Abingdon Theatre Announces Playwright Grant Sponsored by Cherry Jones

Abingdon Theatre Company is proud to announce a one-time grant sponsored by Tony-Award winning actress Cherry Jones to celebrate the career of a female playwright under 30. Hilary Bettis, author of AMERICAN GIRLS, is the first recipient. Abingdon hopes to make this an annual award.

Hilary Bettis was the 2009 recipient of the John N. Wall Fellowship for playwriting at Sewanee Writer's Conference. She also received two fellowships from New River Dramatists in 2009. She was a 2010 semi-finalist for the Julliard Lila Acheson Wallace Playwright fellowship. Her play, AMERICAN GIRLS, was produced Off-Broadway at 45th Street Theatre in the Spring of 2008. AMERICAN GIRLS was anthologized in Best Monologues of 2009 and Best Stage Scenes of 2008
both published by Smith & Kraus. AMERICAN GIRLS will be published in 2011 by McFarland Publications. Attack Films produced her first screenplay, "B'Hurst," as a short film in the summer of 2008. She is currently working on the feature. Before Ms. Bettis began writing, she worked as a professional actress in New York and Los Angeles. She is a member of SAG, AEA, Dramatists Guild, Playwrights Center, EST and an affiliated artist with New Georges.

Cherry Jones was last seen as Mrs. Kitty Warren in Roundabout's MRS. WARREN'S PROFESSION at The American Airlines Theatre. Her Broadway credits include DOUBT (Tony Award), FAITH HEALER, the Lincoln Center production of THE HEIRESS (Tony Award), IMAGINARY FRIENDS, A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN, OUR COUNTRY'S GOOD, ANGELS IN AMERICA, and for
Roundabout THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA and MAJOR BARBARA. Off-Broadway and regional credits include FLESH AND BLOOD, PRIDE'S CROSSING, THE BALTIMORE WALTZ (Obie Award), THE GOOD PERSONS OF SETZUAN, and 25 productions as a company member of The American Repertory Theatre, including TWELFTH NIGHT, THE THREE SISTERS, and CAUCASIAN CHALK
CIRCLE. Film and TV credits: President Allison Taylor on "24" (Emmy Award), "Ocean's Twelve," "The Village," "Signs," "Swimmers," "Cradle Will Rock," "Erin Brockovich," "The Horse Whisperer," "The Perfect Storm," "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" and the Lifetime television movie "What Makes a Family." Miss Jones is a native of Paris, Tennessee, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and a proud member of Equity since 1978. She is an Abingdon Honorary Board Member.

Since 1993, Abingdon Theatre Company has developed and produced new plays by American Playwrights exclusively. Our actors, directors, designers, producers and dramaturgs have collaborated with more than 200 playwrights to develop original plays. Under the guidance of
Artistic Director Jan Buttram and Managing Director Sam Bellinger, the company provides a safe home in which playwrights collaborate with other theatre artists and receive audience feedback through the utilization of a four-step development process: Page 2 Stage, Staged Readings, and Workout Labs, which culminate in Studio and Mainstage Productions.

Abingdon Theatre Company opened its current season in this past October with Reggie Cheong-Leen's THE NANJING RACE, directed by Brian Tom O'Connor. The company's 18th season of American plays continues in 2011 with premieres of Joel Field's HOW I FELL IN LOVE, winner of the
2009 Christopher Brian Wolk Award, directed by Jules Ochoa (January 21-February 13, 2011); and Al Letson's SUMMER IN SANCTUARY, directed by Rob Urbinati (March 25-April 17, 2011).

For more information, visit www.abingdontheatre.org

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