Playwright Romulus Linney Will Get a Theater Named in His Memory at Signature Center

Signature Theater Company will name one of the performance spaces in its new Signature Center in honor of the late playwright Romulus Linney, according to The New York Times. The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre will be a 199-seat space that can be arranged in multiple configurations. Linney, who died in January, was the founding playwright-in-residence at the off-Broadway company 20 years ago.

“Nothing on the planet would have made him happier,” Linney’s actress daughter Laura Linney told the Times. “Every night there will be theater in a building named after my father, and that’s just how it should be.” The naming was made possible by a $5 million gift from Signature board member Margot Adams.

In addition to the Linney Theatre, the Signature Center will have a 299-seat theater and a second 199-seat theater, modeled after an opera house. Designed by Frank Gehry, the complex is set to open in February 2012. The works of South African playwright Athol Fugard will be the focus of the coming season.