Alegría Hudes' most recent work was The Happiest Song Plays, which premiered at The Goodman Theatre and then Off-Broadway at Second Stage. She received the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play Water By the Spoonful as well as a nomination for her earlier play, Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue. Hudes wrote the book to the Broadway musical In the Heights, which premiered off-Broadway to critical acclaim before receiving a transfer where it garnered the Tony Award for Best Musical and a nomination for Best Book of a Musical.
“There are many versions of home to me,” said Alegría Hudes in a press statement. "Signature captures two homes in one: a sanctuary as faithful and loving as a childhood kitchen, and a space full of challenging sparkling ideas. I will go to Signature in despair. I will go to Signature in fits of inspiration. I will remember the works of Vogel and Wilson on its stage that seeped into my DNA."
Lisa Kron's award-winning works include the Broadway-bound musical Fun Home and The Ver**zon Play, which premiered in the 2012 Humana Festival. Her earlier work In the Wake received critical acclaim and a string of accolades including Lortel and GLAAD Media Award nominations and was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Kron's play Well, in which she also starred, premiered Off-Broadway at the Public Theater and later transferred to Broadway where it received two Tony nominations including a Best Actress for the playwright/performer.
“I’ve loved watching multiple productions by each Signature playwright and the way it encourages audiences to think past a simple thumbs up/thumbs down response and to engage in a trajectory of work over time," said Kron in a press statement. "Signature is reaching toward a new sort of theatrical ecosystem. It’s a goal I’m very interested in and I’m thrilled to be getting on the ride.”
Signature Theatre’s Founding Artistic Director James Houghton said in a press statement, “In the three years since its inauguration, Residency Five has already been an exhilarating experience of collaborating with an inspiring and diverse group of writers as they nurture and premiere new plays at Signature. I am thrilled to welcome these two unique, powerful voices to our family of playwrights." Residency Five playwrights receive a significant cash award, full health benefits, a stipend to attend theatre and access to Signature’s resources and staff.
For more information on the Signature Theatre, please visit SignatureTheatre.org.
