Thomas J Aberger

Thomas (Tom) Joseph Aberger, age 70, left this world on May 22, 2021. Tom was a Renaissance theatre guy who devoted his professional life to the pursuit of moving theatre audiences to think, to feel, to consider the absurd, and to fall in love with the unlovable. A fierce advocate for new play development, Tom spent over 20 summers between 1973 and 1999 as the production manager for the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference. At the O’Neill Center, Tom’s skills at planning, anticipating, and trouble-shooting facilitated the work of directors, dramaturgs, designers, and crews, helping to bring life to over 200 new works. He was a sounding board for artistic director Lloyd Richards, who met Tom as a student at Hunter College and soon brought him to the O’Neill.  Lloyd captured Tom’s character in a 1997 letter to Tom, “You are the wheels of the Conference and a good deal of its heart.”

At the O’Neill and throughout his career, Tom trained and mentored thousands of early career theatre professionals and passed on his love of theatre, his respect for the theatrical process, and a belief that we are all collaborators no matter what hat we wear on a particular production.

He also served as production manager at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Walnut Street Theatre, and Manhattan Theatre Club and was technical supervisor for Peter Brook's The Mahabharata at BAM. As a production stage manager, Tom worked on Broadway, Off-Broadway, at many leading regional theatres, for Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and at New York's Phoenix Theatre. Off-Broadway he stage-managed premieres of over 20 productions, including Ladyhouse Blues, Uncommon Women and Others, City Sugar, Personals, and All God’s Dangers. He also ran the award-winning Getting Out in New York City and on tour to Yugoslavia, Ireland, and Israel.

Tom was a graduate of Hunter College in NYC and taught at University of California San Diego, and at Arizona State University. Tom served on the board of the Arizona USITT and as a mentor for the Production Managers Forum.

Tom leaves behind his neice, Lynn Green, and nephews, Edward Green and Christopher Aberger, and a gypsy's trail of friends around the country. Those who were lucky enough to be on Tom's Christmas CD list know that he loved all kinds of music, and he identified with those artists who, like Tom, freely shared their stories filled with emotion, imagery, and love.

In memory of Tom, a tree will be planted on the O’Neill Theater Center’s grounds. In honor of his legacy mentoring young stage managers and crew interns, the Thomas J. Aberger Memorial Fund has been created and Tom’s estate has committed $15,000 to provide training in production and stage management for the National Playwrights Conference.  Additional contributions to the Memorial Fund will support this program and celebrate Tom for many years to come.

Those who would like to attend an afternoon in memory of Tom at the O’Neill Center in Waterford, CT on June 26, 2022, may get information and RSVP at the link to the right of the page: Memorial Gathering.

If you would like to contribute to the Memorial Fund, please see the link below in the "About" Section.  Once you get to the O'Neill's page, choose Thomas J. Aberger Memorial Fund in the drop down. 

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