New Frank Gehry-Designed Theater to Open in NYC

Famed architect Frank Gehry has put his, well, signature stamp on New York’s non-profit Signature Theatre, the first theater he’s designed in the city. “I wanted to create a space that celebrates and enhances the intimacy between the performer and the audience, while encouraging the innovation that Signature is known for,” says Gehry of the new space, set to open January 31st with a staging of Athol Fugard’s Blood Knot.

The $66 million project, which has been in the works for eight years, will yield three separate theater spaces, a studio theater, a rehearsal studio, and a public café and bookstore—over 70,000 square feet in sum. In addition to supporting up to 11 playwrights each season, the Signature envisions the space fostering more interaction between playwrights, collaborators, and the public.

The 20-year-old company focuses on crafting entire seasons that trace the career trajectory of individual playwrights like Arthur Miller, Tony Kushner, and Paula Vogel. “Playwriting needs that platform as much as classical music or jazz or fine arts, and there needs to be a place where we can examine what’s happened in American theatre in big chunks,” explained actor and Signature board member Edward Norton via press release.

Inside Signature Center: A Site Tour with Artistic Director James Houghton from Signature Theatre Company on Vimeo.

Purchase tickets for the Signature Theatre here: signaturetheatre.org