The Tony Awards' Redemption: America's Playwrights to the Rescue.

Playwrights, including Pulitzer Prize winners Tony Kushner, Martyna Majok, and Lynn Nottage, successfully lobbied the Writers Guild of America to allow the Tony Awards to proceed despite the ongoing screenwriters' strike. The union agreed to a compromise that would not picket the ceremony as long as the show does not rely on a written script. The Tonys are a crucial marketing moment for the struggling theater industry, and this year's ceremony features an unusually diverse group of nominees. The event will take place with a live audience and performances, but there will be no scripted material or opening number.