Signature Theatre Company

The Signature Theatre Company is a not-for-profit theatre company in New York City dedicated to honoring and celebrating the work of the playwright. Founded in 1991 by Jim Houghton, Signature provides established playwrights with opportunities to premiere new work as well as remount past writings. The company allows playwrights to be a part of every aspect of the artistic process through a year long residency program.

Signature, while continuing a commitment to the season-long playwright residencies, has introduced Legacy productions as well. Developed during the Tenth and Fifteenth Anniversary Seasons, the Legacy Program invites a past Signature Playwright-in-Residence to return to the theatre with either a "Signature," or well-known, work or a premiere as part of the "Premiere Series," which includes both New York and world premieres.

The Signature Theatre Company has produced the work of Romulus Linney, Lee Blessing, Edward Albee, Horton Foote, Adrienne Kennedy, Sam Shepard, Arthur Miller, John Guare, Maria Irene Fornes, Lanford Wilson, Bill Irwin, Paula Vogel, August Wilson and Charles Mee. The theatre has announced its plans to honor the Negro Ensemble Company, Suzan-Lori Parks and Tony Kushner in its upcoming seasons. ["Mission," "Signature Theatre Company Website", 2008. http://www.signaturetheatre.org/mission.htm]

Season History

1991 - 92 Season: Romulus Linney
* "F.M."
* "The Love Suicide of Schofield Barracks"
* "The Sorrows of Frederick"
* "Heathen Valley"
* "A Woman Without a Name"
* "Ambrosio"+

1992 - 93 Season: Lee Blessing
* "Fortinbras"
* "Lake Street Extension"
* "Two Rooms"
* "Patient A"+

1993 - 94 Season: Edward Albee
* "Marriage Play"
* "Counting the Ways and Listening"
* "Sand: Box, The Sandbox and Finding the Sun"
* "Fragments"+

1994 - 95 Season: Horton Foote
* "Talking Pictures"
* "Night Seasons"
* "The Young Man From Atlanta"+
* "Laura Dennis"+

1995 - 96 Season: Adrienne Kennedy
* "Funnyhouse of A Negro"
* "A Movie Star Has to Star in Black and White"
* "June and Jean in Concert"+
* "Sleep Deprivation Chamber"+
* "The Alexander Plays: Suzanne In Stages"
* "Dramatic Circle"
* "Ohio State Murders"

1996 - 97 Season: Sam Shepard
* "When the World Was Green" (co-written with Joseph Chaikin)
* "Chicago"
* "The Tooth of Crime"
* "Action"
* "Killer's Head"
* "The Sad Lament of Pecos Billon the Eve of Killing His Wife"
* "Curse of the Starving Class"

1997 - 98 Season: Arthur Miller
* "The American Clock"
* "The Last Yankee"
* "I Can't Remember Anything"
* "The Pussycat & the Expert Plumber"
* "Who Was a Man"
* "Mr. Peter's Connections"+

1998 - 99 Season: John Guare
* "Marco Polo Sings a Solo"
* "Bosoms & Neglect"
* "Lake Hollywood"+

1999 - 2000 Season: Maria Irene Fornes
* "Mud"
* "Drowning"
* "Enter the Night"
* "Letters from Cuba"+

2000 - 2001 Season: All-Premiere Celebration Part 1
* "A Lesson Before Dying" by Romulus Linney
* "The Last of the Thorntons" by Horton Foote +
* "Urban Zulu Mambo" by Kia Corthron, Suzan-Lori Parks, Ntozake Shange & Regina Taylor
* "Thief River" by Lee Blessing+

2001 - 2002 Season: All-Premiere Celebration Part 2
* "The Late Henry Moss" by Sam Shepard
* "Occupant" by Edward Albee+
* "A Few Stout Individuals" by John Guare+

2002 - 2003 Season: Lanford Wilson
* "Burn This"
* "Book of Days"
* "Fifth of July"
* "Rain Dance"

2003 - 2004 Season: Bill Irwin
* "The Harlequin Studies"+
* "The Regard Evening"+
* "Mr. Fox: A Rumination"+

2004 - 2005 Season: Paula Vogel
* "The Oldest Profession"
* "Baltimore Waltz"
* "Hot 'N' Throbbing"

2005 - 2006 Season: 15th Anniversary Part I, Inaugural "Signature Series"
* "The Trip to Bountiful" by Horton Foote
* "Landscape of the Body" by John Guare

2006 - 2007 Season: 15th Anniversary Part II: August Wilson
* "Seven Guitars"
* "Two Trains Running"
* "King Hedley II"

2007 - 2008 Season: Charles Mee
* "Iphigenia 2.0"+
* "Queens Boulevard (the musical)"+
* "Paradise Park"+
* Legacy Production: "Occupant" by Edward Albee

2008 - 2009 Season: The Negro Ensemble Company
* "The First Breeze of Summer" by Leslie Lee
* "Home" by Samm-Art Williams
* "Zooman and the Sign" by Charles Fuller ["Production History," "Signature Theatre Company Website", 2008. http://www.signaturetheatre.org/perform.htm]

Announced:
* 2009 - 2010 Season: Suzan-Lori Parks
* 2010 - 2011 Twentieth Anniversary Season: Tony Kushner ["Signature Theatre Company Announces Four Exciting Seasons," "Signature Theatre Company Press Release", 13 June 2007. http://www.signaturetheatre.org/press/6_13_07.htm]

+ indicates World Premiere production

Signature Ticket Initiative

November 2005 marked the institution of the Signature Ticket Initiative, during which tickets to all performances for the initial run of every production are heavily subsidized to broaden the accessibility of Off-Broadway theatre. At the program's onset, tickets cost fifteen dollars, rather than the usual sixty-five. The Signature Ticket Initiative allows seventy percent of the cost of a full-priced ticket to be subsidized.

