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HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

65th Annual Drama Desk Awards Recognizes “A Strange Loop,” “A Soldier’s Play” and more!

By Linda Armstrong

The 65th Annual Drama Desk Awards were held on Saturday evening and Black works and talent were recognized. “A Strange Loop” won for outstanding musical, it was presented by Playwrights Horizons and Page 73 Productions. The production’s writer, Michael R. Jackson received two Drama Desk Awards in the categories of outstanding book of a musical and outstanding lyrics. Jackson tells his personal story as a large, gay, Black man and the issues he had with both his family accepting his lifestyle and his low-esteem, as he felt unattractive and unwanted to gay men. Larry Owens won an outstanding actor in a musical. Stephen Brackett won for outstanding director of a musical.

It was amazing when it was announced that the Roundabout Theatre production of “A Soldier’s Play” with an explosive mainly Black cast that started David Alan Grier and Blair Underwood and was directed by Kenny Leon won for play. Broadway director extraordinaire Leon spoke of how much it meant to be part of this production, especially presented at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway. This has actually been a very exciting season for Leon. In the category of outstanding revival of a play, he was actually competing with himself, since he had also directed a stunning production of “Much Ado About Nothing” that was performed at the Delacorte’s Public Theatre.

It was no surprise to me or I’m sure to anyone who has seen “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” that Adrienne Warren won for outstanding actress in a musical as the music icon. Martha Redbone won the Drama Desk for outstanding music in a play for The Public Theatre production of “for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf.”

A very powerful, moving production called “Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven,” written by Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by John Ortiz, came away with a Drama Desk award for one of its extremely talented company members, Liza Colon-Zayas won outstanding actress in a play.

Drama Desk has a new award for Lifetime achievement posthumously presented to the great Harold Prince and it is named after him the Harold Prince Award. The phenomenal Audra McDonald presented the special awards for the evening. The Sam Norkin Award went to Mary Bacon. The Actors Fund, Seth Rudetsky, James Wesley and medical contributor Jonathan LaPook, M.D. were honored for keeping the theatre company connected and informed during the coronavirus crisis. The Public Theater’s Mobile Unit was honored for its 40-year history doing Shakespeare for free in prisons, homeless shelters and community centers. WP Theater and Julia Miles were honored for nurturing and producing works by female-identified creators. Claire Warden, a pioneer in intimacy choreography was honored for her work. She is part of the creative team of Intimacy Directors and Coordinators and Director of Engagement for and co-founder of Intimacy Directors International, which is helping to create theater experiences that are safer for performers and more authentic for contemporary audience.

It will be so wonderful when theater can finally begin again, safe of course. I can’t wait! Be safe and take care.