‘August: Osage County’ wins best play, best actress Tonys

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

June 15, 2008

'August: Osage County' wins best play, best actress Tonys

Chicago’s theater community never shone so brightly on Broadway as it did Sunday night when Steppenwolf Theatre’s production of “August: Osage County” was awarded the Tony Award for best play.

Accepting the award was its Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tracy Letts, who began his acceptance speech by acknowledging the massive crowd of actors and behind-the-scenes persons who joined him on stage.

“I don’t know who all these people are. I assume they’re associated with the play,” Letts said to uproarious laughter.

“Writing is better than acting,” he continued. “You get to use your words. You don’t have to be there eight times a week [for performances], and I can guarantee this moment beats auditioning for [now-defunct television series] ‘Jag.’”

His speech took on a serious tone when Letts thanked the producers of “August.”

“They decided to produce an American play on Broadway with theater actors.” The auditorium responded with thunderous applause.

Earlier, actress Deanna Dunagan nabbed the Tony for best actress in a play for her portrayal of the deeply damaged matriarch Violet Weston in “August.”

Clearly stunned by the moment, Dunagan remarked, “This is so overwhelming. There are three balconies.”

Dunagan, who added that she had spent 34 years in regional theater and “just watched [the Tonys] on television like everybody else,” also thanked her “August” co-star, co-nominee for “August” and co-Steppenwolf ensemble member Amy Morton.

“At the very least, she should be standing up here with me,” Dunnagan said. “Ever since I was a little girl, all I wanted to do was put on plays,” she added. “Now I get to do it on Broadway.”

“August” co-star Rondi Reed won best featured actress in a play earlier in the evening.Todd Rosenthal won the Tony for best scenic design for his unique 3-level stage set for “August.”

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.