The lead sponsor on the program is Time Warner, who has made it possible to underwrite over sixty thousand patrons' tickets as of the 2007-2008 season. Other sponsors include Altria, The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, The Lucille Lortel Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Target. The initiative is also supported by public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

The Ticket Initiative will continue through the theatre's Twentieth Anniversary season in 2010 with twenty dollar tickets for each show through its original run. ["The Signature Ticket Initiative, "Signature Theatre Company Website", 2008. http://www.signaturetheatre.org/tixini.htm]

The Peter Norton Space

In the fall of 1997, with the production of Arthur Miller's "The American Clock", Signature inaugurated the new Peter Norton Space. [Ben Brantley, "THEATRE REVIEW ; Tarnished Dreams Hold Painful Lessons," New York Times, 20 October 1997.] This new proscenium-style theatre, located on 42nd Street, seats 160 audience members. Peter Norton serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. ["The Peter Norton Space, "Signature Theatre Company Website", 2008. http://www.signaturetheatre.org/pns.htm]

Awards and Special Recognition

Pulitzer Prize
* The Pulitzer Prize for Playwriting to Horton Foote for "The Young Man from Atlanta" (1995) ["Drama," "The Pulitzer Prize Website", 2008. http://www.pulitzer.org/bycat/Drama]

Obie Awards ["Obies," "Village Voice", 2008. http://www.villagevoice.com/obies/]
* Romulus Linney, Sustained Achievement in Playwriting (1992)
* Edward Albee, Sustained Achievement in Playwriting (1994)
* Adrienne Kennedy, Best American New Plays: "June and Jean in Concert" and "Sleep Deprivation Chamber" (1996)
* Special Award to María Irene Fornés, Writing and Directing "Letters from Cuba" (2000)
* Edward Norton, performance in "Burn This" (2003)
* Lois Smith, performance in "The Trip to Bountiful" (2006)
* Sherie René Scott, performance in "Landscape of the Body" (2006)
* Roslyn Ruff, performance in "Seven Guitars" (2007)
* Lou Bellamy, performance in "Two Trains Running" (2007)
* Ron Cephas Jones, performance in "Two Trains Running" (2007)

Drama Desk Awards ["Drama Desk Awards," "The Drama Desk Awards", 2008. http://dramadesk.com]
* Honorary Award to Signature "For its unique concept that annually serves one playwright -- and many more audiences" (1996)
* Lifetime Achievement in Theatre Award, Arthur Miller (1997)
* Best Actress, Hallie Foote for her roles in the Horton Foote plays at Signature Theatre Company (1994-95)
* Outstanding Actress in a Play, Lois Smith, "The Trip to Bountiful" (2006)
* Lifetime Achievement in Theatre Award, Horton Foote (2006)

Lucille Lortel Awards ["History," "Lucille Lortel Foundation", 2008. http://www.lortel.org/llt_theater/history/]
* Special Award, Horton Foote for an Individual Body of Work (1995)
* Special Award, Signature Theatre Company for an Institutional Body of Work (1995)
* Outstanding Revival, "Fifth of July" (2003)
* Outstanding Revival, "The Trip to Bountiful" (2006)
* Outstanding Director, Harris Yulin, "The Trip to Bountiful" (2006)
* Outstanding Lead Actress, Lois Smith, "The Trip to Bountiful" (2006)
* Outstanding Featured Actress, Hallie Foote, "The Trip to Bountiful" (2006)
* Outstanding Featured Actress, Sherie Rene Scott, "Landscape of the Body" (2007)
* Outstanding Featured Actor, Arthur French, "Two Trains Running" (2007)
* Outstanding Revival, "Two Trains Running" (2007)

The Outer Critics Circle Award ["Award Archives," "Outer Critics Circle," 2008. http://www.outercritics.org/AwardArchives.aspx]
* Special Achievement Award, Horton Foote plays
* Outstanding Actress in a Play, Lois Smith, "The Trip to Bountiful" (2006)

AUDELCO Awards ["AUDELCO," "Audience Development Committee, Inc., 2008." http://www.audelco.net/home.html]
* Best Supporting Actress, Beatrice Winde, "A Lesson Before Dying" (2000)
* Best Dramatic Production, "Seven Guitars" (2006)
* Best Direction, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, "Seven Guitars" (2006)
* Best Supporting Actor, Charles Weldon, "Seven Guitars" (2006)
* Best Sound Design, Darron L. West, "Seven Guitars" (2006)
* Best Set Design, David Gallo, "King Hedley II" (2007)
* Best Lighting Design,Thom Weaver, "King Hedley II" (2007)
* Best Lead Actress, Lynda Gravatt, "King Hedley II" (2007)
* Best Supporting Actor, Lou Myers, "King Hedley II" (2007)

Special Awards & Recognition
* Time Magazine, Play of the Year: "Two Rooms" by Lee Blessing (1993)
* NAAP Gradiva Award for Best Play: "When the World Was Green (A Chef's Fable)" by Sam Shepard and Joseph Chaikin (1997) ["The Best Theatre of 1993," "Time Magazine," 3 November 2005.]
* Margo Jones Medal: James Houghton (1998)
* PEN/Laura Pels Foundation Award for Drama: John Guare (1998)
* The National Theatre Conference Outstanding Achievement Award (2003)
* "Time Out" Magazine, Top Ten Productions: "Fifth of July" by Lanford Wilson (2003) ["Awards and Special Recognition Highlights," "Signature Theatre Company Website", 2008. http://www.signaturetheatre.org/award.htm]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.signaturetheatre.org/ Signature Theatre Website]
* [http://signaturetheatre.blogspot.com/ Signature Blog]