Hope Abelson, (née Hope Altman, September 21, 1910 – September 1, 2006) was an American theatre producer and philanthropist. She spent her childhood and career devoted to the arts, first as an artist, and later as a producer and arts philanthropist. Notably, Abelson helped fund the burgeoning theatre scene in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

through support of institutions like

Victory Gardens Theater Victory Gardens Theater is a theater company in Chicago, Illinois dedicated to the development and production of new plays and playwrights. The theater company was founded in 1974 when eight Chicago artists, Cecil O'Neal, Warren Casey, Stuart Go ...

Steppenwolf Theatre Company Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago theater company founded in 1974 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry (American actor), Jeff Perry, and Gary Sinise in the Immaculate Conception grade school in Highland Park, Illinois and is now located in Chica ...

, and

Court Theatre (Chicago) Court Theatre is a Tony Award-winning professional theatre company located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, where it was established in 1955. Court Theatre is affiliated with the University of Chicago, receiving in-kind suppo ...

. Abelson had two children with husband Lester Abelson, Stuart and Katherine. She died in 2006, and her estate funds the Lester and Hope Abelson Fund for the Performing Arts.Biography of Hope Abelson, Inventory of the Hope Abelson Papers, Ca. 1914–2008.

Newberry Library The Newberry Library is an independent research library, specializing in the humanities. It is located in Chicago, Illinois, and has been free and open to the public since 1887. The Newberry's mission is to foster a deeper understanding of our wo ...

. Accessed 10 October 2017.

Early life

Abelson was born Hope Altman on September 21, 1910, in Chicago,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. As a teenager, Abelson studied dance, and she studied theatre at

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

. She found work on radio dramas, soap operas, and other Chicago-based productions. In 1933, Abelson married Lester Abelson, a Chicago businessman. They had two children, Stuart and Katherine. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Abelson was the director of the Red Cross Speaker's Bureau, petitioning the public to donate blood and contribute to the war effort. She also helped book local and touring acts to perform at military hospitals.

Theatre

After the war, Abelson got more involved in the Chicago theatre community. She helped establish the Chevy Chase Theatre in

Wheeling, Illinois Wheeling is a village in Cook County, Illinois, Cook and Lake County, Illinois, Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it is primarily in Cook County, approximately northwest of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 United St ...

in 1949, and worked with the Music Theater in

Highland Park, Illinois Highland Park is a suburban city located in southeastern Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 30,176. Highland Park is one of several municipali ...

from 1950 to 1952. In 1952, Abelson met producer Cheryl Crawford. In 1953, Crawford hired Abelson to work on the premiere production of

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three ...

' " Camino Real," directed by

Elia Kazan Elias Kazantzoglou (, ; September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003), known as Elia Kazan ( ), was a Greek-American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one of the most honored and inf ...

.Storch, Charles. "Theater icon's papers shown". ''Chicago Tribune'', Oct 05, 2008. In 1954, she produced

The Rainmaker (play) ''The Rainmaker'' is a play written by N. Richard Nash in the early 1950s. The play opened on October 28, 1954, at the Cort Theatre in New York City, and ran for 125 performances. It was directed by Joseph Anthony and produced by ''Ethel Li ...

on Broadway. Abelson continued to work on

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

productions for the next 15 years, splitting her time between New York and

Glencoe, Illinois Glencoe () is a lakefront village in northeastern Cook County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,849. Glencoe is part of Chicago's North Shore and one of the wealthiest communities in Illinois. According to t ...

. She worked as staff on

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

productions and

Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, American and British English spelling differences), many of the List of ...

productions, and as an independent producer. In the 1960s, she helped open the

Vivian Beaumont Theater The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Operated by the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater (LCT ...

at New York's

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

.Chris Jones, Tribune,theater critic. "Hope Abelson: 1910–2006 ; Theater's Grande Dame; the Generous Backer of Chicago's Stages Leaves a Legacy that Goes Far Beyond the Funds and Programs that Bear Her Name." ''Chicago Tribune,'' Sep 03, 2006.

Philanthropy

Abelson did not like to be called a philanthropist. But after her husband died in 1980, leaving behind wealth from his liquor business, Abelson financially supported many theaters and causes. She supported the

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. The ACS publishes the journals ''Cancer'', '' CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians'' and '' Cancer Cytopathology''. History The society w ...

, as well as a number of storefront theaters.Storch, Charles. 2007. Arts patron leaves behind 'hopie' award. ''Chicago Tribune'', Aug 30, 2007. . Abelson is responsible for the Lester and Hope Abelson Fund for the Performing Arts through the

Chicago Community Trust The Chicago Community Trust (the Trust) is the community foundation serving Chicago, suburban Cook County, and the Illinois counties of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will. Established on May 12, 1915, it is the second largest community foundati ...

. The mainstage auditorium at the

Court Theatre A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and administer justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law. Courts general ...

is named for Abelson, as well as the Lester and Hope Abelson Fund for New Artistic Initiatives at the

Goodman Theatre Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of the Chicago theatre scene, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization. Part of its present theater complex occupies the ...

. Northwestern University hosts a Hope Abelson Artist-in-Residence. The

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia F ...

created the Hope Abelson Artistic Initiative Fund. The ''Chicago Tribune'' described Abelson as "the grande dame of hicago'snon-profit theater movement."

References

External links

*
Hope Abelson Papers
at

Lester and Hope Abelson Fund for the Performing Arts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abelson, Hope 1910 births 2006 deaths 20th-century American philanthropists Philanthropists from Illinois People from Chicago American theatre managers and producers 20th-century American women philanthropists