Dunnagan vs. Morton for Tony?

(NO REAL SPOILERS) I hope these two wonderful performances don't cancel each other out in the race. Both Deanna and Amy are extraordinary in AUGUST: OSAGE. If the play's arc belongs to Morton -- and it really does end up Barbara's play, in a way -- the evening's centerpice is the Dunnagan Violet. It's been pointed out in articles and threads that Morton actually has more stage time. And the play's journey certainly does intertwine the two characters like DNA. I would probably come down on the side of Dunnagan, because Violet is the most memorable stage mother since Beatrice in THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS ON MAN IN THE MOON MARIGOLDS. I take nothing away from Letts creation. yet when you read Violet on the page, she is merely interesting, and compelling; the humor and wicked, lacerating delivery by Dunnagan make her smallest digs and put-downs distinctive and witty.

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Updated On: 5/14/08 at 06:29 PM

I thought the whole cast was fabulous, but Morton stole the show for me. I'm really hoping that she takes the Tony home.

I side with Dunagan for the Tony. Her Violet is a much more technically proficient piece of acting. With the cadence of her steps, the in and out of lucidity, the slurring, the rages, the extremes from acting like mother to child to monster-it was stunning. She was probably the most vulnerable actor on that stage. Some of her choices were very bold. Like a previous poster said, on the page Violet reads more flat. It is what Dunagan brings to the role that makes it memorable. My vote goes to her.

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My previous post was not meant to take anything away from the amazing performance of Amy Morton. If I could give them both Tonys I would. I just was more impacted by the visceral nature of Deanna's performance. As a social worker who has worked with dual diagnosis clients, Deanna's spot-on portrayal of an alcoholic, pill-popping woman in great emotional and physical pain gave me chills.

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If I had to choose just one I would give it to Morton. Both are fantastic but I liked her performance just a little bit more.

If I had to pick, I'd go with Dunnagan. Morton was stunning and beatiful, but Dunnagan gave me chills, she crawled deep under my skin and stayed there for days.

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I also support a tie, but I side with Dunagan.

She really stole the show for me. I thought Morton was good, but didn't think her role had as much to do as Dunagan's did.

Torn....

I've seen the play twice and the first time I saw Dunnagan's understudy. I completely thought her understudy stole the show and I barely even rememered Morton. The second time I went, I was lucky enough to see Dunnagan and Morton owned the stage. I actually remember Morton's closing line in Act II only because of my second viewing. A tie is extremely unlikely, even though it wouldn't upset me, so I'm hoping Morton will take it. They really better not cancel eachother out.

What Dunnagan does, so remarkably, is capture the pathos and pain with great nuance while also provide us with so many occasions to explode with laughter. To nail the humor so effortlessly really is a technical feat; to do so while revealing the woman's soft underbelly (and spine of steel, too) is a double achievement. Morton's journey shapes the play, and she brings it vividly to life; Dunnagan's characterization is the stuff of theatrical legends.

At the end, we all discussed who could come close -- Ellen Burstyn, maybe. I had a wild card idea -- Burstyn's old co-star from ALICE doesn't... Diane Ladd. A great actress. Then, bring in Laura Dern to play the Morton role. Real mom-daughter chem.

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I'd love to see a Sizwe Banzi type tie.

Eve would win in any other year and may benefit from a vote split.

Well, Eve would win any other year but August will take a ton of awards. I think there could be a tie and I hope there is. However, if there was only one to pick, Deanna Dunnagan would get my vote. She just moved me beyond words and I thought her performance was incredible. (Amy Morton was very strong as well, Dunnagan's performance just stuck with me.)

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