Tony Award for Best Play, "Fences": Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

The 1987 Antoinette Perry Award, or Tony Award, for “Best Play” awarded to Yale Repertory Theatre for the production of "Fences."

The award consists of a silver medallion inside a silver metal arc, mounted on a square, black lacquer base. Printed in relief on the front of the medallion is [ANTOINETTE PERRY AWARD] and an image of the comedy and tragedy theater masks. Printed in relief along the edge of the reverse side of the medallion is [THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN THEATRES AND PRODUCERS, INC. / AND THE AMERICAN THEATRE WING, INC.] and in the center [PRESENT / THE AMERICAN THEATRE / WINGS TONY AWARD / TO]. Completed in engraved text is [The Yale / Repertory Theatre / BEST PLAY – PRODUCER: / FENCES / 1986-87]. The medallion sits on a black, block base with a small silver plaque with engraved text reading [AMERICAN / THEATRE WING / TONY AWARD]. The block is mounted on a square, black lacquer plinth, the bottom of which is covered in red felt and a silver sticker for the manufacturer: [MALCOLM & HAYES].

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1987
• Distributed by: The Broadway League, American, founded 1930
• Distributed by: The American Theatre Wing, American, founded 1917
• Received by: Yale Repertory Theatre, American, founded 1966
• Subject of: Benjamin Mordecai, American, 1944 - 2005
• Subject of: August Wilson, American, 1945 - 2005
• Type: trophies (prizes)
• Medium: brass, nickel and pewter with acrylic and felt
• Dimensions: L x W (a.): 3 3/4 × 3 3/4 × 8 1/2 in. (9.5 × 9.5 × 21.6 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (b.): 1 1/2 × 1 1/2 in. (3.8 × 3.8 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Broadway Theatre
• Topic: Drama (Theatre)
• Topic: Theatre
• Object number: 2021.23.1ab
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Sherry L. Mordecai in memory of her husband Benjamin Mordecai
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © American Theatre Wing, Inc™ Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.