bdn223 said: "SpiritualGangster said: "RippedMan said: "What's unhinged about it? He seems to be just pointing out that Broadway, as a whole, has been pretty damn inclusive. I don't see any fault in that."
Agreed. That’s what I got out of it as well.
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What I got out of Riedel post was basically, Broadway may not be perfect, butSlave Play'sproducer's Tony campaign was "You must awardSlave Playwith Best Play because its diverse and not because its a great play", and voters were offended by that. The fact thatA Soldier's Playwon best revival of a play, a play that also deals with black themes and experiences, counters that narrative. In truth Tony voters have been heavily embracing plays that deal with theblack lived experience in the Best Revival of A Play category for the past decade, with 4 of the past 11 winners being such plays. I should point out that of these 2 were deemed "classics" andas such won for Best Revival of a play despite being for the play's first Broadway production.
The bottom line is Broadway establishmentis arguably the most progressive of all of the entertainment establishments (Film/Television/Music), and telling them they are not and are as problematic as some right wing politicians is avery easy way to burn a bridge or in this case lose an award."
This is crazy. Jeremy O. Harris is annoying et cetera but there was no marketing for this play that slightly inferred that if it had not won the Tonys, then the voters were racist. This seems totally like something that was in people's heads and they are choosing to manifest it because it helps them prove a point and "own the libs".
I have seen both plays before shutdown and "The Inheritance" is just a better play, point blank, period. I have not seen "Christmas Carol" but if it was a technical marvel, then it also deserved the technical awards. The only category I would give to "Slave Play" is Best Featured Actor for Ato Blankson-Wood, but then again I did not see "A Soldier's Play".
The point is that to go on and say that Tony voters (that according to Riedel himself are very liberal and not behind the times) were talking crap about the play in secret fearful of being canceled is not only demeaning to the play, but to the voters as well! The point that "Slave Play" was telling the audience that the U.S.A. is racist therefore the play was frowned upon is just idiotic because it implies the voters are a monolithic group that can't think for themselves and need to sneakily have their voices heard, only for Michael Riedel of all people to make this exposé and be the sound of reason. It's ridiculous.
Finally, the comparison to "A Soldier's Play" is actually very on point, given that apart from "The River Niger" the Negro Ensemble Company never had a healthy relationship with mainstream theater and Broadway, so the odds that it could win the Tony in 1982 are pretty slim.
