Emily Shooltz Named New Artistic Director of Off-Broadway’s Signature Theatre

Emily Shooltz Named New Artistic Director of Off-Broadway’s Signature Theatre

Shooltz spent 14 years working at Ars Nova.

Emily Shooltz, who spent 14 years as the associate artistic director of Ars Nova, has been named the new artistic director of Off-Broadway’s Signature Theatre.

Shooltz, who will step into the
role November 1 following a nationwide search, will succeed Paige Evans, who has led the Off-Broadway
company since 2016, when she succeeded company founder James Houghton.

At
Ars Nova, Shooltz fostered the work of dozens of early-career
playwrights the organization commissioned and developed for production,
and over 100 others through the organization’s Play Group and
roster of artist residency programs. Following her tenure at Ars Nova, she worked for two years as a
freelance creative consultant, seeking a way to continue to grow her
relationships with artists beyond early career.

With its slate of residency programs, Signature supports writers at multiple phases of their careers,
presenting audiences with both never-before-seen works and new takes on earlier material.

“My mission at Ars Nova was to foster the skills of a deep
generational well of talent as they were starting their careers. It’s
incredibly gratifying to now see those people lighting up the industry
at a time of vibrant cultural change,” Shooltz says in a statement. “I cannot wait to put Signature’s
resources to work shepherding their next brilliant ideas alongside a
wealth of new collaborators. I’m honored to build on the legacy of James
Houghton’s beautiful vision and Paige Evans’ keen artistic eye in
leading Signature’s next chapter.”

Shooltz
adds, “The deep dive approach to a playwright’s work that Jim Houghton
envisioned for Signature is so singular and special. I can’t imagine a
bigger professional thrill than being in extended conversation with the
great storytellers of our age, especially at a time when artists are
thinking about playmaking in increasingly porous and fluid ways. I am
deeply committed to our contemporary playwriting community, and
particularly love supporting writers alongside composers,
outside-the-box thinkers, and theatre-making multi-hyphenates. Working
with Signature’s unique model to champion playwrights and an expanded
circle of visionary artists will be a privilege and a joy.”

Signature Theatre Board President Douglas E. Chittenden states,
“The artistic stewardship of Signature Theatre is paramount to its
ongoing success, and we couldn’t be prouder that Emily Shooltz is
joining us at this significant juncture. She is a creative powerhouse, a
beloved colleague to and champion of many of today’s most compelling
theatre artists, and a natural, joyous leader. I’d be remiss to not to
thank our Board Selection Committee and search firm Arts Consulting
Group for their indefatigable efforts. These are exciting days, and we
are thrilled about this new chapter.”

Director, Signature Theatre Board Member, and Signature Resident Playwright (with The Mad Ones) Lila Neugebauer adds,
“Jim Houghton built Signature Theatre around the uniquely vital mission
to invest in an artist’s body of work, and under Paige Evans’ tenure,
Signature has continued to serve an essential role in the American
theatrical landscape. I’m thrilled to see Emily Shooltz take the helm of
this storied, beloved institution. In her tenure as associate artistic director of Ars Nova, Emily distinguished herself as a leader possessing
brilliant instincts when it comes to identifying early-career talent.
Her artistic practice is characterized by rigorous thinking, genuinely
collaborative spirit, and far-reaching empathetic imagination. I cannot
wait to see where Signature goes under Emily’s leadership.”

Shooltz
arrives at Signature amid the final season programmed by former
Artistic Director Evans, who produced nine seasons at Signature. The current season
features three Signature commissions—Dominique Morisseau’s Bad Kreyòl, co-produced with Manhattan Theatre Club, October 8–December 1; Samuel D. Hunter’s Grangeville February 4–March 16, 2025; and invite-only presentations of Melis Aker’s Fish, September 20-22, 2024—and a revisiting of a previous work—Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, May 13–June 22, 2025.