NEW YORK — Steppenwolf Theatre’s production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ “Purpose,” the drawing-room drama about an accomplished Black family exposing hypocrisy and pressures during a snowed-in gathering, won the Tony Award for best play on Sunday night.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning “Purpose,” which premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre last spring before heading to Broadway, was nominated for six awards, the most for any Steppenwolf-incubated play since “August: Osage County” in 2008.
During the acceptance speech on behalf of the production, Steppenwolf co-artistic director Glenn Davis dedicated the award to the Chicago company, saying the ensemble is, “some of the greatest artists in the country, risk takers and innovators of some of the boldest plays in the American theatrical cannon.”
Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins thanked Chicago and added, “I encourage everyone to support the local theaters. A lot of great stuff happens in New York, but a lot more happens out in the regions.” The win is the second consecutive victory for Jacobs-Jenkins, who picked up the award for best revival of a play last year for “Appropriate.” Sunday night’s award marks the first time a Black playwright has been honored in the best play category since August Wilson for “Fences” in 1987.
Earlier in the evening, Kara Young made history when she was honored with the Tony Award for best actress in a featured role in a play for her performance in “Purpose.” With the award, Young became the first Black performer to win back-to-back Tonys; Young also won last year for “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch.”
During her acceptance speech, Young, who stars as Aziza in “Purpose,” thanked her parents, the playwright, her cast, and director Phylicia Rashad.
“In this world where we are so divided, theater is a sacred space that we have to honor and treasure. It makes us united,” Young said.
Jacobs-Jenkins’ work “is the centerpiece of a play about a Famous Black Family — in capital letters. Clearly inspired by Chicago’s Jackson family — as in Jesse and Jesse Jr. — the play is set at a transitional moment when the family must process a problematic recent past and consider the future,” according to the Sun-Times’ four-star review of the original production.
Along with Young, the Broadway production features Steppenwolf ensemble members Alana Arenas, Glenn Davis and Jon Michael Hill, joined by LaTanya Richardson Jackson, nominated for best actress in a leading role in a play, and Harry Lennix. Lennix and Hill were both nominated for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play but lost to Cole Escola for their performance in “Oh, Mary!” in which they portrayed a deranged, repressed and over-the-top historical version of Mary Todd Lincoln.
Richardson Jackson lost to “Succession” star Sarah Snook, who took home the award for leading actress in a play for “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” in which she plays all 26 roles, reprising a performance that won her an Olivier Award. Davis lost to Francis Jue for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a play for his performance in “Yellow Face.”
Nicole Scherzinger won her first Tony, for best actress in a leading role in a musical, for her portrayal of fading movie star Norma Desmond in the reimagined staging of “Sunset Blvd.”
Sam Pinkleton won best director for “Oh, Mary!” and thanked Escola, saying he taught him, “Do what you love, not what you think people want to see.”
Tony Award for best costume design of a musical went to Paul Tazewell for “Death Becomes Her,” which had its pre-Broadway world premiere at Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre in 2024.
The best book award went to “Maybe Happy Ending,” with lyrics written by Hue Park and music composed by Will Aronson. Park from the podium jokingly wanted to point out that he and Aronson are not a romantic couple and that he was very much single.
Justin Peck and Patricia Delgado won for choreographing “Buena Vista Social Club” and Peck noted a song from the renowned album was played at their wedding. The musical takes its inspiration from Wim Wenders’ 1999 Oscar-nominated documentary on the making of the Cuban album.
“Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” an effects-driven prequel to the Netflix hit show “Stranger Things,” won best sound design of a play and best lighting design for a play. “Sunset Blvd.” won best lighting design for a musical.
Marco Paguia won best orchestrations for “Buena Vista Social Club” and thanked Broadway for welcoming Cuban music. “Buena Vista Social Club” also won best sound design for a musical.
Jak Malone won best actor in a featured role in a musical for the British import “Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical,” playing a woman every performance. He hoped his win could be a powerful advocacy for trans rights.
“Eureka Day,” Jonathan Spector’s social satire about well-meaning liberals debating a school’s vaccine policy, won the best play revival trophy. It made its off-Broadway debut in 2019.
The original cast of “Hamilton,” including creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, did a victory lap all dressed in black to mark the show’s 10th anniversary on Broadway, with a medley including “My Shot,” “The Schuyler Sisters,” “History Has Its Eyes on You” and “The Room Where It Happens.”
First-time host Cynthia Erivo kicked off the evening as she launched into the slow-burning original song “Sometimes All You Need Is a Song,” written by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. She went into the audience and got front-row guests to sing along, including Adam Lambert.
Contributing: WBEZ Theater Reporter Mike Davis and Sun-Times Features Editor Miriam Di Nunzio.