Broadway’s premier theatre awards were named in honour of female actor and director Antoinette Perry
SEVENTY years ago today the luminaries of the US theatre world gathered for the first time to honour their best and brightest, thanks to a great female director Antoinette Perry.
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ITwas Broadway’s night of nights; a swish affair at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York as luminaries of the US theatre world gathered for the first time to honour their best and brightest. Hosted by theatrical producer Brock Pemberton, on Easter Sunday, April 6, in 1947, the “Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theater” was a bit of a mouthful. So Pemberton shortened it to the “Tony” Awards, in reference to Antoinette’s nickname.
The awards, Broadway’s attempt to emulate the glamour of the Oscars by celebrating “outstanding contributions to the current American theater season”, were named in honour of the late Antoinette Perry, the former chairwoman and co-founder of the American Theater Wing, an organisation that entertained troops in World War II.
A one-time actor, Perry became one of the most successful female theatre directors in the US. Born Mary Antoinette Perry in Denver on June 27, 1888, she developed a taste for theatre as a child, thanks to an aunt and uncle who were touring stage actors.
Perry made her stage debut in the play Mrs Temple’s Telegram in 1905 in Chicago and later the same year joined the New York cast of the same play.
Her successful Broadway career came to a temporary end in 1909 after she married wealthy businessman Frank Frueauff and concentrated on raising a family. But she maintained a passion for show business, often going to shows while also helping out struggling actors and socialising with the theatre crowd.
In 1921 she met Pemberton at a concert, they hit it off and became lifelong friends. Her husband died in 1922 leaving her a fortune, which she used to fund theatre projects. But after her children grew up she returned to the stage. Her comeback play was Pemberton’s production of Mr Pitt in 1924.
Another close theatre friend was playwright Rachel Crothers, who encouraged Perry to move into directing. She made her directorial debut in 1928 with Goin’ Home, co-directing with Pemberton. It was a controversial play that dealt with the topic of interracial marriage.
In 1929 while directing a production of the Preston Sturges’ comedy Strictly Dishonourable, the lead actor came down measles. Perry’s daughter Margaret (who used the stage name Perry) stepped in to replace her.
Perry was a stickler for pace in the comedies she directed. She would sit in the back of the theatre and set up a green light on the stage that she would turn on if the pace slackened. It made many productions successful, but at times she was criticised for the “frantic pace” of some of her plays. Initially she directed alongside Pemberton, but in 1935 began to branch out her own, alternating between Pemberton productions and working with other producers.
In 1939 as war loomed Crothers was asked to reform the Stage Women’s War Relief, a group which originally came together on the eve of the US entry into World War I on April 6, 1917. Crothers asked Perry to help and they renamed the organisation the American Theater Wing, organising events to raise money for the war effort and to entertain US troops. Perry became the organisation’s chairwoman and its driving force.
After the war “the Wing” as it was known changed its focus to the welfare of the theatre community, including encouraging young performers and gathering resources for theatre to serve the wider community.
When Perry died of a heart attack in 1946, Pemberton proposed establishing a theatre award in honour of his friend and collaborator. The first ceremony, 70 years ago today, soon became America’s most prestigious stage acting award.
The first recipients included Jose Ferrer for his Cyrano de Bergerac, Helen Hayes for her performance in Happy Birthday along with Ingrid Bergman playing both Joan Of Arc and Mary Grey in Joan Of Lorraine.
Winners received a scroll detailing their award along with a gift. For the women it was a Tiffany silver compact, with an automatic wiper, that cleared the powder from the mirror when the case was opened, while men got a gold money clip or cigarette lighter, engraved with their name.
The Tiffany compacts and other trinkets were soon ditched in favour of a special medallion depicting the comedy and tragedy masks, symbolising drama, engraved with the names of recipients.
Initially held in April every year the awards were later moved to May and then June. This year they will be held on June 11 (June 12 Australian time).
Originally published as Broadway’s premier theatre awards were named in honour of female actor and director Antoinette Perry
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