Signature Theatre will present the American premiere of the new musical In Clay, with a book and lyrics by Rebecca Simmonds and music and lyrics by Jack Miles, December 9–February 1, 2026, in the ARK Theatre in Arlington, Virginia.
Kimberly Senior (Disgraced) will direct the solo musical starring Alex Finke (Les Misérables, Come From Away) as Parisian ceramist Marie-Berthe Cazin. Sarah Anne Sillers (Signature’s Sweeney Todd) is the understudy. Additional music, music supervision, arrangements, orchestrations, and music preparation are by Matt Herbert.
Set in 1930s Paris, the musical spotlights Cazin, who recounts her life: from her early days as a gifted protégée discovering the art of pottery, to watching her husband rise to fame partly by claiming her work as his own, through the upheaval of World War I.
“When I first experienced In Clay, a captivating new musical about Parisian artist Marie-Berthe Cazin, I was struck by the beautiful intimacy of its storytelling,” said Signature Theatre Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner in a statement.
“Rebecca Simmonds and Jack Miles have created an evocative piece about
the erasure of artists lost to time, one that asks why we make art and
who we create it for. In
this moment, it remains central to Signature’s mission to nurture
emerging composers and playwrights and provide a space for stories that
deserve to be remembered.”
“In Clay is about finding joy in the creative process, and what a source of joy the show’s journey has been so far,” added co-creators Simmonds and Miles. “We could not think of better partners than the extraordinary group of creatives at Signature to bring Marie’s story to a U.S. audience for the first time. The show was a lockdown baby, conceived at a time when it felt as though the entire theatre scene in the U.K. was falling apart; intended as a tonic for the many of us forced to consider why we were writing at all, when it was looking increasingly unlikely that our work would ever be seen. This message somehow feels even more relevant today, as the future of the musical art form on both sides of the Atlantic is seemingly called further into question with each news cycle. ‘It’s years full of labor for moments of joy’ is one of the show’s lyrics that we find ourselves coming back to again and again. What a privilege it is to be sharing one of these moments with Signature audiences, we hope that they enjoy it as much as we have!”
The production will also have scenic design by Tony Cisek, costume design by Shahrzad Mazaheri, lighting design by Colin K. Bills, sound design by Eric Norris, dialect coaching by Amanda Quaid, pottery consulting by Jon Kerr,and casting by Charlotte Sandor.
Taylor Kiechlin is the stage manager, Carrie Edick is the production assistant, and Scott Monnin is the assistant lighting designer.
Visit SigTheatre.org.
