Hope Abelson

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 through support of institutions like Victory Gardens Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and Court Theatre (Chicago).

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.

Early life Abelson was born Hope Altman on September 21, 1910, in Chicago, Illinois. As a teenager, Abelson studied dance, and she studied theatre at Northwestern University. 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. In 1954, she produced The Rainmaker (play) on Broadway. Abelson continued to work on New York productions for the next 15 years, splitting her time between New York and Glencoe, Illinois. She worked as staff on Off-Broadway productions and Broadway theatre productions, and as an independent producer.

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, as well as a number of storefront theaters. Abelson is responsible for the Lester and Hope Abelson Fund for the Performing Arts through the Chicago Community Trust.

The mainstage auditorium at the Court Theatre is named for Abelson, as well as the Lester and Hope Abelson Fund for New Artistic Initiatives at the Goodman Theatre. Northwestern University hosts a Hope Abelson Artist-in-Residence. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra created the Hope Abelson Artistic Initiative Fund.

The Chicago Tribune described Abelson as "the grande dame of [Chicago's] non-profit theater movement."