Photo Flash: Susan Louise O'Connor, Michael Bonnabel and More Receive Abingdon Theatre's AB*IE AWARDS

Abingdon Theatre Company-which has produced 81 new American plays in its 20-year history-concluded its 2012-2013 season with the annual presentation of its AB*IE AWARDS, an awards program to acknowledge the contributions of their artists and the essential role their audiences serve in the development of new American plays. Scroll down for a photo of the award recipients!

Outstanding Set Design award was presented to Andrew Lu for his design of Bodega Bay. Elisabeth Karlin's homage to Alfred Hitchcock also won the Outstanding Lighting Design award for the work by Matthew
McCarthy. Laura Crow won Outstanding Costume Design for Robert Brustein's The Last Will and Joe "Sloe" Slawinski received Outstanding Sound Design for The Good Boy.

Outstanding Actress and Actor awards went, respectively, to Susan Louise O'Connor for her grand portrayal of the mousey Louise in Bodega Bay and to Michael Bonnabel who starred in his solo show, The Good Boy.

Donald Brenner received the Outstanding Director award for his hilarious and touching direction of Mike Vogel's March Madness, which opened under the ravages of Hurricane Sandy last October. Bonnabel's comical and emotionally charged script about growing up with deaf parents, The Good Boy, won Outstanding Play.

Since Abingdon inaugurated the AB*IE AWARDS in 2006, Abingdon subscribers nominate and vote on their favorite artists: actors, designers, directors, and playwrights. All Abingdon subscribers receive a list of all artists participating in the season's productions. Their votes are tabulated and the winners are announced at a festive party to honor the past season and to kick off the new one.

Abingdon Theatre Company kicked off its 21st Season on October 26, 2012 with the world premiere of Mike Vogel's March Madness, directed by Donald Brenner. The season continued in January, 2013 with the world premiere of Elisabeth Karlin's Bodega Bay, directed by Sturgis Warner, This past Spring, Abingdon concluded its season with two New York Premieres: Robert Brustein's The Last Will, directed by and starring Austin Pendleton, in an acclaimed Off-Broadway run in the June Havoc Theatre; and Michael Bonnabel's The Good Boy, directed by Darin Anthony. In May, Abingdon Theatre Company participated in the inaugural Wuzhen Theatre Festival with its presentation of The Last Will in Wuzhen, China.

Details of Abingdon Theatre Company's upcoming 21st Season are to be announced. Since 1993, Abingdon Theatre Company has developed and produced new plays by American Playwrights exclusively. Their actors, directors, designers, producers and staff have collaborated with more than 200 playwrights to develop original plays.

Under the artistic direction of Jan Buttram, the company provides a safe home where playwrights collaborate with supportive theatre artists and receive audience feedback through Abingdon's four-step development process: First Readings, Staged Readings, Workout Labs, Studio and Mainstage Productions. For more information, call Abingdon Theatre Company at 212-868-2055 or visit www.abingdontheatre.org.

Photo Credit: Kim T. Sharp

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