The 79th Annual Tony Award winners were announced on Sunday, June 7, 2026, at Radio City Music Hall, recognizing excellence in live Broadway theatre.
This year, Tisch Drama alum Rachel Sussman ‘12 (BFA, Drama) and Alden Ehrenreich (Drama) were among the artists recognized during the ceremony.
Sussman, a two-time Tony Award-winning creative producer, educator, and entrepreneur, was among the producers of Liberation, which received the Tony Award for Best Play. Written by Bess Wohl and directed by Whitney White, the play takes place in Ohio in 1970, where a woman named Lizzie gathers a group of women to discuss their lives, the world around them, and how they might create change. Fifty years later, Lizzie’s daughter looks back on her late mother’s life and mission while searching for answers of her own. Exploring friendship, memory, and the unfinished work of the women’s liberation movement, Liberation also received the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Ehrenreich received the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play for his performance in Becky Shaw. Written by Gina Gionfriddo and directed by Trip Cullman, Becky Shaw is a dark comedy about love, relationships, and ethics. The play chronicles a disastrous blind date between Becky and a man named Max, who are set up by a newlywed couple hoping to help their friends. Ehrenreich made his Broadway debut as Max, earning his first Tony Award nomination and win for the role.
Tisch Drama was also represented across producing and performance categories by nominees including Leah Lane ’21 (BFA, Drama), producer of The Lost Boys; Ken Davenport ’94 (BFA, Drama), producer of Titaníque; Victoria Weinberg ’10 (BFA, Drama), producer of Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York); Rachel Sussman ’12 (BFA, Drama), producer of Liberation; Amanda Lipitz ‘02 (BFA, Drama), Lev Pakman ‘13 (BFA, Drama), and Kevin Cahoon ‘93 (BFA, Drama), producers of Cats: The Jellicle Ball; Evan Cabnet ‘00 (BFA, Drama), producer of Becky Shaw; Betsy Aidem ‘79 (BFA, Drama), nominated for her performance in Liberation; Alden Ehrenreich, nominated for his performance in Becky Shaw; Stephanie Hsu ‘12 (BFA, Drama), nominated for her performance in Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show; and Brandon Uranowitz ‘08 (BFA, Drama), nominated for his performance in Ragtime.
Congratulations to the Tisch Drama alumni, former students, friends, and members of the broader Tisch community who were recognized during this year’s Tony Awards.