Signature Theatre

Signature Theatre, located in Arlington, Virginia, was founded in 1989 by Eric Schaeffer and Donna Migliaccio. It has since evolved into a Tony Award-winning regional theater known for its bold productions of challenging new and established works, as well as engaging education and outreach programs. Signature Theatre has gained a reputation for its definitive productions of Stephen Sondheim's works, inventive adaptations, and commitment to new musical projects. It is celebrated for combining Broadway-caliber productions with intimate playing spaces and has been recognized as a leading force in U.S. musical theater. Over the years, Signature Theatre has produced 60 world premieres, including 19 new musical commissions, and is home to the American Musical Voices Project, the largest musical theater commissioning program in the United States. The theater started with a modest budget and a small subscriber base, initially performing in a middle school auditorium before moving to a converted auto garage in 1993. This space served as its home for thirteen years until a $16 million capital campaign allowed for the construction of a new two-theater facility in 2007, significantly expanding its capacity and establishing it as the cultural anchor of Arlington’s Village at Shirlington. In 2009, Signature Theatre was awarded the Regional Theatre Tony Award, a testament to its artistic excellence. The theater continues to attract talent from the DC metropolitan area and New York, reaching over 100,000 people annually. It has won 140 Helen Hayes Awards and received 482 nominations, reflecting its excellence in the Washington, DC region’s professional theater. Following Eric Schaeffer’s retirement in 2020, Matthew Gardiner was named the new Artistic Director, joining Managing Director Maggie Boland in leading the theater into the future with a commitment to diversity and anti-racism.