OLD HATS now at SIGNATURE THEATER

OLD HATS

Now Running Through April 3, 2016

Tickets on Sale at www.SignatureTheatre.org

Just saw OLD HATS at the Signature Theatre and I’m making it my mission to see it again. What an original mix of clowning, vaudeville, mime, great music, and uproarious surprises. The audience was screaming with laughter. Everyone said that it felt as if they had been taken out of themselves so thoroughly that it was like a vacation from whatever ails you. And you can bring your whole family! Using music, technology, and movement, Irwin and Shiner combine their magic and slapstick to create an unforgettable outing. The New York Times called the first production in 2013 of Old Hats “the secret to eternal youth,” while the New York Post hailed it as “one of the funniest shows of the past few years.” It won Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Awards, and was selected as a Critics’ Pick by The New York Times and Time Out New York.

Kudos to James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) for this 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. Opening night will be February 18 th at The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42^nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues). Tickets start at $45. To purchase tickets for all Signature productions, call Ticket Services at 212-244-7529 (Tues. – Sun., 11am – 6pm) or visit www.SignatureTheatre.org.

You’re getting a proven entity here. This production reunites clowns Bill Irwin and David Shiner with original director Tina Landau and introduces their new songstress, songwriter, and comic foil Shaina Taub, hailed as “a young Judy Garland meets grown-up Lisa Simpson” by the San Francisco Chronicle.

The design team includes G.W. Mercier (Scenic and Costume Design), Scott Zielinski (Lighting Design), John Gromada (Sound Design), Wendall K. Harrington (Projection Design), Mike Dobson (Foley Design). David H. Lurie is the Production Stage Manager. Casting by Telsey + Company, William Cantler, CSA.

In a talk back after the show, Bill Irwin said that there is a wellspring of creativity in all of us and only fear stands in our way. An inspiring thought. Bill Irwin told about how many off-the-cuff changes they make that even cracks them up. Shaina Taub told how she had just gotten off the red eye from California to audition and was too exhausted to be nervous. Her accordion was hanging over her shoulder. She had left the case home so that her accordion could be her carry-on. When she walked in, she broke into song with barely an intro and, of course, landed the part.. I want to thank each of them for giving me one of the times of my life!

About SIGNATURE THEATRE

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 42^nd 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 10^th Anniversary, 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.

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, please visit www.signaturetheatre.org.

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