"The “Mr. Abbott” Award, bestowed through SDCF by a committee of Directors and Choreographers to one of their peers, is named in honor of renowned director George Abbott and is presented to a director or choreographer in recognition of lifetime achievement." - Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation
As Design Manager for SDC I was responsible for creating the look of the event and designing all printed materials including the invitation, program, ticket ordering form, and menu. The organizer wanted something elegant and evocative of the "golden age" of musical theater.
There were a few things to celebrate during the evening’s event. Victoria Traube would be honored for a lifetime of dedication to the Theatre, a tribute to the late Agnes de Mille featuring multiple commissioned works by some of the most notable choreographers working in the industry today would have its world premiere, and SDC itself would celebrate 60 years since its landmark founding. A lot to cover and a lot to encapsulate in design. This is the biggest event of the year for the Union and the foundation, so these materials needed to be bold, impactful, and classy.
After a few different ideas were tossed around we came across some illustrations of Agnes de Mille and George Abbott by the legendary Al Hirschfeld. We were pulled to them almost immediately and decided that was the way to go. I was fortunate enough to work with the Al Hirschfeld Foundation to officially incorporate Hirschfeld’s original drawings of Agnes, George, and Rodeo into all of the materials. I chose to work in black and white and with serif fonts to achieve a style that is sleek, timeless, and “premium”.
The invitation
Program detail
Insert detail
Full invitation materials
At the event. The special "Mr. Abbott" Award presented to Victoria Traube, table with the program, insert, and menu for the guests, and a logo.
