COAST OF UTOPIA - Men, Tony categories?

Most likely, Ethan Hawke and Billy Crudup will be eligible for Best Actor for VOYAGE. All others will be eligible for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Remember, the balance of the roles shifts in each play, so while an actor may be eligible in one he may not be eligible in another. We've yet to see SHIPWRECK and SALVAGE.

My guess would be that they are three separate productions, despite the crossover and interlocking elements. Stoppard has been clear that it is a trilogy not a single epic (although the parts do add up, no?). It's a complicated argument on the performance side because, as I wrote, the balance and dynamics change for all the characters over the three installments. On the creative side, it's much easier to define as one entity.

I heard somewhere that they're trying to get it count as one play.

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If they all combine it into one, I would bet that Crudup would be placed into featured, due to his limited prescence outside of Voyage. O' Bryne and Hawke would be leading, and Hamilton, if garnering a nomination(he has a large role in Part 3), would fall into featured.

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I am fascinated by everyone's comments regarding the acting of the two plays that have been seen so far. Unfortunately I don't see them until later, so I've been waiting with great anticipation.

I was fortunate to have seen the three plays in London, where imo, Stephen Dillane (as Herzen) completely dominated the trilogy as a standout. I walked away thinking it was his tour de force. All the leading men were very good, but I personally walked away from the trilogy thinking that he was the clear standout, and that it was Herzen's story for the most part. My second favorite was Guy Henry as Turgenev, followed closely by Doug Henshall as Bakunin. (maybe they tied) And lastly, so to speak as he was very good, was Will Keen in the role of Belinsky.

So it is very interesting to hear that Cruddup and Hawke seem to be the characters that people are embracing, even after having seen the second play where Herzen's story becomes more central.

I know that Stoppard, etc., see the plays as independent pieces. I never did. Shipwreck was my favorite, followed by Voyage, and lastly Salvage. I hear the plays have been trimmed quite a bit, so my opinion may change with the new production.

I am also interested to hear the comments in some of the threads about the shouting. I think those scenes were played quite differently in London. I'd be very interested to hear others who may have seen that production.

I actually thought Hawke chewed the scenery too much. O'Byrne blew me away.

Hawke definitly chewed the scenery. he just didn't feel right for the part and the manner in which he delivered his dialogue was bizarre and out of context. I was overwhelmed but O'Bryne and Crudup and thought they were beyond fantastic!

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I have not read Bakunin - I have no interest or plans to, actually.

Having seen O'Byrne give such outstanding performances in FROZEN, DOUBT and SHINING CITY, I must say that his acting in THE COAST OF UTOPIA is a major disappointment. The character is just not developed; while in contrast, Hawke's, Crudup's and even Harbour's characters are so very fine tuned and MEMORABLE, they come across as real, intricate human beings. O'Byrne's performance is generic and forgettable.

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Updated On: 1/1/07 at 07:31 PM