About Signature Theatre Company
Signature in the Schools was founded in 1995. The program had its start with the idea of casting age-appropriate actors in plays. Using the strong ties already forged between Signature and Wakefield High School, and drawing on the inspiration of then-drama instructor Judy Klevins, the first Signature in the Schools production was presented on the Signature – more... stage for just two performances, to an audience of friends and family.
Today, the Signature in the Schools' productions run for seven performances, five of them to students bussed in from schools throughout Arlington County. Each student receives an in-depth study guide, researched and written by Education Director Marcia Gardner. Most also receive classroom visits by Gardner where students explore the worlds of history and theatre and have the chance to rehearse and perform a scene from the play.
Signature Theatre Education Director Marcia Gardner, director and playwright Joe Calarco, and language consultant and Arlington Commission for the Arts Chair Wendy Rahm join the cast of My Vacation in Paris for a read through.
In 2004, Gardner, who has been a driving force in the program since its second year, added a series of workshops for Wakefield freshman, exploring issues of plot, character, dialogue and theatrical staging. The partnership with Wakefield and its current drama instructor has ensured the program's lasting success.
"We always cast from Wakefield," Gardner explained, "and they always amaze us. The students are expected to be more than just promising actors. Since each production is a world premiere, the cast is also expected to share their thoughts on the historic period, to ask evocative questions, and to have a hand in the development of the play.
Signature in the Schools' productions have explored topics as varied as the American Civil War, the Russian Revolution, the Tudor era, the upheaval during the 1960s in San Francisco, the Holocaust and World War I.
A professional actor always joins the student casts onstage as a colleague and mentor. Past actors that have participated in the program include Paul Morella and Harry A. Winter.
"The students learn a lot about the theatre," Gardner shared. "We hold them to a professional standard and they rise to it every year. But this program is about much more than theatre training. I feel strongly that combining history and theatre gives us all a chance to look at the world in a new way, to be more responsible citizens, to think, to empathize. That's what Signature in the Schools is about." – less – More from ZoomInfo »
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