The Irene Diamond Fund Donates $10 Million to Signature Theatre

Signature Theatre announced today that the Irene Diamond Fund has made a $10 million gift in support of The Pershing Square Signature Center, the Company's new, permanent home which opened on January 31, 2012. In recognition of the Irene Diamond Fund's gift, the Center's largest theatre, the 299-seat End Stage Theatre, currently the home of Edward Albee's The Lady from Dubuque, will be named "The Irene Diamond Stage."

Spanning an entire city block at 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues, The Pershing Square Signature Center is designed by Frank Gehry and features three intimate theaters, a Studio Theatre, rehearsal studio, and a public cafe and bookstore. The Center is envisioned to be both a theatre community hub and a neighborhood destination, and has been designed to foster interaction among playwrights, artistic collaborators, and the public.

"The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center will serve as a lasting legacy to the city Irene Loved and to its vibrant arts community," said Jane Silver, President of the Irene Diamond Fund. "Irene believed deeply in providing artists with the support they need to create works of art and Signature Theatre is a model for fostering creative spirit and connecting artists with the larger community."

Signature Theatre is distinguished for its pioneering programs that celebrate the playwright's body of work. The Pershing Square Signature Center has enabled the 20-year old Company to expand its programming, introduce new initiatives, and build audiences. The Company presents up to nine plays each season at the Center, which serves as the artistic home for as many as 11 playwrights at any one time and has allowed Signature to expand its commitment to playwrights and foster a creative community that brings together audiences and theatre artists. The first three shows at the Center, Athol Fugard's Blood Knot, Katori Hall's Hurt Village, and Edward Albee's The Lady from Dubuque, have all sold out their initial runs, and the latter two shows were both extended.

"We are most grateful to the Irene Diamond Fund for this extraordinary commitment to Signature Theatre and The Pershing Square Signature Center," said Signature Theatre Company's Founding Artistic Director James Houghton. "Irene Diamond was a great visionary, making an indelible impact on the performing arts and the New York cultural community. With the naming of the Irene Diamond Stage. her legacy will be a source of inspiration to artists and audiences alike. We are deeply honored to have this beautiful new theatre bear her name."

"The Irene Diamond Fund's generous commitment is an extraordinary milestone for this campaign, and a moving tribute to the legacy of Irene Diamond." said Signature Theatre Trustee and actor Edward Norton. "To have Frank Gehry's iconic design for The Pershing Square Signature Center's largest theatre associated with the magnanimous philanthropic spirit of Irene Diamond is incredibly fitting. We are extremely proud to have The Irene Diamond Fund as partners in creating this cultural landmark, and want to extend our fullest gratitude to the trustees of the Fund for their leadership."

Signature previously announced the naming of two of the three theatres at The Pershing Square Signature Center, "The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre" in honor of scholar and educator Alice Griffin and "The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre" in honor of Signature's founding playwright-in-residence, Romulus Linney, named by Signature Theatre Board Trustee Margot Adams, in memory of Mason Adams.