User:Clprentice/sandbox/Signal Ensemble Theatre

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Signal Ensemble Theatre

Formation	November 2002 (2002-11)
Dissolved	March 2016 (2016-03)
Type	Theatre group
Location	Chicago
Website	signalensemble.com

Signal Ensemble Theatre was a professional nonprofit ensemble theatre company in Chicago. Founded in 2002, the company produced thirteen seasons of works ranging from English Renaissance tragedies, to mid-20th century American masterworks, to world-premiere plays and musicals from around the world.

History

A semi-itinerant life

Signal was founded in 2002 by Ronan Marra, Christopher Prentice, and Joseph Stearns. The inaugural season included an off-night world-premiere production of Marra's Learning to Fly, the final presentation at Wing & Groove Theatre in the Flatiron Building, and Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing in a studio at the Athenaeum Theatre.

The company first gained critical acclaim for its productions of mid-20th century masterpieces alongside new works.

In its second season, the company staged critically acclaimed productions of Joseph Heller's Catch-22 and Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot at the Chopin Theatre, which would be Signal's home for the next several years, as well as the premiere of Marra's Landslide at the Breadline Arts Center, the theatre that would eventually become Signal's permanent home.

Signal earned its first Jeff nominations for the world premiere of Marra's Landslide in 2005 (Actress in a Supporting Role - Play, New Work). Waiting for Godot was remounted later in the year. The company gained notoriety for its mid-20th-century plays ... It also made its debut in Chopin's mainstage space with a classic farce, Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer.

2006

2007 Hamlet with Prentice tanked netted the company Jeffs - Jon Marans's Old Wicked Songs

Transition

2008 saw an operational change, with co-founder Prentice stepping aside to pursue other opportunities, and Marra and Stearns becoming co-artistic directors and Stephanie Ingram becoming managing director. The company redefined its mission, focusing on new works.

A home in River North

In 2010, Signal moved into a permanent home in the North Center, Chicago neighborhood, in a space it had rented that was at the time the Breadline Arts Center. A remount of Marra's Aftermath was a hit.

In September 2015, the company announced it would close its doors at the conclusion of its current season, that would not include a planned production of The Southern Women.

Production history

2003

• Learning to Fly by Ronan Marra (world premiere)
• Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

2004–05

• Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
• Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
• Landslide by Ronan Marra (world premiere)

2005–06

• Waiting for Godot (remount0
• Seascape by Edward Albee
• She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith

2006–07

• The Dumb Waiter by Harold Pinter and The Zoo Story by Edward Albee
• Closer by Patrick Marber
• The Weir by Conor McPherson
• Hamlet by William Shakespeare

2007–08

• Fool for Love by Sam Shepard
• Old Wicked Songs by Jon Marans
• 1776 by Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone

2008–09

• The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter
• Six Degrees of Separation by John Guare
• The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie adapted from the novel by Muriel Spark

2009–10

• The Ballad of Sad Cafe by Edward Albee after Carson McCullers's novel
• Aftermath by Ronan Marra (world premiere)

2010–11

• The Real Inspector Hound by Tom Stoppard
• Aftermath by Ronan Marra (remount)
• Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo
• Aces by Jon Steinhagen (world premiere)
• Krapp's Last Tape by Samuel Beckett (an Ensemble Project)

2011–12

• East of Berlin & The Russian Play by Hannah Moscovitch (Chicago premiere)
• Motion by Ronan Marra (world premiere)
• Hostage Song – book by Clay McLeod Chapman, music and lyrics by Kyle Jarrow, arrangements by Nathan Leigh (Chicago premiere)

2012–13

• Princes of Waco by Robert Askins (Chicago premiere)
• Successors by Jon Steinhagen (world premiere)
• Lascivious Something by Sheila Callaghan (Chicago premiere)

2013–14

• This Is War by Hannah Moscovitch (U.S. premiere)
• Plainsong by Eric Schmield, adapted from the novel by Kent Haruf (Chicago premiere)
• The Next Thing – book by Ronan Marra, music and lyrics by Jon Steinhagen (world premiere)

2014–15

• Devil's Day Off by Jon Steinhagen (world premiere)
• Red Bud by Brett Neveu (U.S. premiere)
• The Drowning Girls by Beth Graham, Daniela Vlaskalic and Charle Tomlinson (Chicago premiere)

2015–16

• Butcher by Nicolas Billon (U.S. premiere)
• The Consultant by Heidi Schreck (Chicago premiere)

