The Minutes is a comedic play written by Tracy Letts. It had its premiere at the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago on November 9, 2017, and began previews at the James Earl Jones Theatre in New York City on February 25, 2020. It was scheduled to open on March 15, 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, production was suspended. The production ultimately opened on April 17, 2022, at Studio 54.
| The Minutes | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster for the Steppenwolf production | |
| Written by | Tracy Letts |
| Date premiered | November 9, 2017 |
| Place premiered | Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Setting | A city council meeting room in Big Cherry; November |
In 2018, Letts was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, losing to Cost of Living by Martyna Majok. The play was also nominated for the 2022 Tony Award for Best Play, but lost to The Lehman Trilogy.
Premise
editThe show takes place in November and shows the inner-workings of a city council meeting in the fictional town of Big Cherry.
Production history
editChicago premiere
editThe play premiered at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago on November 9, 2017. The production was directed by Anna D. Shapiro and featured a cast made up of Ian Barford, Penny Slusher, Kevin Anderson, James Vincent Meredith, Cliff Chamberlain, William Petersen, Danny McCarthy, Brittany Burch, Francis Guinan, Sally Murphy, and Jeff Still. It featured design work from David Zinn (scenic), Ana Kuzmanic (costume), and Brian MacDevitt (lighting), André Pluess (sound), and Tom Watson (hair and wigs).[1] The production closed on December 31, 2017, with plans to transfer the production to New York City.
2022 Broadway production
editThe production transferred to the James Earl Jones Theatre and began previews on February 20, 2020. The design team and several members of the cast from the Chicago production signed on, though Slusher was replaced with Blair Brown, Chamberlain assumed Anderson's role and was replaced with Armie Hammer, Meredith was replaced with K. Todd Freeman, Petersen was replaced with Tracy Letts (also the playwright), Burch was replaced with Jessie Mueller, and Guinan was replaced with Austin Pendleton.[2] The production planned to officially open on March 15, 2020, but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, production was suspended indefinitely.
On November 16, 2020, the production unloaded from the James Earl Jones and announced that it would be moving to a different Broadway theater, with initial plans to open on March 15, 2022.[3] In June 2021, it was reported that The Minutes would resume performances at Studio 54.[4] It began previews on April 2, 2022, and officially opened on April 17.[5] The entire cast from the 2020 previews returned except for Hammer, who was replaced by Noah Reid.[6] The production closed on July 24, 2022.
Notable casts
edit| Character | Chicago Premiere 2017 |
Original Broadway[7] 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Mr. Carp | Ian Barford | |
| Ms. Innes | Penny Slusher | Blair Brown |
| Mr. Breeding | Kevin Anderson | Cliff Chamberlain |
| Mr. Blake | James Vincent Meredith | K. Todd Freeman |
| Mr. Peel | Cliff Chamberlain | Noah Reid[6] |
| Mayor Superba | William Petersen | Tracy Letts |
| Mr. Hanratty | Danny McCarthy | |
| Ms. Johnson | Brittany Burch | Jessie Mueller |
| Mr. Oldfield | Francis Guinan | Austin Pendleton |
| Ms. Matz | Sally Murphy | |
| Mr. Assalone | Jeff Still | |
Awards and nominations
editOriginal Chicago production
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | The Pulitzer Prize | Pulitzer Prize for Drama | Tracy Letts | Nominated | [8] |
Original Broadway production
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Drama League Award | Outstanding Production of a Play | Nominated | [9] | |
| Tony Awards | Best Play | Nominated | [10] | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | Nominated | [11] | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Austin Pendleton | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Director of a Play | Anna D. Shapiro | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Scenic Design (Play or Musical) | David Zinn | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical) | Brian MacDevitt | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Sound Design (Play or Musical) | André Pluess | Nominated | |||
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ "The Minutes". www.steppenwolf.org. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ "The Minutes – Broadway Play – Original | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
- ^ "Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Finalist 'The Minutes' Sets Post-COVID 2022 Broadway Reopening, Plans Venue Switch". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
- ^ Meyer, Dan (June 22, 2021). "The Minutes Finds a New Home on Broadway at Studio 54". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
- ^ Glikas, Bruce. "Photos: THE MINUTES Cast Gets Ready for Broadway". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
- ^ a b "Schitt's Creek Star Noah Reid Will Make Broadway Debut in The Minutes". www.playbill.com. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
- ^ "The Minutes Original Broadway Cast - 2020 Broadway". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
- ^ "2018 Pulitzer Prizer". Pulitzer. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ "2022 Drama League Awards Nominations Announced- Full List!". BroadwayWorld. 25 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ "2022 Tony Award Nominations". Tony Awards. May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ "71st Outer Critics Circle Awards". Outer Critics Circle Awards. Retrieved 2022-05-17.