Abingdon Theatre Company (Chad Austin, Artistic Director) has announced details for their upcoming 30th Season, including one Off-Broadway premiere, a new season of Around The Table Readings, the return of their downtown cabaret series Broadway on the Bowery, and a new season of ATC’s popular One Night Only series. Next spring, ATC will present ‘Leaving Brooklyn’ by Jeff Mandels. The production will be directed by Tony Nominee Bill Russell and executive produced by Tony Award-winning producer Jim Kierstead.
“I am honored to be at the helm of Abingdon as we celebrate such a momentous occasion as thirty years of producing brave new work.” said Chad Austin, Artistic Director of ATC.
‘Leaving Brooklyn’ is set in 1955 and plays out against the backdrop of the Dodger’s run-up to their first ever World Series Championship. The Feldmans are a typical blue-collar Brooklyn family in Eisenhower’s America. Lee, the dad, was a minor league ballplayer. Now, he cobbles together construction jobs to support his wife, Dot, and their two sons, Paul and Danny. Paul inherited his dad’s athletic abilities and has been invited (unbeknownst to the family) to a Dodgers spring training camp. Danny, the younger son, is wheelchair-bound and will never be able to play ball. This is a funny, gritty and poignant coming-of-age tale.
This season, ATC will continue their downtown cabaret series with Broadway on the Bowery: An Evening With Judy, which will celebrate the music of Judy Garland. The evening will be directed by Austin. “I look forward to welcoming our patrons back to the theatre and shining a light on many remarkable artists this season,” said Austin.
Selections for both ATC’s One Night Only and Around the Table Series will be announced later on in the season. To kick off their season, Abingdon will start with a celebration of the work of Tony Award winner David Zippel at their annual gala on October 24th.
Abingdon Theatre Company was formed in 1993 by a group of theatre artists, eager for ongoing collaboration and greater control over their creative lives. Now, 30 years later, Abingdon has collaborated with over 200 playwrights including Tony Award Winner, V (Formerly Eve Ensler), Philip Dawkins, David Greenspan, Anne Bogart, James Lecesne, Michael Weller, Dominque Fishback, Charles Mee and many more. In recent years their annual galas have honored artists such as Bebe Neuwirth, Donna Murphy and Andrew Lippa. Recent productions include the New York Premieres of both Fruit Trilogy and The Gentleman Caller and the critically acclaimed Drama Desk Nominee, Get On Your Knees. The company provides a safe home where playwrights, directors and actors can collaborate within a supportive and nurturing environment. They search for stories about the human experience that reflect our social, political, historical and cultural diversity. They are acutely aware of the theatre’s power to unite disparate population groups through stories about common human interests and strive to shed light on a variety of perspectives.