SignatureStoriesVol9FINALsingles.pdf Jul. 2014 | Page 2

SignatureStories PUBLISHER Signature Theatre James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director Erika Mallin, Executive Director EDITORS David Hatkoff Beth Whitaker SignatureTheatre SIGNATURE THEATRE and THE PERSHING SQUARE SIGNATURE CENTER Signature Theatre exists to honor and celebrate the playwright. Founded in 1991 by James Houghton, Signature makes an extended commitment to a playwright’s body of work, and during this journey, the writer is engaged in every aspect of the creative process. By championing in-depth explorations of a playwright’s body of work, Signature delivers an intimate and immersive journey EDITORIAL TEAM into the playwright’s singular vision. Signature serves its mission through its permanent home at Jenna Clark Embrey Christie Evangelisto Nathaniel French Sarah Rose Leonard Cathy Popowytsch The Pershing Square Signature Center, a three-theatre facility on West 42nd Street designed by CONTRIBUTING WRITERS of work. Residency Five, the only program of its kind, was launched at the Center to support multiple Jenna Clark Embrey Christie Evangelisto Hallie Foote Nathaniel French Kate Roche Hope James Houghton Sarah Rose Leonard Caitlin McLeod Lila Neugebauer Frank Gehry Architects to host Signature’s three distinct playwrights’ residencies and foster a cultural community. At the Center, opened in January 2012, Signature continues its founding Playwright-inResidence model as Residency One, a first-of-its-kind, intensive exploration of a single writer’s body playwrights as they build bodies of work by guaranteeing each writer three productions over a five-year period. The Legacy Program, launched during Signature’s 10th Anniversary Season, invites writers from both residencies back for productions of premiere or earlier plays. The Pershing Square Signature Center is a major contribution to New York City’s cultural landscape and provides a venue for cultural organizations that supports and encourages collaboration among artists throughout the space. In addition to its three intimate theatres, the Center DESIGN features a studio theatre, rehearsal studio, and a public café, bar and bookstore. Through the Danielle Speicher Ninth Circle Productions, LLC Signature Ticket Initiative: A Generation of Access, Signature has also made an unprecedented PLAYWRIGHTS-IN-RESIDENCE Annie Baker Martha Clarke Will Eno Athol Fugard A.R. Gurney Katori Hall Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Kenneth Lonergan Charles Mee Sam Shepard Regina Taylor Naomi Wallace WEBSITE signaturetheatre.org commitment to making its productions accessible by underwriting the cost of initial run tickets, currently priced at $25, through 2031. Signature Ticket Initiative: A Generation of Access made possible by Lead Partner The Pershing Square Foundation. Additional support provided by the Ford Foundation and Margot Adams. Official Airline of Signature Theatre. Support for the Legacy Program is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Special thanks to the Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust for supporting the Residency Five Program. Additional Support for the Residency Five Program provided by the Time Warner Foundation, INc. Talkbacks brought to you by American Express. MAILING ADDRESS Signature Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center 480 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10036 Signature programming, including the Signature Ticket Initiative, is supported, in part, by public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the New York City Council. Signature programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. PHOTO CREDITS COVER Roslyn Ruff gets ready backstage before a performance of The Piano Lesson, 2012. Photo by Gregory Costanzo. CONTENTS Tony Award photo by Tristan Nash, all other photos by Gregory Costanzo FROM THE FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR (Page 5) Top inset: photo by Gregory Costanzo; bottom, from left: photo by Gregory Costanzo, photo by Gregory Costanzo, photo by Tristan Nash. LOOKING BACK Photos 1,2, and 10 by Joan Marcus. Photos 3 and 9 by Gregory Costanzo. Photos 5-7 by Steve and Anita Shevett. Photos 4 and 8 by Erik Carter. Tony Award photo by Tristan Nash. THE HAUNTINGS OF HISTORY (Page 7) Photo by Gregory Costanzo. (Page 8) Photo by Michal Daniel. (Page 9) Photo by Michal Daniel. (Page 10) Photo by Joan Marcus, photo by Jenny Graham. (Page 11) Photo by Joan Marcus. (Page 12) Photo courtesy of Caitlin McLeod. BOARD SPOTLIGHT (Page 13) Photo by Gregory Costanzo. (Page 14) Top, from 1-4: Photo by Carol Rosegg, photo by Joan Marcus, photo by Joan Marcus, photo by Gregory Costanzo; bottom: photo by Gregory Costanzo. THE RESPECTFUL REBEL (Page 15) Background: Photo courtesy of Ben Gurney; inset: Photo by T. Charles Erickson. (Page 16) Photo by Gregory Costanzo. (Page 17) Top: photo by Joan Marcus; bottom: photo by T. Charles Erickson. (Page 18) Background: Photo courtesy of The Dramatists Guild; bottom, from left: photo by T. Charles Erickson, photo courtesy of The Dramatists Guild. (Page 19) Background: Photo courtesy of The Dramatists Guild; bottom: photo by Hunter Canning. (Page 20) Bottom: Photo by Stephanie Berger; inset: photo courtesy of Lila Neugebauer. FROM THE SIGNATURE ARCHIVES Photo by Marianne Szucs. © 2006 – 2014 Signature Theatre All Rights Reserved. Materials may not be reproduced without written p