Signature Theatre Announces Next Four Seasons; Charles Mee to Be Featured in 2007-08

The off-Broadway Signature Theatre Company announced that its next four seasons will spotlight the works of Charles Mee 2007-08, the writers of the Negro Ensemble Company 2008-09, Suzan-Lori Parks 2009-2010 and Tony Kushner the company's 20th anniversary season, 2010-2011. In all four years, Signature will over $20 for all seats, made possible by the lead sponsorship of Time Warner Inc.

Since its inception, Signature has honored the work of a single playwright each season, most recently August Wilson. The upcoming season will offer three works by Charles Mee, whose previous works include Big Love, True Love, First Love, bobrauschenbergamerica, Hotel Cassiopeia, Orestes 2.0, Trojan Women 2.0, Summertime, Wintertime:

Iphigenia 2.0, a New York premiere directed by Tina Landau, wil begin previews on August 7 and open August 23, playing through September 30. Mee's radical reinvention of the classic play by Euripedes examines the costs of war and loss of innocence when an imperial power starts a war that sets the empire on the road to self-destruction. Agamemnon, leader of the Greek army, must prove to his troups that the dangerous battle they're about to undertake is righteous and worthy by making the ultimate sacrifice himself.

The world premiere of Mee's Queens Boulevard the musical will begin previews on November 6 and open December 2, playing through December 30, directed by Davis McCallum. Inspired by a classical Indian dance drama, the musical tells the story of a new husband searching for the mythical Flower of Heaven to present to his bride. While she waits at home, he is thrown into a series of adventures on the streets of his Queens neighborhood.

Another Mee world premiere, Paradise Park, will begin previews on February 12, 2008, and open on March 2, playing through April 6. Directed by Daniel Fish, the play introduces the inhabitants of an amusement park that opens up into all of America and beyond: a ventriloquist, his dummy and a teenage girl on the run.

Former Signature playwright-in-residence Edward Albee will also be part of the 2007-08 season with the presentation of Occupant, a portrait of sculptor Louise Nevelson, originally produced at Signature in 2002. The show will run May 6-June 29, 2008, opening May 29.