Founded in 1989, Signature Theatre is a nationally known, Tony Award®-winning theater that produces contemporary musicals and plays, reinvents classic musicals, develops new work, and reaches its community through engaging educational and outreach opportunities and is premier venue for musicals in Washington, D.C. 

Musical theater is Signature's "signature," and the Theatre is known nationally for its musical productions, especially new musicals. Called a “musical the hottest theater in (and around) D.C. by THE WASHINGTON POST’S chief theater critic, Signature combines large-scale productions with its intimate playing spaces and is a leading force in U.S. musical theater. Signature is home to the largest musical theater development and production program in the United States and has produced 56 world premieres—including 27 new musicals—since its founding, and many of these have gone on to achieve regional, national, and international success.

Signature presents more than 600 artistic events annually, including an eight-show subscription season, a popular cabaret series, and readings of new work. Signature gives back to the community through education and outreach initiatives that engage the area's increasingly diverse population. Ongoing programs include: SIGNATURE IN THE SCHOOLS, a comprehensive and immersive arts education program for high school students; EDUCATION RESIDENCIES that provide classroom training for schools and organizations; SIGNATURE CONSERVATORY, providing year-long private acting training for teens; OVERTURES and STAGE ONE musical theater training for emerging artists and teens; INSIDE SIGNATURE discussion and interview series events; a new work reading series; SIGWORKS: MONDAY NIGHT NEW PLAY READING SERIES; and a free community OPEN HOUSE, a day-long event that includes master classes, seminars, tours, performances, and an outdoor concert that is presented free to the community. Signature also offers discussion nights, Pride Night performances for the LGBTQ community, and serves the current and retired military and their families, first responders, and teachers with free and discounted tickets.

Signature Theatre is located in Arlington County, a 26 square-mile urban county with a population of 237,000, located directly across the Potomac River from Washington, DC and adjacent to the Northern Virginia jurisdictions of Fairfax County and Alexandria City. Home to the Pentagon (the County’s largest employer), the region is Virginia’s most diverse with 23% foreign born residents. The diversity of the region is reflected in the students who speak 104 languages and hail from 116 countries.

Signature serves residents of Arlington, Northern Virginia and the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area. The Theatre draws more than 100,000 area residents, including 4,760 loyal subscribers. Most Signature patrons (68%) live in Northern Virginia with others coming from suburban Maryland (18%), and the District of Columbia (14%). The rest reside outside the DC metropolitan area (6%) and come from 38 states and six countries. 

Signature serves 7,000 students annually through its Signature in the Schools and Education Residency programming, including 64% nonwhite and 37% low-income students from Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Prince William counties in Virginia, Howard County in Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Additionally, Signature Theatre's free Open House and Broadway in Shirlington concert draws approximately 5,000 enthusiastic Washington area residents, including families with young children, teens, college students, young professionals, and patrons from local senior living communities.