'Theatre Had a Win Tonight': Suzan-Lori Parks Reacts to Topdog/Underdog Finally Winning a Tony

At the Tony Awards, after the statues are given to the winners, they are taken to the media room, where they speak to journalists about their prizes. Playbill was able to have some one-on-one time with some of the 2023 Tony winners. We spoke with playwright Suzan-Lori Parks after her 2002 play Topdog/Underdog won the 2023 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.

Watch the video above to see Parks react to winning. "I feel like theatre had a win tonight...culture took two steps forward," says Parks of her win. When thinking about the difference between 2002, when Topdog/Underdog first premiered on Broadway, and now, she says that: "Now it's about inclusion and excellence....all kinds of people can write at the very highest level." She also added that her writing students told her that "if you don't win, we're burning shit down."

The recent production marked the first Broadway revival of Topdog/Underdog since its 2002 Broadway debut. Corey Hawkins and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II starred in the two-hander under the direction of Tony winner Kenny Leon. Both stars were Tony-nominated for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play.

The original production received two 2002 Tony nominations, including Best Play (though it did not win that big prize). The play did win the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, making Parks the first Black woman to win the honor.

READ: Suzan-Lori Parks Is Out Here Creating 'Awesome-Sauce Delivery Systems'

For more of Playbill's coverage from the Tony Awards, visit Playbill.com/Tonys.