Robert Brustein To Be Honored by Abingdon Theatre Co. At Gala 10/18

Abingdon Theatre Company -- which has produced more than 60 new American plays in its 17-year history, including THE ENGLISH CHANNEL by Robert Brustein - is set to honor Mr. Brustein, the acclaimed playwright, producer and educator, during ABINGDON PLAYS TO WIN, its annual fundraising gala on Monday, October 18 at 7pm at Bridgewaters (11 Fulton Street, near South Street Seaport) in downtown Manhattan.

The Monte Carlo-themed gala, which benefits the Abingdon Theatre Company -- beginning its 18th season this fall with the New York premiere of Reggie Cheong-Leen's THE NANJING RACE (October 29-November 21) -- includes salutations to Mr. Brustein by his esteemed colleagues and the presentation of an "AB*IE Award" for his Excellence in Theatre.

ABINGDON PLAYS TO WIN features professional casino tables, including poker, blackjack, roulette and craps. All guests will receive faux casino cash to start the evening, and will have the opportunity to "purchase" additional playing money by making additional contributions. All ticket sales and casino money benefit Abingdon Theatre Company. Guests can exchange their winnings for raffle tickets. At the end of the evening, the company will draw raffle tickets and award prizes accordingly. Prizes include massage therapy treatments, gift certificates to fine restaurants, trapeze lessons, tickets to the New York City ballet, and much more to be announced.

"Bob has been a good friend of Abingdon for many years. We were thrilled to produce his play THE ENGLISH CHANNEL in 2008, and look forward to working with him again next year," says Jan Buttram, Artistic Director of Abingdon Theatre Company. "It is a privilege to be the first New York Theatre Company to honor this distinguished, talented man who has been so giving of his talents to Abingdon Theatre Company and the theatrical community nationwide. We are touched that
so many talented individuals have stepped forward to help us acknowledge his tremendous contributions to the artistic community."

Honorary Gala Chairs for ABINGDON PLAYS TO WIN include F. Murray Abraham, Christopher Durang, Alvin Epstein, Jules Feiffer, Philip Glass, John Guare, Cherry Jones, James Lapine, Tony Kushner, James Naughton, Christopher Walken, and Henry Winkler, several of the artists whose careers have been influenced by Mr. Brustein.

Robert Brustein is a former Professor of English at Harvard University, the drama critic for The New Republic, and a past Dean of the Yale Drama School. Mr. Brustein founded the Yale Repertory Theatre, The American Repertory Theatre, and served for 20 years as Director of the Loeb Drama Center, where he founded the ART Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard. He is currently Senior Research Fellow at Harvard and Distinguished Professor of Theatre at
Suffolk University. Abingdon Theatre Company produced his play THE ENGLISH CHANNEL in 2008, and hopes to produce its sequel MORTAL TERROR next year. His plays also include SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF AN AUTHOR, DEMONS, NOBODY DIES ON A FRIDAY, and among others, SHLEMIEL THE FIRST. In his New York Times review of THE ENGLISH CHANNEL, Jason
Zinoman referred to Mr. Brustein as "one of the true Renaissance men of the Modern Stage."

Bridgewaters at South Street Seaport caters ABINGDON PLAYS TO WIN with an open bar, gourmet appetizers, and carving stations. The Daniel Bennett Group, best known for its three critically acclaimed albums, "A Nation of Bears," "The Legend of Bear Thompson," and "Live at the Theatre" will perform live jazz music throughout the evening.

Sponsors for ABINGDON PLAYS TO WIN include Starbright Floral Design, Cipher Creative Group, Arts Marketing Partnership, and Ryan Iffert Photography.

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.

In addition to THE NANJING RACE, Abingdon Theatre Company's 18th season of American plays includes the New York 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).

Tickets to ABINGDON PLAYS TO WIN on Monday, October 18 at Bridgewaters (11 Fulton Street at South Street Seaport), 7pm-10pm, begin at $300. To purchase tickets, please contact Piper Gunnarson at Abingdon Theatre Company, 212-868-2055.

For more information, visit www.abingdontheatre.org

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