Emerson at the Tonys

Alumna Jennifer Schriever ’02 was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a Musical for her work on A Strange Loop, while a number of other alums helped produce nominated shows.

Tony nominations were announced Monday, May 9; the awards will be televised Sunday, June 12, on CBS and Paramount+.

Winner of a Pulitzer Prize, A Strange Loop led this year’s nominations with 11 nods, including Best Musical. The story of a Black queer artist “grappling with desires, identity, and instincts he both loves and loathes.” Skye Optican ’13, co-head of Annapurna Theatre, the live performance division of Annapurna Films, was on the producing team alongside numerous celebrities, including Don Cheadle, Alan Cumming, RuPaul Charles, Ilana Glazer, Jennifer Hudson, Mindy Kaling, and Billy Porter.

Optican and Annapurna also helped produce two other nominees: Best Play contender The Lehman Trilogy, and Company, nominated for Best Revival of a Musical.

Bonnie Comley, MA ’94, member of the Emerson Board of Advisors, is a producer on The Minutes, nominated for Best Play, as is Jacob Soroken Porter ’13. Porter is also a producer for David Mamet’s American Buffalo, nominated for Best Revival of a Play.

In addition…

The following alums worked/are working on Tony-nominated shows:

Sam Vawter ’15 is assistant set designer, Corey Umlauf ’17 is associate scenic designer and Joe Burt ’19 is scenic assistant on A Strange Loop, all working under Arnulfo Maldonado, who is nominated for Best Scenic Design of a Musical .

Robert Cott ’20 is COVID safety manager of Paradise Square (10 nominations)

Josh Bryan ’19 is COVID safety manager of Hangmen (five nominations)

Jalaina Ross ’11 is associate general manager at Foresight Theatricals, currently working on POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive (three nominations)

Lilian McGrail ’20 is technical production assistant on Funny Girl (one nomination)

This story may be updated with additions.