Foote completed work on THE ORPHANS' HOME CYCLE prior to his death on March 4, 2009 at the age of 92. The cycle features nine plays that were originally written as full-length pieces. Hartford Stage commissioned Foote in 2007 to adapt the plays in this new three-part form.
Part 1 ("The Story of a Childhood") begins at the turn of the 20th century and follows Horace Robedaux in his formative years. Part I begins with the plays Roots in a Parched Ground, Convicts and Lily Dale.
Part 2 ("The Story of a Marriage") focuses on the courtship years of Horace Robedaux and his search for a wife. Part II consists of the plays The Widow Claire, Courtship and Valentine's Day.
Part 3 ("The Story of a Family") begins with the turmoil of World War I and ends with the characters looking to the future of their family and land. Part III is made up of the plays 1918, Cousins and The Death of Papa.
Four of the individual plays, Roots in a Parched Ground, Convicts, Cousins and Valentine's Day, will be staged for the first time as part of the cycle.
Signature Theatre Company devoted its 1994-1995 season to Horton Foote, including the world premieres of The Young Man from Atlanta (for which Foote won the Pulitzer Prize) and Laura Dennis and the New York premieres of Night Seasons and Talking Pictures. Signature also produced the world premiere of his The Last of the Thorntons in its 2000-2001 Season, as well as the award-winning production of The Trip to Bountiful in 2005 during the company's 15th anniversary season.
Signature Theatre Company, founded in 1991 by James Houghton, exists to honor and celebrate the playwright. 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. Signature is the first theatre company to devote an entire season to the work of a single playwright, including re-examinations of past writings as well as New York and world premieres. By championing in-depth explorations of a living playwright's body of work, the Company delivers an intimate and immersive journey into the playwright's singular vision.
Signature has presented entire seasons of the work of Edward Albee, Lee Blessing, Horton Foote, Maria Irene Fornes, John Guare, Bill Irwin, Adrienne Kennedy, Romulus Linney, Charles Mee, Arthur Miller, Sam Shepard, Paula Vogel, August Wilson, Lanford Wilson, and a season celebrating the historic Negro Ensemble Company. Signature remains deeply committed to season-long residencies, and during the company's tenth and fifteenth anniversaries, Signature introduced the Legacy Program. The Legacy Program invites past Playwrights-in-Residence back to Signature through two series: the Signature Series, which presents "signature," or more well-known works; and the Premiere Series, which presents New York and world premieres.
Since 2005, Signature has been committed to presenting world-class theatre at an affordable prIce Through The Signature Ticket Initiative, which will offer subsidized $20 tickets through the Company's twentieth anniversary season in 2011. The twentieth season will feature the work of Tony Kushner. Signature, its productions and its resident writers have been recognized with a Pulitzer Prize, eleven Lucille Lortel Awards, fifteen Obie Awards, five Drama Desk Awards, and twenty two AUDELCO Awards, among many other distinctions. The National Theatre Conference recognized the company as the 2003 Outstanding National Theatre of the Year. For more information on Signature please visit us on-line at signaturetheatre.org.
TICKETS
Through The Signature Ticket Initiative, which seeks to make great theatre accessible to the broadest possible audience, all regularly-priced single tickets ($65) during the initial announced run are underwritten and will be available for $20 for the individual performances of all three parts. The Signature Ticket Initiative continues through Signature's 20th Anniversary Season (2010-2011).
The Signature Ticket Initiative is made possible by the lead sponsorship of Time Warner Inc. Generous support for The Signature Ticket Initiative is provided by Margot Adams, in memory of Mason Adams. Support for Signature Theatre Company's Horton Foote Legacy Season is provided by American Express, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation and the Laura Pels Foundation.
Tickets for all performances beginning March 9, 2010 are $65.
Part 1 is now in performance, Part 2 begins performances December 3 and Part 3 begins performances January 7. Marathons are scheduled for February 6 and 20 and March 6, 2010. Please visit www.signaturetheatre.org for the full performance calendar.
THE ORPHANS' HOME CYCLE plays:
Tuesday-Friday at 7PM
Saturday at 8PM
Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 2PM
THE ORPHANS' HOME CYCLE plays at The Peter Norton Space located at 555 West 42nd Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues). For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.signaturetheatre.org or call (212) 244-PLAY (7529).
Photo credit: Walter McBride
