Peter Fenton's ABANDON ALL HOPE To Make Pennsylvania Premiere at WestArt

Lancaster, Pennsylvania-raised playwright and 2013 Conestoga Valley High School alum Peter Fenton made his Off-Broadway debut last summer with the world premiere of his dark comedy/drama play, Abandon All Hope, as part of the 2023 Rogue Theater Festival at Theatre Row.

Fenton is returning to his hometown, bringing along with him producing partner and actress Avery Kellington and the full original cast and creative teamFenton is returning to his hometown, bringing along with him producing partner and actress Avery Kellington and the full original cast and creative team to partner with Fenton's former teacher, Suzanne Fisher, to mount the full Off-Broadway production at WestArt in downtown Lancaster for two nights only, May 9 & 10. Abandon All Hope takes inspiration from The Good Place, Knives Out, and Jean-Paul Sartre's No Exit as it explores ethics, organized Christianity, and identity with clever wit and a streak of dark comedy.

The play is directed by actor and New York City theater veteran Gorman Ruggiero (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Calf Rope) and produced by Peter Fenton, Avery Kellington, and Suzanne Fisher. Kellington returns to portray fun-loving demon TERESA and is joined by fellow Off-Broadway cast members Yuliana Sleme, Jonathan P. Chen, and Michael De Los Angeles.

"We are thrilled to bring Abandon All Hope to a new audience in an atypical performance space," says Kellington. "Staging a play that takes place in Hell in a building that used to be a church introduces a new level of meaning to an already-rich narrative." Ruggiero adds, "I've fallen in love with this play due to the originality of the characters and their relationships. It is a devilish little play full of fun and games, touched with divine humor."

"Since the summer of 2019, I've been developing and refining this deeply personal story and have had the immense privilege of seeing it impact others in meaningful ways as our team brought it to life in New York City," shares Fenton. "I'm honestly just giddy at the chance to finally show my hometown what I've been up to for the last five years in its full Off-Broadway glory!"

Tickets

Abandon All Hope's Pennsylvania premiere consists of two performances, May 9th & 10th at 7pm at West Art. The play runs about 90 minutes and there will be no intermission. A post-show Q&A session will follow both performances. Due to language, content, and themes, the play is recommended for audiences aged 14 and up. Tickets are available now on TicketTailor starting at $25 before fees.

About Peter Fenton:

Peter Fenton grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He holds a BA from Wheaton College and completed a postgraduate apprenticeship at Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. He is now a writer and producer for both theater and film. His theatrical work has been seen Off-Broadway at Theatre Row and in the Philly Fringe Festival, among others, and his cinematic work has been produced by Dadley Productions and his own company, Fenton Productions. Fenton currently lives in New Hope, Pennsylvania and freelances for many creative enterprises, including Bucks County Playhouse and Passage Theatre Company. www.byPeterFenton.com @peterfent

About Abandon All Hope:

When three college freshmen (a scrappy activist, a naïve evangelical and a cocky analyst) meet in Hell, which appears as a dorm room, a fun-loving demon challenges them to a game with astronomical stakes, which draws out each one's fatal flaws in their confrontations with each other and themselves. The winner will go to Heaven at the cost of the others' eternal torture.

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