Too many producers for Best Play

[Tom5]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 1:14pm

One gripe, one observation:
When Best Play is announced at Tony Awards shouldn't the playwright (and possibly the director) be the only ones allowed on stage to accept?
Also, with so many producers packed on stage to accept the Tony for Best Play isn't it fairly implied that none of them believed in it enough to put in real money?

[Just_John]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 1:29pm

I know a producer who won two Tony's last year. I don't believe he put an obscene amount of money into either show, but he certainly believed in both productions.

[haterobics]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 1:36pm

Best Play is a producer's award. Director and Playwright have their own categories.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 1:38pm

What's the playwright's category?

[Tom5]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 1:58pm

There is no playwright's category. For the Oscars there are two categories for the writer: Best Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Also, my issue is with only the multi-multi-multi-millionaire producers.
.

[averagebwaynut]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 2:04pm

In fact, your argument would be better if you said it should be JUST the playwright.

There is typically one -- sometimes a few more at most -- "lead" producers on any show. They are the ones who decide to take on producing partners and allocate them a portion of the funds to raise or contribute personally (or some combination of both). Those partners clearly believe in the project -- they get very little control/power, they take on plenty of risk, their financial side is OK but not spectacular (certainly when compared the financial upside of the lead producers). If anything, the volume of co-producers on the stage is a statement about the LEAD producers' (the ones getting to accept the award) lack of faith and/or their need/desire to mitigate risk and share fundraising responsibility. But don't hold it against the others who signed on to raise their assigned chunk of the money (typically a minimum of $150K and more often, at least $250K).

[haterobics]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 2:08pm

"What's the playwright's category?"

Weird, I had somehow convinced myself there was a separate category for them... now I just think there should be.

[Tom5]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 2:29pm

If there was a separate category for, say, "Best Writer of a play" with 5 nominees, it wouldn't bother me so much to see 25 Producers on stage (with usually the playwright standing in the back of them jumping up and down for attention) collecting the statuette for Best Play. I thought Theatre was supposed to be the writers medium.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 2:35pm

That's television.

[averagebwaynut]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 2:52pm

Actually, I believe it's literature that is the province of the writer.

Theatre, on the other hand, can only be realized as a collaborative effort. Yes, plays do exist on the printed page and for that, there are other awards given -- the Pulitzer, for one. But the Tonys are given for the *production* of a play and for that reason, while I agree the writer should be recognized and given a chance to speak (which inexcusably, doesn't always happen), it's entirely valid and appropriate for the producer(s) to be onstage and to accept the award in recognition of his/her responsibility for making that production happen altogether.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 2:55pm

It's an old adage hat theatre is the actor's medium, film is the director's medium, and television is the writer's medium.

Updated On: 6/10/14 at 02:55 PM

[SFFrontRow]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 2:59pm

Best Play Tony is awarded to the producer and playwright. Unfortunately, the lead producer usually stands in front of the masses of secondary producers to the first part of the speech and the playwright gets the orchestra music AFTER the lead producer gets done thanking his dogs (LOL). Money talks, talent just gets pushed in the background.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 4:35pm

The producers Of Gentlemen's on stage looked like the population of a small country. Talk about overkill.

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 5:00pm

You know what? If you're chipping in $1M to bring my show to Broadway and you want to come onstage if we win, I say buy the dress! Of course if you actually want a Tony, that will be $2,500, please.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 5:10pm

They should be embarrassed even going on stage. It is a total joke for someone whose only contribution is writing a check. I thought the Tonys, and all awards, are supposed to be about creative contribution. The only people who should be given a Tony, in the case of a play, are the author and the producers who actually played an active role in the play's getting to Broadway; same for a musical, except the authors have already been acknowledged.

[averagebwaynut]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 5:15pm

You would honestly sacrifice the number of plays that are able to get produced because you resent those people standing on stage for 90 seconds?

I'm fine if you think they should be embarrassed or if you think their considering themselves Tony winners is a joke, but for better or worse, that's why many of them agree to invest or raise hundreds of thousands of dollars. And without them doing so, many fewer shows would get produced. In some cases, that might be a blessing. But do be careful what you wish for.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 5:18pm

Without the "uncreative" contribution of those people, there would nothing onstage at all.

Your disdain for their contribution is risible.

I say: the more the merrier!

[James885]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 5:24pm

I don't mind the huge crowd of producers that go onstage.

To me it makes sense that there are tons of producers for each show nowadays, considering the ever-rising costs of mounting a play or musical on Broadway. The people who write checks have every right to go onstage if their show wins - without their money there would be no show to win awards, and one could argue that directly helping to capitalize a show does indeed count as an 'active role'.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 5:27pm

So, what would be an acceptable number of producers?

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 5:33pm

It takes a village to build a Broadway show and you want to celebrate the villagers. Acknowlegement, like giving credit, is easy. Money is hard.

[Patash]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 6:36pm

"They should be embarrassed even going on stage. It is a total joke for someone whose only contribution is writing a check. . . . The only people who should be given a Tony, in the case of a play, are the author and the producers who actually played an active role in the play's getting to Broadway"

Do you realize how self contradictory your post is? Without those checks most plays would never get to Broadway.

I'll tell you what, after you've written a million dollar check to put a play on Broadway, post back and tell us if you were embarrassed about taking any credit.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 7:11pm

Talk about a non issue. How can this possibly get under anyone's skin??

[Broadwaystar2]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 7:47pm

RIGHT! Who gives a damn...LOL!!! Does it hurt your feelings that they are up there? When a basketball team or football team win a championship, don't they all rush the field? Get a life!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 8:26pm

^Good point....and if you are on the Super Bowl winning team, you get a ring: even if you never once took the field. You are part of the team. Every producer is "part of the team".

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 8:37pm

I'm pretty sure that it is in most investor contracts these days that they get to go onstage if the play wins the Tony. To me, it looks like a clown car that just disembarked, and this is not what happens on other award shows, but it is what it is and if they pay a big chunk of change to be involved, then why not give them their three minutes of fame.