Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

Associated Press Photo / Seth Wenig
Oskar Eustis, center, and the cast of Hair accept the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical at Sunday's 63rd Annual Tony Awards in New York.

The national media took note when former Trinity Rep artistic director Oskar Eustis accepted the Tony Award Sunday night for Best Revival, the production of Hair created by his current artistic home, New York's Public Theater.

"Politics strayed onto the Tony landscape at only a couple of points, most notably when Oskar Eustis, artistic director of the Public Theater, accepted the award for best musical revival for Hair," reported The New York Times. " 'Peace now, freedom now, equality now,' Mr. Eustis said, gesturing to his ring finger as he uttered those last two words, a reference to gay marriage rights. 'And justice forever. ' "

The Associated Press took a slightly different tack, noting, "Producer Oskar Eustis thanked every one associated with winning revival Hair and its origins, and the cast, 'These 32 most beautiful beasts of the forests, who not only know what hair stands for but live it every day. ... Peace now, freedom now, equality now.' "

The Los Angeles Times, meanwhile, reported that the award prompted the show's "costumed cast (which had just performed a number from the show) to crowd the stage in a celebratory orgy. Oskar Eustis, the show's producer, thanked the entire staff of New York's Public Theater, which originally produced the musical last summer in Central Park. 'If the theater is going to matter, it had to talk about things that matter to the people,' said Eustis."

Missing in all these reports, though, was the fact that Eustis also thanked not only his wife, Laurie, whom he married while he was at Trinity, but the couple's children, Jack and Kyle, "the 33rd member of the tribe."

Eustis and the Public Theater were the lead producers among among 23 people and institutions credited in Hair's Best Revival nomination.

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