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Independence, MO —
Broadway and the annual Tony Awards might seem like a far off idea to many in Eastern Jackson County, but there is a local tie to the play that walked way with one of Sunday evening’s major awards.
“Clybourne Park” won the 2012 Tony for Best Play during the ceremonies in New York City, and one of the producers of the play is Ricky Stevens, a 1985 graduate of Fort Osage High School. He is one of the primary members of Quintet Productions, a producing firm in New York City.
Attempts to reach Stevens Monday were unsuccessful.
“He has lived all over the country, working in the theater,” said Sherry Stevens, Ricky’s mother, who still lives in Independence. “It was just something he always enjoyed doing.”
Stevens has produced and served a general manager for more than 100 shows throughout the world. This includes “Radio Golf,” which received four Tony Nominations in 2007.
“He grew up doing theater – Starlight, the Missouri Repertory Theater,” Sherry Stevens said. “We were so excited when we saw he had won. We are so thrilled for him.”
“Clybourne Park” has two acts, set 50 years apart. One is in 1959 as community leaders attempt to stop a black family from purchasing a home, and the second is in the same house during the present day. But now, the mostly African-American community is battling to hold its own as wealthier families begin to move in. The play, written by Bruce Norris, also won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize and London’s Olivier Award for Best Play.
Broadway and the annual Tony Awards might seem like a far off idea to many in Eastern Jackson County, but there is a local tie to the play that walked way with one of Sunday evening’s major awards.
“Clybourne Park” won the 2012 Tony for Best Play during the ceremonies in New York City, and one of the producers of the play is Ricky Stevens, a 1985 graduate of Fort Osage High School. He is one of the primary members of Quintet Productions, a producing firm in New York City.
Attempts to reach Stevens Monday were unsuccessful.
“He has lived all over the country, working in the theater,” said Sherry Stevens, Ricky’s mother, who still lives in Independence. “It was just something he always enjoyed doing.”
Stevens has produced and served a general manager for more than 100 shows throughout the world. This includes “Radio Golf,” which received four Tony Nominations in 2007.
“He grew up doing theater – Starlight, the Missouri Repertory Theater,” Sherry Stevens said. “We were so excited when we saw he had won. We are so thrilled for him.”
“Clybourne Park” has two acts, set 50 years apart. One is in 1959 as community leaders attempt to stop a black family from purchasing a home, and the second is in the same house during the present day. But now, the mostly African-American community is battling to hold its own as wealthier families begin to move in. The play, written by Bruce Norris, also won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize and London’s Olivier Award for Best Play.
