VIDEO: DAPHNE'S DIVE's Pulitzer-Winning Author Quiara Alegría Hudes Has High Praise For Director Thomas Kail

A Pulitzer Prize finalist for ELLIOT, A SOLDIER's FUGUE and as bookwriter for IN THE HEIGHTS, Quiara Alegría Hudes finally received the top honor in 2012 for WATER BY THE SPOONFUL.

As a new member of Signature Theatre's Residency Five program, she'll have three world premiere plays produced by the company in the next five years.

The first of her trio is DAPHNE'S DIVE, now previewing in preparation for a May 15th opening. Though the setting is a bar, Hudes calls this her version of a "living room play" featuring characters who form their own family.

The playwright is teamed again with her IN THE HEIGHTS director, Thomas Kail, who she praises for challenging her to stretch and for being outstanding with casting.

The cast for DAPHNE'S DIVE certainly includes some notable names: Vanessa Aspillaga (LCT's Domesticated) as Daphne, Carlos Gomez (A&E's "The Glades") as Acosta, K.K. Moggie (NBC's "Mercy") as Jenn, Tony Award nominee Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent) as Inez, Matthew Saldivar (Act One) as Pablo, Tony Award nominee Gordon Joseph Weiss (Fool for Love) as Rey and SAG Award winner Samira Wiley ("Orange Is the New Black") as Ruby.

DAPHNE'S DIVE plays at the Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues). To purchase tickets for all Signature productions, call Ticket Services at 212-244-7529 (Tues. - Sun., 11am - 6pm) or visit signaturetheatre.org.