Fred Abbate, Thomas Edison State University Trustee
Thomas Edison State University Trustee Fred Abbate has written a new play about life, the politics of death and the role of God in human affairs that is set to make its debut this month at the Shakespeare Association of America’s annual conference in New Orleans.
Abbate’s play, titled Campion’s Will, is set in 1581 and depicts a chance encounter between a young William Shakespeare and the Jesuit martyr, Edmund Campion. Shakespeare recognizes Campion’s life-or-death struggle as he covertly ministers to Roman Catholics in England while being relentlessly pursued by agents of Queen Elizabeth I for treason.
Abbate said his inspiration for the play came from Stephen Greenblatt’s novel, Will in the World.
“Greenblatt’s novel takes a look inside the lost years of Shakespeare’s life, and his suggestion of a meeting between both Campion and young Will offered a starting point for the writing of this play,” explained Abbate, a resident of Moorestown, N.J. “The unlikely friendship between the two men allows for the chance to experience on stage one of the probable portrayals of their relationship through the medium of theatrics.”
The play features animated and witty debates about sin, sanctity, martyrdom and the role of God in human lives and an escalating friendship between Campion and Shakespeare, who learn lasting and significant lessons from their unexpected relationship, including some that appear in Shakespeare’s own plays and poetry.
Campion’s Will is being directed by Artemis Preeshl, associate professor of theatre arts and dance at Loyola University in New Orleans and is scheduled to be professionally performed on March 24 at the Shakespeare Association of America’s annual conference in New Orleans. A second performance is scheduled for April 23, on the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, at Loyola University in New Orleans.
Abbate is an accomplished author who has published two books on philosophy, The Philosophic Impulse and Preface to the Philosophy of State. His play, The Idea of Edison, was produced by New Jersey Public Television, and he wrote, directed and performed in Keeping Time, the official play of the New Jersey State House Bicentennial Celebration. Campion’s Will is Abbate’s latest work.
Abbate has served as president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey Utilities Association and previously held numerous executive and managerial positions at Atlantic Energy. He also served as director of Leadership New Jersey, the state’s best known public policy leadership program.
Abbate holds a PhD in Philosophy from Columbia University, a master’s degree from Boston College, and a bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University. He has taught on the Philosophy faculties of Rutgers University, Iona College and the City University of New York system. He continues to teach philosophy at the Pennoni Honors College of Drexel University, including classes on the philosophy of Shakespeare.
A member of the Thomas Edison State University Board of Trustees since 1987, Abbate is the longest serving member of the board. He is also a senior associate for the Performance Excellence Group, where he conducts seminars on leadership and systems thinking for educational administrators and teachers.
Toni M. Terry, BA