Source: Joseph Marzullo/WENN.com / WENN
The 74th Tony Awards were held Sunday night (September 26) in New York and a Slave Play, which broke records with 12 nominations, seemed poised to notch at least one of the coveted trophies. However, as the evening concluded, the controversial Broadway production failed to win even one award despite all the hype and chatter around it.
Slave Play, from playwright Jeremey O. Harris, is a three-act play following the lives of three interracial couples entering into “Antebellum Sexual Performance Therapy” due to the Black partners no longer feeling physically attracted to their white partners. The original off-Broadway production launched in 2018 and then hit Broadway after its initial roaring success.
The play has garnered heavy criticism for its intense themes of slavery, assault, and other jarring images put forth but some critics say that those instances were intended to provoke thought and shake the core of viewers without a proper course set. There was a petition launched to shut down the play and despite its acclaim among critics, there were plenty of those in theater writing who agreed with the jeers.
The 12 nominations for Slave Play broke the record set in 2018 by Angels in America for most nominations for a non-musical play. Joaquina Kalukango was up for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, and Ato Blankson-Wood was nominated for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play. The play was also up for the Best Play award, along with Robert O’Hara up for Best Direction of a Play, and Lindsey Jones nominated for Best Original Score.
On Twitter, Slave Play was trending on Monday (September 27) and some fans were pleased that the play didn’t get a Tony. We’ve got those reactions below. There is also a thread from Jeremy O. Harris that’s worth reading and perhaps explains that he too was aware of what the play’s potential for winning was ahead of everyone else.
Can someone point the hoteps who said “OlD yT pPl jUsT lOvE SlAvE sHiT sO mUcH tHeY giVe iT aLl tHe aWaRdS” to tonight.
The ppl who nominated SP were significantly younger and blacker than anyone who voted.
Anyway Partying tonight in Manhattan bc history was made in spite!
— MOST TONY NOMINATED ONEHIT WONDER Jeremy O. Harris (@jeremyoharris) September 27, 2021
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Photo: WENN
1.
SLAVE PLAY being nominated for 12 Tony Awards and winning none of them so far, while THE INHERITANCE wins most of its nominated awards is giving me a, "you can be the sidekick but not the lead" vibe. Broadway, still predictable as hell despite saying it's changing
— Lady WhistleDiep (aka Diep Tran) (@diepthought) September 27, 2021
2.
I’m just glad slave play isn’t winning anything because that shit should’ve never existed lmao
— Loki Laufeyson’s Wig Lady (@blackfairybae) September 27, 2021
3.
it's so funny seeing white theatre fans decry Slave Play losing as proof of Broadway's racism meanwhile my Black moots are cackling sjsjsjsjsjssjsjssj
— ke (@sokinematic) September 27, 2021
4.
Seeing a bunch of tweets from white ppl upset that Slave Play hasn’t won anything yet lmaooo
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𝐺𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑙 𝑁𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑜
5.
The Slave Play shutout is embarrassing. And not for Slave Play.
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) September 27, 2021
6.
Slave Play not winning a single Tony is exactly what Broadway is, has always been, and certainly looks to be going forward. Shameful.
— Casey Mink (@Casey_Mink) September 27, 2021
7.
It’s really weird seeing white people tweeting about something called slave play and being disappointed that it didn’t win anything https://t.co/ZfheW5lUMB
— Godzilla Apologist (@BlackTonyBlair) September 27, 2021
8.
Whether you enjoyed the show or not, the fact that Slave Play was the most Tony-nominated show in Broadway history, yet won 0 trophies, should raise questions about the actual purpose and value of these awards.
— Lil Uzi Hurt
(@lostblackboy) September 27, 2021
9.
Slave Play is and was smut. Glad that shit is not winning awards. I hope the ancestors haunt everyone involved. pic.twitter.com/sZBdFsMybQ
— Toni Carter (@ToniLaNae) September 27, 2021
10.
Not Slave Play being the most nominated play in Tony History and not winning any of its noms!
— Penzi Hill (@HillPenzi) September 27, 2021