Talkbacks, Book Club & More Set for Signature's OLD HATS and ANGEL REAPERS

Signature Theatre has just announced Supplemental Programming for the upcoming productions of OLD HATS and ANGEL REAPERS. Scroll down for information about talkbacks, book club and more!

All events will take place at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues). They are free, open to the general public and reservations are not required.

The special return engagement of OLD HATS, created and performed by Bill Irwin and David Shiner, with music and lyrics by and featuring Shaina Taub, directed by Tina Landau, begins performances on January 26 and will play through April 3, 2016 with a Thursday, February 18 opening night in The Irene Diamond Stage.

After an extended, sold out run in 2013, Signature welcomes back Bill Irwin and David Shiner in their award-winning, critically-acclaimed production of Old Hats. Called "one of the funniest shows of the past few years" by the New York Post, this production reunites the clowns with original director Tina Landau and introduces their new songstress and comic foil Shaina Taub, hailed as "a young Judy Garland meets grown-up Lisa Simpson" by the San Francisco Chronicle. Using music, technology, and movement, Irwin and Shiner combine their inimitable magic and slapstick to create an unforgettable outing that's fun for the whole family.

ANGEL REAPERS, written by Residency Five playwright Martha Clarke and Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winner Alfred Uhry, directed and choreographed by Ms. Clarke, runs February 2 to March 13, 2016 with a Monday, February 22 opening night in The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre.

Featuring traditional Shaker songs and a stunning mix of modern dance and actual Shaker movements, ANGEL REAPERS captures the soul of the Shakers, an early American religious sect which sought to connect with God through ecstatic ritual and strict celibacy. While the congregants strive desperately to maintain divine purity, the needs of the flesh threaten to take hold. With text by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Alfred Uhry, this wildly theatrical collage about the glorious love of the divine and the overwhelming desire for human connection marks the return to Signature of Residency Five playwright and MacArthur "Genius" Award winner Martha Clarke.

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SUPPLEMENTAL PROGRAMMING:

TALKBACK SERIES | Learn about the process of putting on a production, what it's like to play the characters, what goes on behind the scenes, and much more in this post-show Q&A session with the cast and creative team. All Talkbacks brought to you by American Express.

- For OLD HATS, talkbacks will follow the performances on February 2, 16, 25; March 1

- For ANGEL REAPERS, talkbacks will follow the performances on February 10, 24; March 3, 8

BOOK CLUB | Delve into the context of a Signature playwright's work by discussing a related book or play and explore theatre's connection to other art forms through a guided discussion with Signature's literary staff.

- Delve into the context of ANGEL REAPERS through a guided discussion of June Spriggs' book Simple Gifts: Lessons In Living From a Shaker Village with Signature's literary staff on March 10 at 7:30 p.m.

BACKSTAGE PASS | Get an inside look at the mechanics behind the magic in this pre-show discussion with one of the show's designers. Learn how design shapes the audience experience and transforms a production.

- Learn how design transforms a production in this pre-show discussion with a member of the ANGEL REAPERS design team on March 1 at 6:00 p.m.

PAGE TO STAGE | Hear the full story on how artists transform an idea into a play through a moderated discussion with members of the Artistic Team.

- Hear the full story of Martha Clarke and Alfred Uhry's development process for ANGEL REAPERS, from initial idea to final production on February 16 at 6:00 p.m.

SIG SOCIALS | Sig Socials are FREE parties at The Pershing Square Signature Center. Hang out with friends and meet new ones while enjoying the festivities in Signature's beautiful Center. See a show and join the party after, or just come be Social!

- Sig Socials: Free Trivia on Friday, February 5 at 9:15 p.m. - Sig Socials: Trivia returns! Join us for an evening of trivia, hosted by OLD HATS' Shaina Taub and Mike Dobson. Catch a 7:30pm performance of ANGEL REAPERS by Martha Clarke and Alfred Uhry or OLD HATS, created and performed by Bill Irwin and David Shiner. Or just show up at 9:15 pm for trivia and drink specials. Register your team online ahead of time to secure your spot and your chance to win tickets to future Signature shows!

- Sig Socials: Contra Dance on Friday, February 26 at 9:15 p.m. - (Cohosted by: Brooklyn Contra) Join us for an evening of dance at the first ever Sig Socials Contra Dance cohosted by Brooklyn Contra! If Swing dancing and square dancing met in a bar, you'd get Contra. Couples form parallel lines and, over the course of the dance, move up and down the dance floor, interacting with every other couple in their line. There is no fancy footwork involved - anyone can do it! Bring a partner or come on your own, Contra Dancing is a great way to meet new people! Catch a 7:30 pm performance of Martha Clarke and Alfred Uhry's ANGEL REAPERS or Bill Irwin and David Shiner's OLD HATS, or just show up at 9:15 pm for a free lesson or 9:30 pm for the dance.

Brookyln Contra supports the dynamic cultural evolution of traditional music and dance. We host a season of fun and accessible dances and exciting special events, as well as engaging educational programs for dancers, musicians, and callers. Brooklyn Contra creates an inclusive and safe environment in order to foster sustainable community growth. Learn more at BrooklynContra.org.

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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. In 2014 Signature became the first New York City theatre to receive the Regional Theatre Tony Award.

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-in-Residence 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, invites writers from both residencies back for productions of premiere or earlier plays.

Signature has presented entire seasons of the work of Edward Albee, Lee Blessing, Horton Foote, María Irene Fornés, Athol Fugard, John Guare, David Henry Hwang, Bill Irwin, Adrienne Kennedy, Tony Kushner, Romulus Linney, Charles Mee, Arthur Miller, Sam Shepard, Paula Vogel, August Wilson, Lanford Wilson, and a season celebrating the historic Negro Ensemble Company. In addition to the Regional Theatre Tony Award, Signature's productions and its resident writers have been recognized with the Pulitzer Prize, Lucille Lortel Awards, Obie Awards, Drama Desk Awards, and AUDELCO Awards, among many other distinctions.

For more information, visit www.signaturetheatre.org.

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