Works & Process Presents Signature Theatre’s Mother Russia by Lauren Yee & Animal Wisdom by Heather Christian

Works & Process presents a chance to go behind the scenes with Signature Theatre resident artists Lauren Yee and Heather Christian about their upcoming productions: Mother Russia and Animal Wisdom. The evening is set for Sunday, January 25, 2026 at 7PM at the Peter B. Lewis Theater, 1071 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10128. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased here.

In Mother Russia, by Signature Theatre resident artist Lauren Yee (Cambodian Rock Band, The Great Leap), the setting is 1992 St. Petersburg: the Soviet Union has collapsed, McDonald’s has risen, and Evgeny, a young man at a loss, stumbles into a job working surveillance with his old friend Dmitri. Their target, Katya, is a former pop singer with questionable allegiances and a mysterious past. As their lives riotously intertwine, Evgeny finds himself falling in love and losing his bearings––all while grappling with the taste of freedom (and fast food) along the way. This savvy, off-kilter tale of identity, espionage, and the cost of capitalism makes its New York premiere, in this razor-sharp dark comedy directed by Teddy Bergman.

In Animal Wisdom, by Signature Theatre resident artist Heather Christian (Oratorio for Living Things, A Wrinkle in Time), step into a musical séance like no other— where the veil is thin, the music is wild, and the spirits of memory come roaring to life. Called “dazzlingly original” by Vogue, this work blends storytelling, requiem, and family mythology in a musical ritual made for sinners and saints alike. A journey into the haunted spaces of memory and loss—diving deep into the relationship between the soul, the seen, and the unseen—this transporting experience comes to Signature in a thrilling new production helmed by director Keenan Tyler Oliphant. With her raucous, singular music fusing blues, gospel, and folk, Obie Award–winner Christian invites you to pay tribute to the forces that shape our lives.

Yee and Christian join a moderated discussion led by Signature Theatre artistic director Emily Shooltz, and performers will present excerpts from both works.

Providing ongoing support for creative process, Heather Christian and Signature Theater will be supported with a Works & Process residency at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center March 2-8.

Leadership support for this Works & Process program is provided by Nina Matis.

Works & Process Lead Donors

Lead funding provided by Adam and Abigail Flatto, Christian Humann Foundation, Leon Levy Foundation, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Stephen Kroll Reidy, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Caroline M. Sharp, The Evelyn Sharp Foundation, The SHS Foundation, and Eugene and Jean Stark.

Additional support provided by Jody and John Arnhold, Jeff and Susan Campbell, Cate Caruso, Stuart H. Coleman and Meryl Rosofsky, Paul Cronson, Duke Dang and Charles E. Rosen, Lucy and Philip Dobrin, Elizabeth Sharp Edens and Wes Edens, The Fanwood Foundation, Bart Friedman and Wendy Stein, Agnes Gund, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, Barbara Ritchin, Denise and Andrew Saul, and Randall Sharp.

Works & Process is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

About Works & Process

Championing performing artists and their creative process at each step from studio to stage, Works & Process produces fully funded residencies and presents events that go behind the scenes, blending artist discussion and performance highlights. Works & Process events transcend the proscenium, encouraging audiences to spectate and participate beyond the stage, and culminate in receptions in the Guggenheim rotunda to continue the conversation.

Works & Process produces over 25 creative residencies annually. Expanding from our bubble residency program created during the COVID-19 pandemic, Works & Process now has a network of over a dozen partners in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont. In over 100 Works & Process residencies, supporting over 1,000 artists, incubated works have been recognized with awards and grants, and have toured nationally—and internationally with the U.S. State Department. These out-of-town residencies provide 24/7 studio access, on-site housing, access to health insurance enrollment, industry-leading artist fees, and a transportation stipend to facilitate uninterrupted creative process.

Beyond the Guggenheim, we also partner with organizations across New York, including 92NY and the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Jerome Robbins Dance Division. During the summer, we curate and present free outdoor dance programs with Manhattan West and City Parks Foundation’s SummerStage.

Works and Process, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Tax ID: 13-3592291

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