Writers Guild of America members won’t picket the 2023 Tony Awards amid their ongoing strike looking for higher wages and higher job protections, the labor union announced Monday night.
In the identical statement though, the union reiterated that it’ll not negotiate a waiver or interim deal to permit WGA screenwriters to jot down a script for the show’s broadcast — leaving theater’s biggest night in limbo.
“As has been previously reported, the Writers Guilds of America East and West (WGA) is not going to negotiate an interim agreement or a waiver for the Tony Awards,” the statement said.
“Nevertheless, Tony Awards Productions (a three way partnership of the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing) has communicated with us that they’re altering this 12 months’s show to evolve with specific requests from the WGA, and due to this fact the WGA is not going to be picketing the show.”
It’s unclear what alterations the Tony Awards producers have agreed to make to the awards show — which was scheduled to air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on June 11.
Broadway employees — that are heavily unionized in numerous labor organizations — are largely expected to refuse to take part in the Tony Awards in solidarity with the WGA strike that began on May 2.
Earlier within the day, the Tony Awards Management Committee opted to appeal to the WGA and again request that the labor union strike a deal to permit the printed or at the very least not picket the ceremony.
The committee met Monday to make a decision how the show would go on if a compromise was not reached. Their options reportedly included a press conference-style announcement of the winners or holding off the ceremony until the strike ends — which could mean months.
The Tonys were set to be hosted by “West Side Story” star Ariana DeBose on the United Palace in Washington Heights.
Voting for award winners begins Tuesday at noon.
