Broadway's Plays in Repertory- What They Mean for the 2014 Tony Awards

With several plays in repertory opening on Broadway this year, theatre fans are already wondering what this will mean for the 2014 Tony Awards. Both NO MAN'S LAND/WAITING FOR GODOT and TWELFTH NIGHT/RICHARD III will take Broadway bows this fall, featuring such stage heavyweights as Mark Rylance, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart and more- but will they be eligible for both of their performances?

BroadwayWorld has learned from a Tony Awards spokesperson that eligibility for the shows is yet to be determined. The Tony Awards Administration Committee, which decides on eligibility for the 2014 awards, is scheduled to meet next on October 24.

This is far from the first time that shows have played in repertory on Broadway. In 1974, Athol Fugard's Sizwe Banzi Is Dead and The Island played in repertory at the Edison Theatre. At the 1975 Tony Awards, the plays were honored together, earning a joint nomination for 'Best Play'. Fugard also earned a single nomination for both plays, and leading actors John Kani and Winston Ntshona went home with a joint win.

Conversely, in 1976, Patti LuPone earned a nomination solely for her role in The Robber Biridegroom, though it was playing in repertory with Edward II, The Time of Your Life, The Three Sisters. Similarly, Much Ado About Nothing and Cyrano de Bergerac, which played in repertory in 1984, each earned separate nominations for 'Best Reproduction' in 1985. Derek Jacobi earned a Tony that year just for his performance in Much Ado About Nothing.

More recently, both editions of Tony Kushner's Angels in America played in repertory at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Both plays were eligible for seperate nominations however, because Millennium Approaches opened in May 1993 and Perestroika in November 1993, making them big winners at both the 1993 and 1994 Tony Awards ceremonies.

How do you think the Administration Comittee will rule?

The 2014 Administration comittee includes: Emanuel Azenberg, Ted Chapin, Michael David, Cecilia Friederichs, Heather Hitchens, David Henry Hwang, Natasha Katz, Paul Libin, Margo Lion, Jo Sullivan Loesser, William Ivey Long, Mary McColl, Kevin McCollum, James L. Nederlander, James M. Nederlander, Enid Nemy, Laura Penn, Judith O. Rubin, Charlotte St. Martin, Peter Schneider, Thomas Schumacher, Ralph Sevush, Philip Smith, and David Stone.

The official eligibility cut-off date will be Thursday, April 24, 2014, for all Broadway productions opening in the 2013-2014 season. Productions which meet all other eligibility requirements and open on or before the eligibility date are considered eligible for 2014 Tony Award nominations.

The American Theatre Wing's 68th Annual Tony Awards will air on the CBS Television Network on Sunday, June 8, 2014 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/delayed PT), live from the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The Tony Awards, which honors theater professionals for distinguished achievement on Broadway, has been broadcast on CBS since 1978. The Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. The Nominations for the 2014 Tony Awards will be announced live on Tuesday, April 29th from New York City.