The Annual Tony Awards season is finally here (and on time, this year), and the Broadway community is more ready than ever to celebrate the finest actors, productions, creative teams, and staff that make the most famous theatre scene in the world a better and more legendary place. For the 2022 Tony Awards, there are 5 plays nominated for the ‘Best Play’ Category, highlighting the most distinguished new plays to appear on Broadway during the 2021-2022 season.
In the previous season, “The Inheritance,” a play exploring love among gay men in New York City after the AIDS epidemic, by Matthew López won. This season, the nominated plays explore topics such as money, greed, racism, government corruption, and many more.
Clyde's
Clyde’s is a one-act play by the renowned playwright (who also wrote the book for a nominated musical this year) Lynn Nottage. Orange is the New Black actress Uzo Aduba stars in the show as the titular character, and Ron Cephas Jones also appears in the production. The play follows Clyde, a truck stop sandwich shop owner who tries to keep everything under control, as formerly incarcerated employees are given another chance to work.
The show explores the forged relationships and renewed passions as the kitchen staff tries to create the perfect sandwich. Clyde’s ran on Broadway from November 26, 2021, to January 16, 2022. Some cast members are also nominated for Tony Awards including Featured Actor/Actress in a Play and Best Costume Design of a Play.
Hangmen
Hangmen is one of many dark comedies written by the Academy Award-winning Martin McDonagh. The show takes audiences back in time to England in 1965 when hanging (an old-time way of execution, which was usually in public for shame) was abolished. Harry, Britain’s second famous executioner and a pub-owner in Oldham, is now being sought after. People are dying to hear about his opinion on the news. His assistant Syd and the mysterious Mooney lurk in the background with other motives.
The show stars Game of Thrones actor Alfie Allen, and is a limited run, only running from April 21, 2022, to June 18, 2022. The play was nominated for 5 Tony Awards including Best Actor and Featured Actor in a Play, Best Scenic Design for a Play, and Best Lighting Design for a Play.
Skeleton Crew
A new and “electrifying” play about survival, Skeleton Crew tells the story of a tight-knit group of workers at a Detroit automotive factory on the brink of foreclosure. As power shifts and the line distinguishing blue collar and white collar dissipates, the family must come together and trust their strengths in order to survive. The show received rave reviews.
In addition to the Tony Award nomination for Best Play, Skeleton Crew was also nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Phylicia Rashad’s performance, and for Best Scenic Design of a Play. Skeleton Crew ran on Broadway from January 26, 2022, to February 20, 2022.
The Lehman Trilogy
The Lehman Trilogy was one of Broadway’s epic plays from this season, telling the dramatic story of three brothers and the tragic financial collapse of an empirical firm called the “Lehman Brothers.” In 1844, 3 brothers travel from Bavaria to New York City in search of a better life. 163 years later, in 2008, the firm becomes bankrupt, triggering one of the largest financial crises in history. The show is regarded as a modern Broadway classic.
Besides Best Play, The Lehman Trilogy was nominated for a whopping 8 Tony Awards, including Best Direction of a Play, Best Sound Design of a Play, Best Lighting Design of a Play, and Best Scenic Design of a Play. The 3 main actors (Adrian Lester, Adam Godley {also known for The Umbrella Academy}, and Simon Russell Beale) were all nominated for Best Actor in a Play. The Lehman Trilogy ran on Broadway from October 14, 2021, and January 2, 2022.
The Minutes
Tracy Letts returns to Broadway with his new play, The Minutes. Starting its journey at the legendary Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, The Minutes is a dark comedy about small-town politics and real power. The Tony-nominated play follows the Town Council of Big Cherry, a fictional small town in America. Corruption, greed, hidden secrets, and ulterior motives are unearthed as the council convenes.
The one-act play is a humorously scary allegory to the current state of American politics. The Minutes not only stars Letts in a role, but Schitt’s Creek’s Noah Reid makes his Broadway debut! The Minutes is a limited run on Broadway, only running from April 17, 2022, to July 23, 2022.