, where she has worked as both performer and producer. Her roles include Julius Caesar with Denzel Washington on Broadway and Familiar, for which she won the Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress, among numerous others. As a producer her projects include August Wilson's Radio Golf and the Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening.

Ms. Kaminski says: "In addition to her robust stage experience, Tamara will bring an incredible presence and authority to the role of Prospero. Though Tempest is Shakespeare's most magical play, this adaptation will also bring a depth of humanity and grace that is a trademark of all Tamara's work. I consider it a great honor to welcome her to our stage at The Public. She feels like the perfect artist to celebrate as part of our 'Welcome Home' season."

Ms. Tunie is also very active in her community. She is President of the Board of Harlem Stage/The Gate House and is a leader of God's Love We Deliver. This fall Ms. Tunie performed in Antigone in Ferguson, which drew from the tragic death of Michael Brown in 2014. The production was a collaboration between Harlem Stage, Theater of War Productions, and community members from Ferguson, Missouri.

For more information about Tamara Tunie in The Tempest at Pittsburgh Public Theater visit www.ppt.org.