TV: Signature Theatre Breaks Ground on New Signature Center; Norton et al. Announce New Season

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Signature Theatre Company announced yesterday seven productions for its inaugural 2012 season at Signature Center, the company's new Frank Gehry-designed permanent home opening in February 2012. Signature Center will allow the Company to expand its programming, introduce new initiatives, and build audiences. Featuring three intimate theatres, a Studio Theatre, rehearsal studio and a shared lobby with café and bookstore, Signature Center will be both a theatre community hub and a neighborhood destination.

At a special press event on the contruction site of the new venue, Signature Theatre loyalists Edward Norton, Edward Albee and more were on hand to discuss the future plans of the company. Broadway Beat was there and brings you coverage below!

Signature will launch Signature Center with Athol Fugard as its inaugural Residency One playwright. Residency One is the continuation of Signature's core one-year Playwright-in-Residence program that produces a series of plays from the body of work of one accomplished writer. Signature will explore the works of Fugard, the South African playwright, director and actor, who was honored with a special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 2011 Tony Awards. The Residency One Athol Fugard Series will feature Blood Knot, My Children! My Africa! and the New York premiere of The Train Driver. Mr. Fugard will direct Blood Knot and The Train Driver. Ruben Santiago-Hudson will direct My Children! My Africa!

Signature's Legacy Program, a homecoming for past Signature Playwrights-in-Residence, will feature the World Premiere of Edward Albee's Laying an Egg, directed by David Esbjornson. Signature devoted its 1993-1994 Season to Edward Albee, with the world premiere of Fragments, New York premieres of Marriage Play, Counting the Ways and Listening, Sand: Box, The Sandbox, and Finding the Sun.. Albee returned to Signature in the 2001-2002 10th Anniversary Season for the presentation of Edward Albee's Occupant, later also staged in the 2007-2008 Season.

Residency Five is Signature's newest initiative, a groundbreaking program that provides a group of playwrights with the full range of Signature's resources for a period of five years to create and produce new work, and guarantees each playwright a minimum of three world premieres at Signature Center. This is the first program of its kind in the American theatre, going far beyond the traditional commissioning or other workshop models. Residency Five will enable a diverse community of playwrights to build bodies of work, and will provide them with a significant cash award, full health benefits and a stipend to attend theatre. Annie Baker, Will Eno, Katori Hall, Kenneth Lonergan and ReGina Taylor are the program's inaugural playwrights. The 2012 season will feature the World Premiere of Katori Hall's Hurt Village, directed by Patricia McGregor, the U.S. premiere of Will Eno's Title and Deed, directed by Judy Hegarty Lovett and the World Premiere of a new play by Kenneth Lonergan.

In addition, Signature announced its pledge to A Decade of Access, the next phase of the Signature Ticket Initiative, an unprecedented program which makes great theatre accessible to the broadest possible audience which Signature initiated in 2005. For the next ten years, Signature is committed to making all regularly-priced subscription and single tickets ($75) during the initial announced run available for $25. Signature is committed to raising the $20 Million in funds needed for A Decade of Access and is pursuing lead sponsorship. Seed funding has been provided by Margot Adams, Time Warner Inc., the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the New York City Council. Signature is also pleased to welcome the Ford Foundation as a new supporter of the Signature Ticket Initiative.

For a full list of events slated for the new season, click here!

Subscriptions are on sale now by calling the Box Office at 212-244-PLAY or visiting the newly redesigned www.signaturetheatre.org.