Move Over Sophocles: For Tony Awards, Robert Icke Is Author Of ‘Oedipus’
Playwright-director Robert Ickes’ remarkable, modern-dress adaptation of Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus is significantly different from that ancient version (no Rex in the title, for starters) that Ickes is officially eligible for a 2026 Tony Award as the author.
The production itself, though, is (again, officially) a play revival.
Such are the traditional quirks of the Tony Awards eligibility rulings. The second wave of rulings – each Broadway season typically brings batches of four or five by nominations in May – were announced today. As usual, no explanations were detailed in the rulings.
The Tony Awards Administration Committee met today to confirm the eligibility status of five Broadway productions for the 2025-2026 season. The 79th Annual Tony Awards, presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, is set for June 7 at Radio City Musical Hall.
The productions discussed today were Oedipus, Chess, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), Marjorie Prime and Bug. In addition to the Oedipus rulings, the committee made the following determinations:
- Remember the old Tim Rice book for Chess? No need: Writer Danny Strong’s new version will be eligible in the Best Book of a Musical category;
- David Rockwell (Scenic Designer) and Peter Nigrini (Video Designer) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical category for their work on Chess;
- Brian Usifer will be considered eligible in the Best Orchestrations category for Chess (Anders Eljas handled the chore solo back in ’88);
- Christiani Pitts and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) co-star Sam Tutty will be considered in the leading performer/musical categories;
- Marjorie Prime, the 2014 Jordan Harrison play which had its first-ever Broadway production this season, will be considered a Broadway revival for Tony purposes. Same goes for Tracy Letts’ 1996 Bug, which made its Broadway debut in January. Letts will be considered eligible as author;
- Carrie Coon will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play category for her role in Bug; Namir Smallwood will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play category for the same production.
