Signature Stories Vol 6 | Page 2
SignatureStories
PUBLISHER Signature Theatre James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director Erika Mallin, Executive Director EDITORS David Hatkoff Beth Whitaker EDITORIAL TEAM Kirsten Bowen Jenna Clark Embrey Christie Evangelisto Cathy Popowytsch CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Adam Bernstein Kirsten Bowen Whitney Eggers Jenna Clark Embrey Christie Evangelisto James Houghton Beth Whitaker DESIGN Danielle Speicher Ninth Circle Productions, LLC PLAYWRIGHTS-IN-RESIDENCE Annie Baker Martha Clarke Will Eno Horton Foote Katori Hall David Henry Hwang Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Kenneth Lonergan Regina Taylor August Wilson WEBSITE signaturetheatre.org MAILING ADDRESS Signature Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center 480 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10036
Signature programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Special thanks to the Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust for supporting Signature Theatre Company. Talkbacks brought to you by American Express. Official Airline of Signature Theatre. Support for the Legacy Program is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Signature Ticket Initiative: A Generation of Access made possible by Lead Partner The Pershing Square Foundation. Additional support provided by the Ford Foundation and Margot Adams.
SignatureTheatre
SIGNATURE THEATRE and THE PERSHING SQUARE SIGNATURE CENTER
Signature Theatre exists to honor and celebrate the playwright. Founded in 1991 by James Houghton, 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. By championing in-depth explorations of a playwright’s body of work, Signature delivers an intimate and immersive journey into the playwright’s singular vision. Signature serves its mission through its permanent home at The Pershing Square Signature Center, a three-theatre facility on West 42nd Street designed by Frank Gehry Architects to host Signature’s three distinct playwrights’ residencies and foster a cultural community. At the Center, opened in January 2012, Signature continues its founding Playwright-inResidence model as Residency One, a first-of-its-kind, intensive exploration of a single writer’s body of work. Residency Five, the only program of its kind, was launched at the Center to support multiple playwrights as they build bodies of work by guaranteeing each writer three productions over a five-year period. The Legacy Program, launched during Signature’s 10th Anniversary Season, invites writers from both residencies back for productions of premiere or earlier plays. The Pershing Square Signature Center is a major contribution to New York City’s cultural landscape and provides a venue for cultural organizations that supports and encourages collaboration among artists throughout the space. In addition to its three intimate theatres, the Center features a studio theatre, rehearsal studio, and a public café, bar and bookstore. Through the Signature Ticket Initiative: A Generation of Access, Signature has also made an unprecedented commitment to making its productions accessible by underwriting the cost of initial run tickets, currently priced at $25, through 2031.
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stop. reset. is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Signature programming, including the Signature Ticket Initiative, is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the New York City Council.
PHOTO CREDITS COVER Lesley Hu prepares to go on stage for David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child, 2012, photo by Gregory Costanzo. CONTENTS Martha Clarke and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, 2013, photos by Gregory Costanzo. Winnie Y. Lok, 2012, photo by Gregory Costanzo. Regina Taylor, 2012, photo by Gregory Costanzo. Horton Foote, photo courtesy of Hallie Foote. Wuzhen, China, 2013, photo by Adam Bernstein. FROM THE FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Photos by Gregory Costanzo, 2013. RESIDENCY FIVE: MARTHA CLARKE & BRANDEN JACOBS-JENKINS Photos by Gregory Costanzo, 2013. THE BONDS OF OLD FRIENDSHIP (Page 9) Photo courtesy of Hallie Foote; (Page 10) Photo by Gregory Costanzo, (Page 11) (left to right) Photo © Susan Johann; photo by Gregory Costanzo; photo courtesy of Hallie Foote; (Page 12) Photo © Susan Johann (Page 13) Photo © Susan Johann, photo by Carol Rosegg; (Page 14) Photo © Susan Johann. BEHIND THE SCENES Photo by Gregory Costanzo; photo by Joan Marcus; photo by Joan Marcus; photo by Gregory Costanzo; photo by Gregory Costanzo. PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE TENSE (Page 17) Photo by Gregory Costanzo; (Page 18) (top to bottom) Photo by Joan Marcus; photo © Susan Johann; (Page 19) Photos by Liz Lauren. (Page 20) (left to right) Photo by Liz Lauren; photo by Liz Lauren; photo by Eric Y. Exit. Photos by Liz Lauren and Eric Y. Exit, courtesy of the Goodman Theatre. Photo by Joan Marcus courtesy of the Manhattan Theatre Club. SIGNATURE IN CHINA Photos by Adam Bernstein and Beth Whitaker, 2013. © 2006 – 2013 Signature Theatre All Rights Reserved. Materials may not be reproduced without written permission, except for educational purposes where fewer than 100 copies are being reproduced. Address copyright queries to the editor. The opinions in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Signature Theatre or its offices and \?X????[?Y[?H[?]Y?]\??[Y\?X?B??