The Minutes (play)

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

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.

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

The show takes place in November and shows the inner-workings of a city council meeting in the fictional town of Big Cherry.

Production history

Chicago premiere

The 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

The 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

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

Original Chicago production

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2018	The Pulitzer Prize	Pulitzer Prize for Drama	Tracy Letts	Nominated	[8]

Original Broadway production

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

• Official website
• The Minutes on Internet Broadway Database

References

1. "The Minutes". www.steppenwolf.org. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
2. "The Minutes – Broadway Play – Original | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
3. "Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Finalist 'The Minutes' Sets Post-COVID 2022 Broadway Reopening, Plans Venue Switch". www.msn.com. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
4. Meyer, Dan (June 22, 2021). "The Minutes Finds a New Home on Broadway at Studio 54". Playbill. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
5. Glikas, Bruce. "Photos: THE MINUTES Cast Gets Ready for Broadway". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
6. "Schitt's Creek Star Noah Reid Will Make Broadway Debut in The Minutes". www.playbill.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
7. "The Minutes Original Broadway Cast - 2020 Broadway". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
8. "2018 Pulitzer Prizer". Pulitzer. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
9. "2022 Drama League Awards Nominations Announced- Full List!". BroadwayWorld . April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
10. "2022 Tony Award Nominations". Tony Awards. May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
11. "71st Outer Critics Circle Awards". Outer Critics Circle Awards. Retrieved May 17, 2022.