Vito Abate

Vito has loved the theatre ever since seeing Florence Henderson on Broadway in South Pacific! Born and raised in New York City, he spent many years studying acting and performing in various venues while working in magazine publishing for The New York Times Company as well as The New Yorker. He co-founded The City Singers, an a cappella group and created and produced several seasons of just do it - a themed reading and performance series in the East Village. For ten consecutive years, he conceived, produced and directed Christmas Theatre, an annual fundraiser for local NYC AIDS organizations.Before relocating to Charlotte, NC he spent four seasons with the Tony-winning Denver Center Theatre Company. In Charlotte Vito has worked as a judge for both regional and state high school play festivals, and won several theatre awards for acting, writing and producing as well as Theatre Person of the Year. Favorite acting roles include Fester (The Addams Family Musical), Underling (The Drowsy Chaperone) and Billis (South Pacific). Directing credits include The Woman in Black, Something Happened…Forum, Leading Ladies, Children of Eden, Steel Magnolias, Psycho Beach Party and most recently Sordid Lives starring the original LaVonda, Ann Walker.

He is an acting coach and earlier this year completed the life coaching program at Easton Mountain. As a certified life coach, Vito believes there are many similarities in acting and coaching. Through coaching we can move out of our comfort zone and take risks, and as actors we can do the same thing. With the letting go of self-judgment we open ourselves to new possibilities and experiences. Perhaps most importantly, we are present and in the moment: onstage and in life.