Date	Title	Writer(s)	Venue	Notes
2003	Learning to Fly	Ronan Marra	Wing & Groove Theatre	world premiere
	Much Ado About Nothing	William Shakespeare	Athenaeum Studio
2004	Catch-22	Joseph Heller	Chopin Studio Theatre
2005	Waiting for Godot	Samuel Beckett	Chopin Studio Theatre
2005	Landslide	Ronan Marra	Breadline Arts Center	world premiere; nominated for three Jeff Citations: New Work (Ronan Marra), Actress in a Supporting Role - Play (Georgann Charuhas)
2005	Waiting for Godot	Samuel Beckett	Chopin Studio Theatre	remount
2006	Seascape	Edward Albee	Chopin Studio Theatre	Jeff Citation award for Costume Design (Laura M. Dana)
2006	She Stoops to Conquer	Oliver Goldsmith	Chopin Theatre
2006	The Dumb Waiter & The Zoo Story	Harold Pinter and Edward Albee	Chopin Studio Theatre
2006	Closer	Patrick Marber	Chopin Studio Theatre
2007	The Weir	Conor McPherson	Chopin Studio Theatre	Jeff Citations nominations: Ensemble, Actress in a Supporting Role - Play (Melanie Keller), Scenic Design (Melania Lancy)
2007	Hamlet	William Shakespeare	Chopin Theatre
2007	Fool for Love	Sam Shepard	Chopin Studio Theatre
2007	Old Wicked Songs	Jon Marans	Chopin Studio Theatre	Jeff Award nominations: Actor in a Principal Role - Play (two, for Vincent L. Lonergan and Shawn Pfautsch)
2008	1776		Chopin Theatre	Jeff Award: Production - Musical; nominations: Director - Musical (Ronan Marra), Actor in a Principal Role - Musical (Philip Winston), Actor in a Supporting Role - Musical (Vincent L. Lonergan), Costume Design (Laura M. Dana)
	The Birthday Party	Harold Pinter	Chopin Studio Theatre
	Six Degrees of Separation	John Guare	Chopin Studio Theatre
	The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie	Jay Presson Allen, adapted from the novel by Muriel Spark	Chopin Studio Theatre
	The Ballad of Sad Café	adapted to the stage by Edward Albee, from the novella by Carson McCullers	Chopin Studio Theatre
	Aftermath	Ronan Marra	Raven Theatre	world premiere
	The Real Inspector Hound	Tom Stoppard	Signal Ensemble Theatre
	Aftermath	Ronan Marra	Signal Ensemble Theatre	remount
	Accidental Death of an Anarchist	Dario Fo	Signal Ensemble Theatre
	Aces	Jon Steinhagen	Signal Ensemble Theatre	world premiere
	Krapp's Last Tape	Samuel Beckett	Signal Ensemble Theatre
	East of Berlin & The Russian Play'	Hannah Moscovitch	Signal Ensemble Theatre	Chicago premiere; Jeff Award: Actress in a Principal Role - Play (Melanie Keller)
	Motion	Ronan Marra	Signal Ensemble Theatre	world premiere
	Hostage Song	book by Clay McLeod Chapman, music and lyrics by Kyle Jarrow, arrangements by Nathan Leigh	Signal Ensemble Theatre	Chicago premiere
	Princes of Waco	Robert Askins	Signal Ensemble Theatre	Chicago premiere
	Successors	Jon Steinhagen	Signal Ensemble Theatre	world premiere
	Lascivious Something	Sheila Callaghan	Signal Ensemble Theatre	Chicago premiere
	This Is War	Hannah Moscovitch	Signal Ensemble Theatre	U.S. premiere
	Plainsong	Eric Schmield, adapted from the novel by Kent Haruf	Signal Ensemble Theatre	Chicago premiere
	The Next Thing	book by Ronan Marra, music and lyrics by Jon Steinhagen	Signal Ensemble Theatre	world premiere; Jeff Award nominations: Actress in a Principal Role – Musical or Revue (Courtney Jones), New Work (Ronan Marra and Jon Steinhagen)
	Devil's Day Off	Jon Steinhagen	Signal Ensemble Theatre	world premiere
	Red Bud	Brett Neveu	Signal Ensemble Theatre	U.S. premiere
	The Drowning Girls	Beth Graham, Daniela Vlaskalic and Charle Tomlinson	Signal Ensemble Theatre	Chicago premiere
	Butcher	Nicolas Billon	Signal Ensemble Theatre	U.S. premiere
2016	The Consultant	Heidi Schreck	Signal Ensemble Theatre	Chicago premiere

Awards and accolades

Signal was nominated for twenty-one Jeff Awards and won three, for Production – Musical (1776), Actress in a Leading Role – Play (Melanie Keller for East of Berlin and The Russian Play), and Costume Design (Laura M. Dana for Seascape).

Year	Production	Category	Nominee	Result
2005	Landslide	Actress in a Supporting Role – Play	Georgann Charuhas	Nominated
		New Work	Ronan Marra	Nominated
2006	Seascape	Actor in a Supporting Role – Play	Aaron Snook	Nominated
		Actress in a Supporting Role – Play	Georgann Charuhas	Nominated
		Costume Design	Laura M. Dana	Won
2007	The Weir	Ensemble		Nominated
		Actress in a Supporting Role – Play	Melanie Keller	Nominated
		Scenic Design	Melania Lancy	Nominated
2008	Old Wicked Songs	Actor in a Principal Role – Play	Vincent L. Lonergan	Nominated
		Actor in a Principal Role – Play	Shawn Pfautsch	Nominated
	1776	Production – Musical	Example	Won
		Director – Musical	Ronan Marra	Nominated
		Actor in a Principal Role – Musical	Philip Winston	Nominated
		Actor in a Supporting Role – Musical	Vincent L. Lonergan	Nominated
		Costume Design	Laura M. Dana	Nominated
2012	East of Berlin & The Russian Play	Actress in a Principal Role – Play	Melanie Keller	Won
2014	Lascivious Something	Scenic Design	Buck Blue	Nominated
2015	The Next Thing	Actress in a Principal Role – Musical or Revue	Courtney Jones	Nominated
		New Work	Ronan Marra and Jon Steinhagen	Nominated
2016	The Drowning Girls	Ensemble		Nominated
		Lighting Design	Michael C. Smith	Nominated

External links

• Signal Ensemble Theatre website