Signature Theatre Names Emily Shooltz as the Organization's New Artistic Director

Signature Theatre has announced Emily Shooltz as the organization’s new Artistic Director. Shooltz will step into the role November 1, following a nationwide search for a dynamic candidate with the experience and daring to carry Signature’s mission and unique producing model into the future. With its slate of residency programs, the organization supports writers at multiple phases of their careers, presenting audiences with both their never-before-seen works and finding new and timeless resonances in earlier material. Having devoted 14 years to the position of Associate Artistic Director of another vital artist-centric institution, Ars Nova, Shooltz has been a stalwart force behind the introduction of numerous essential playwrights to New York audiences. She brings to Signature a panoramic knowledge and expansive network of American Playwrights and theater-makers. 

At Ars Nova, Shooltz fostered the work of dozens of early-career playwrights the organization commissioned and developed for production, and that of over 100 others through the organization’s Play Group and roster of artist residency programs. Many of those writers’ works have now been seen on stages across the country—including Signature artists Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Dave Malloy, Melis Aker, Samuel D. Hunter, Annie Baker, and The Mad Ones, as well as, on Broadway this year, Ars Nova alumni Amy Herzog, Kris Diaz, Bekah Brunstetter, and Jacobs-Jenkins. Following her tenure at Ars Nova, Shooltz worked for two years as a freelance creative consultant, seeking a way to continue to grow her relationships with and support of artists beyond early career — an era that bridges her work with Ars Nova and Signature, where she’ll be engaging both emerging and established artists. 

Shooltz said, “My mission at Ars Nova was to foster the skills of a deep generational well of talent as they were starting their careers; it’s incredibly gratifying to now see those people lighting up the industry at a time of vibrant cultural change. I cannot wait to put Signature’s resources to work shepherding their next brilliant ideas alongside a wealth of new collaborators. I’m honored to build on the legacy of James Houghton’s beautiful vision and Paige Evans’ keen artistic eye in leading Signature’s next chapter.”

Signature Theatre’s board and staff teamed with Arts Consulting Group to search for a leader to continue to design and implement Signature’s artistic vision—curating exciting and diverse seasons and identifying and engaging the artists evolving and expanding American theater; developing artistic programs and initiatives; and serving as the public representative of the theater to foster deep connections with its vast network of stakeholders and community members. 

Shooltz adds, “The deep dive approach to a playwright's work that Jim Houghton envisioned for Signature is so singular and special. I can’t imagine a bigger professional thrill than being in extended conversation with the great storytellers of our age, especially at a time when artists are thinking about playmaking in increasingly porous and fluid ways. I am deeply committed to our contemporary playwriting community, and particularly love supporting writers alongside composers, outside-the-box thinkers, and theater-making multi-hyphenates. Working with Signature’s unique model to champion playwrights and an expanded circle of visionary artists will be a privilege and a joy.” 

Signature Theatre Board President Douglas E. Chittenden said, “The artistic stewardship of Signature Theatre is paramount to its ongoing success, and we couldn't be prouder that Emily Shooltz is joining us at this significant juncture. She is a creative powerhouse, a beloved colleague to and champion of many of today's most compelling theater artists, and a natural, joyous leader. I'd be remiss to not to thank our Board Selection Committee and search firm Arts Consulting Group for their indefatigable efforts. These are exciting days, and we are thrilled about this new chapter.”

Director, Signature Theatre Board Member, and Signature Resident Playwright (with The Mad Ones) Lila Neugebauer said, “Jim Houghton built Signature Theatre around the uniquely vital mission to invest in an artist’s body of work, and under Paige Evans' tenacious leadership, Signature has continued to serve an essential role in the American theatrical landscape. I’m thrilled to see Emily Shooltz take the helm of this storied, beloved institution. In her tenure as Associate Artistic Director of Ars Nova, Emily distinguished herself as a leader possessing brilliant instincts when it comes to identifying early-career talent. Her artistic practice is characterized by rigorous thinking, genuinely collaborative spirit, and far-reaching empathetic imagination. I cannot wait to see where Signature goes under Emily's leadership.”

Shooltz arrives at Signature amidst the final season programmed by former Artistic Director Paige Evans, who produced nine seasons of award-winning and critically-acclaimed shows at Signature. The season features three Signature commissions—Dominique Morisseau’s Bad Kreyòl, co-produced with Manhattan Theatre Club, October 8–December 1, 2024; Samuel D. Hunter’s Grangeville February 4–March 16, 2025; and invite-only presentations of Melis Aker’s Fish, September 20-22, 2024—and one revisitation of a beloved previous work—Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, May 13–June 22, 2025.

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