Kate Baldwin, Judy Kuhn, Andrew Lippa and More to Take Part in Abingdon Theatre Company's '#I Will' Campaign

Abingdon Theatre Company today announced the #I Will campaign, a series of videos and social media posts bringing their patrons, colleagues, friends and family together in hope for the future. Rather than reflecting on what has been lost as a theatre community, the Company wants to shine a light on their goal of getting back on stage by asking artists to share what they commit to do as soon as it is possible to do so.

The premiere #I Will video can be seen below!

Over the next few weeks, Abingdon Theatre Company will be releasing an array of "I Will" statements from performers, writers, producers and other creatives including Chad Austin (ATC Artistic Director), Kate Baldwin (Two-time Tony nominee), Felicia Boswell (Motown The Musical), Bobby Cronin (Writer/Composer), Florencia Cuenca (A Never Ending Line), Ruthie Henshall (Olivier Award winner), Judy Kuhn (Four-time Tony nominee) James Lecesne (Academy Award winner), Andrew Lippa (Tony Award nominee), Liz Mikel (Lysistrata Jones), Bianca Marroquin (Chicago, In The Heights), Ilda Mason (West Side Story), Frances Ruffelle (Tony Award winner), Bill Russell (Tony Award nominee), Christina Sajous (Sponge Bob Squarepants), Carrie St. Louis (Kinky Boots, Rock of Ages), Sally Ann Triplett (The Cradle Will Rock), and V (Formerly Eve Ensler). This campaign is part of Abingdon's ongoing mission to inspire all artists and prove once and for all that NYC is not dead.

"I created the #I Will campaign out of pure necessity," states Chad Austin, Artistic Director. "I wanted to help spread hope for a brighter future, past the pandemic. If we can help inspire one patron, artist or inspiring artist to look forward to the future, then it is a success for me. The truth is I needed the #I Will campaign. I need to see a future full of inspiration, creation, and art."

Abingdon will be bringing theatre back. Currently looking ahead to the virtual "Fall Festival of Short Plays" next month, they are planning their 2021 program, including the introduction of "Abingdon Radio," where for the first time ATC will bring entertainment in the form of recorded plays, starting with two American classics followed by two new works. They will continue the "One Night Only" series, the "Around the Table" free reading series, the "Carolyn Halpert Artist-in-Residence Program," which nurtures up and coming artists making their way into the world of theatre, and many more exciting events. So, ATC would like to know, will you join them? By saying 'I will' and sending them your pledge, ATC promises to continue. They will write theatre, they will create theatre, they will perform theatre and they will share theatre.

I will, we will, will you?

You can join the #I Will campaign by making your statement at www.abingdontheatre.org/iwill