Skeleton Crew (play)
Play by Dominique Morisseau
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Skeleton Crew is a play written by Dominique Morisseau about an auto factory on the brink of closure in 2008 Detroit, Michigan. It is the third part of Morisseau's Detroit Project, inspired by African-American playwrights, which also includes Paradise Blue and Detroit '67.[1]
Reggie
Dez
Shanita
| Skeleton Crew | |
|---|---|
2021 Broadway production poster | |
| Written by | Dominique Morisseau |
| Characters | Faye Reggie Dez Shanita |
| Date premiered | January 6, 2016 |
| Place premiered | Atlantic Theater Company |
| Series | The Detroit Project |
| Setting | Detroit, Michigan, 2008 |
Plot
Set in Detroit in 2008, the play follows the workers of an automotive factory, known as the skeleton crew, led by Faye, currently experiencing homelessness. As a longtime employee and union representative who has spent 29 years on the line, she currently works alongside Dez and Shanita. When factory supervisor Reggie reveals that the factory is set to close, Faye must choose between protecting her own stability and standing in solidarity with her fellow workers.[2][3]
Productions
Skeleton Crew ran Off-Broadway at the Atlantic Theater Company in 2016 and subsequently at the Detroit Public Theatre in 2017.[4][5][6] The Atlantic production was directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson.[7]
It ran on Broadway as a limited-run engagement at Manhattan Theatre Club's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre from December 2021 through February 2022, with Ruben Santiago-Hudson returning as director and starring Phylicia Rashad as Faye.[8][9] It was one of a series of Broadway shows in the 2021–2022 season written by Black playwrights, and parallels were identified between the play's story and the Omicron surge under which its run fell.[10][11]
Skeleton Crew premiered in the United Kingdom at the Donmar Warehouse in July 2024 for a one-month run, directed by Matthew Xia.[12]
Cast and characters
| Character | Off-Broadway 2016[13] | Broadway 2021[14] |
|---|---|---|
| Faye | Lynda Gravátt | Phylicia Rashad |
| Reggie | Wendell B. Franklin | Brandon J. Dirden |
| Dez | Jason Dirden | Joshua Boone |
| Shanita | Nikiya Mathis | Chanté Adams |
Awards and nominations
Original off-Broadway production
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Obie Awards | Special Citation: Collaboration | Dominique Morisseau and Ruben Santiago-Hudson | Won | [15] |
| Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Play | Nominated | [16] | ||
| Distinguished Performance | Lynda Gravatt | Nominated | |||
Original Broadway production
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | Nominated | [17] | |
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Brandon J. Dirden | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Chanté Adams | Nominated | |||
| Phylicia Rashad | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Director of a Play | Ruben Santiago-Hudson | Nominated | |||
| Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Nominated | [18] | ||
| Distinguished Performance | Phylicia Rashad | Nominated | |||
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Nominated | [19][20] | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Play | Brandon J. Dirden | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Actress in a Play | Phylicia Rashad | Won | |||
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Joshua Boone | Nominated | |||
| Tony Awards | Best Play | Nominated | [21] | ||
| Best Featured Actress in a Play | Phylicia Rashad | Won | |||
| Best Scenic Design in a Play | Michael Carnahan and Nicholas Hussong | Nominated | |||