Stephen Spotswood Awarded 2010 Christopher Brian Wolk Award 1/18

Abingdon Theatre Company to present its 2010 Christopher Brian Wolk Award to Stephen Spotswood for his script THE AARONSVILLE WOMAN Tuesday, January 18, 7:30PM, in the June Havoc Theatre

Abingdon Theatre Company in an ongoing effort to recognize excellence in playwriting, established the Christopher Brian Wolk Award to be presented annually to an American writer of a full-length play not produced in New York City. The award is based upon the writer's demonstrated ability to reach a mature artistic vision using theatre.

Playwright Stephen Spotswood will receive the $1,000 cash award and a staged reading of THE AARONSVILLE WOMAN, directed by Janice Goldberg, at the award ceremony starting at 7:30PM in the June Havoc Theatre, 312 West 36th Street, Mid-town, Manhattan.

THE AARONSVILLE WOMAN was nominated along with eight other scripts from over 400 play submissions submitted to Abingdon during its 2009-2010 season. A five-member selection committee, included actors, directors, playwrights, determined the winning script. Mr. Spotswood's script was chosen through a blind selection process where judges did not have the name or other information about the playwrights of the nominated scripts.

In THE AARONSVILLE WOMAN, Evie Beecher managed to escape a violent home life which left her physically and emotionally scarred. Twenty-years of travel and study made her one of the world's foremost forensic anthropologists. And so, when ancient human remains are unearthed in the small, rural town of Aaronsville, the old bones
provoke Evie to do something she never thought she would-to go home again.

THE AARONSVILLE WOMAN was awarded the 2007 Paula Vogel Award for its portrayal of under-served voices. It was produced by Northern Kentucky University as part of its 2007 Year End Series Festival and given a staged reading at Arena Stage later that year.

Abingdon Theatre Company, celebrating its 18th season is led by Artistic Director Jan Buttram and Managing Director Samuel J. Bellinger. Abingdon is dedicated to developing and producing new plays by American Playwrights

The prize is given annually since 2001 to full-length scripts submitted to Abingdon during its current season. The award is named after Christopher Brian Wolk, a talented and creative actor, musician, singer, writer and composer who died in an accident in Glacier National Park, Montana. To honor his memory, Abingdon Theatre Company
and the Wolk family have created the award to celebrate excellence in playwriting. Christopher worked extensively with Abingdon including both the workshop and the Mainstage productions of ZONA, THE GHOST OF GREENBRIER. Mary Wolk, Christopher's mother, will present the award at
this year's ceremony.

Stephen Spotswood is a playwright and journalist living in Washington, D.C. Previously produced works include: Miranda is Morning (2009 Mark Twain Prize for Comic Playwriting); Seven Lessons on Suicide (2010 Capital Fringe Festival); Born Normal (2008 CapFringe); and Gilgamesh, who saw the deep (2008 CapFringe). He is the co-founder of Bright Alchemy Theatre, a company of artists devoted to the creation of devised work. He is a teaching artist at Imagination Stage in Bethesda, Md, working with middle and high-school students on devised theatre, and volunteers his time as literary assistant at Theater J.

The 2009 Wolk Award winning script, HOW I FELL IN LOVE by Joel Fields ("Ugly Betty" and "Raising the Bar"), begins performances in Abingdon's Dorothy Strelsin Theatre January 21. Directed by Jules Ochoa with a cast which includes Mark Doherty, Erik Heger, Polly Lee and Roya Shanks, performances continue through February 13.

The award ceremony takes place on Tuesday, January 18 at the June Havoc Theatre (312 West 36th Street); beginning at 7:30pm, a wine reception will follow the staged reading. The ceremony is open to the public free of charge. For more information about Abingdon Theatre
Company (312 West 36th Street) and its upcoming season, visit www.abingdontheatre.org.

 

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