Sarah Ford | June 7, 2013
Featured Charity: Signature Theatre
See how this Tony Award庐-winning theater is brightening the region鈥檚 cultural landscape with its bold productions and engaging education and outreach programs.听
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Musical theater is Signature鈥檚 鈥渟ignature,鈥 and the Theatre is renowned for its definitive Sondheim productions, inventive adaptations of overlooked or forgotten works, and investment in fresh new projects. Signature makes a significant investment in new work, and its 精东影业n Musical Voices Project has grown to become the single largest musical theater commissioning project in the United States.
Twenty-four years ago, Washington, DC鈥檚 theater scene was dominated by large venues that presented mostly traditional plays. Few theaters dared to take the risk of producing new work, and even fewer produced lesser-known or new musicals.听In 1989, to fill this gap and crate a 鈥渟ignature鈥 brand of provocative works, graphic designer and performer Eric Schaeffer took a risk and founded Signature Theatre. With a small startup budget, 126 subscribers, and a space in Arlington鈥檚 Gunston Middle school auditorium, Signature鈥檚 first musical in 1991鈥攁 gutsy production of听Sweeney Todd鈥攚as a stand-out hit, putting Signature on the map, earning four Helen Hayes Awards and solidifying Signature鈥檚 (and Eric Schaeffer鈥檚) reputation as an intrepid producer of Stephen Sondheim鈥檚 work. In 1993, Signature took another risk and converted an old auto garage into the theater where it thrived for the following thirteen years. While in the 鈥済arage,鈥 Signature grew into one of the Washington area鈥檚 leading producers of musical theater, attracting the best and brightest in the field, as well as nurturing new talent. In January 2007, Signature completed a $16 million capital campaign for a dramatic new theatre facility that tripled its former garage space and now serves as the cultural anchor of Arlington鈥檚 Shirlington Village. Today, Signature garners praise from local and national press including听The Washington Post,听The New York Times,听The Wall Street Journal,听Time,听Variety,USA Today, and听精东影业n Theatre. On June 7, 2009, Signature received theater鈥檚 highest artistic honor鈥攖he 2009 Regional Theatre Tony Award庐鈥攊n recognition for artistic excellence.
Signature鈥檚 2012/213 season features:
- More than 500 performances of nine full productions (six of which are musicals),
- A cabaret series, and
- Community engagement opportunities.
Signature gives back to the community through education and outreach programs that engage the area鈥檚 increasingly diverse population and target those traditionally underserved by the arts. Outreach initiatives include a comprehensive arts education program for Northern Virginia high school students, a performance 颅training institute, a free public lecture series co颅-hosted by the Arlington County Public Library, and an annual Open House and Summer Concert, which draws more than 6,000 people each year.
You Can Support Signature Theatre at Work!
Signature couldn鈥檛 bring you a season full of reinvented and newly discovered plays and musicals without your help.听Each season, Signature’s goal is to showcase Signature favorites, introduce new faces, and for each production to bring something unexpected and innovative to the stage鈥攁s only Signature can do!
Workplace giving is an effective and easy way for you to make a tax-deductible donation to Signature, and in many cases you can make your workplace-giving donation go even further by asking your employer to match your donation.听 In fact, over 90% of the companies in the DC Metro area offer employee matching gift programs.听 These important programs can double, or in some cases, triple, contributions made by a donor to Signature Theatre.
Both current and former employees of the following companies have helped sustain Signature鈥檚 artistic, outreach and education programming 鈥 all by filling out a simple form: AT&T, Bank of 精东影业, Boeing, Caterpillar, Eileen Fisher, ExxonMobil, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, IBM, Macy鈥檚, McGraw Hill, Microsoft, Pfizer, Verizon, The Washington Post, Washington Gas and Wells Fargo.
We encourage you to check with your Human Resources office to find out if your company participates in a matching gift program and are more than happy to answer any questions you may have. Simply contact Deputy Director of Development/Director of Institutional Giving Erin Harms at 571 527 1827 or harmse@signature-theatre.org.
If you are a federal employee, it鈥檚 easy to support Signature Theatre through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) 鈥 just enter Signature’s CFC ID, #56138
Upcoming Shows
With a full season of musical favorites and entertaining productions, watch the video below for a peak at Eric Schaeffer’s musical comedy , which you can watch now through the end of June.听 For a full listing of events, .
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