The Balusters Tony Nominees on the Neighborhood Drama and Human Folly Behind the Broadway Comedy
Richard Thomas and David Lindsay-Abaire discuss how small-town politics and neighborly tension shape the five-time Tony nominated play
(Photo: Jeremy Daniel)
What to Know
- The Balusters earned five Tony nominations, including Best Play and acting nods for Richard Thomas and Marylouise Burke
- On The Broadway Show, Thomas and playwright David Lindsay-Abaire discuss how the play turns an HOA dispute over a stop sign into a razor-sharp comedy
- Directed by Tony nominee Kenny Leon, The Balusters cast also includes Anika Noni Rose, Kayli Carter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Ricardo Chavira, Margaret Colin, Michael Esper, Maria-Christina Oliveras and Jeena Yi
We’re highlighting the 2026 Tony play nominees this week on The Broadway Show! Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek and Managing Editor Beth Stevens spoke with some friendly neighbors from The Balusters, which earned five Tony nominations: Best Play, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play for Richard Thomas, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play for Marylouise Burke, Best Direction of a Play for Kenny Leon and Best Costume Design of a Play for Emilio Sosa.
In David Lindsay-Abaire’s timely comedy, the denizens of a small town squabble at their HOA meetings over the installation of a stop sign, resulting in a battle royale that reveals everyone's true colors. Thomas and Burke are joined onstage by Anika Noni Rose, Kayli Carter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Ricardo Chavira, Margaret Colin, Michael Esper, Maria-Christina Oliveras, and Jeena Yi.
“Every character gets to shine and every character gets a spanking,” says Thomas, who portrays the tradition-abiding HOA president Elliot Emerson. “That's what's so brilliant about what David has done. He really leaves it up to you. He's not telling you, he's just revealing people's folly and people's humanity at the same time.”
Speaking to his inspiration for this project, Lindsay-Abaire revealed, “I happened to live in a neighborhood very similar to the one that the play takes place in, and so I would read our Google Group and people would get very passionate about very small things in the neighborhood. I thought, as a writer, ‘These things aren't really what's bugging these people. It's not really about a paint color or a drainage ditch.’ It's really about people struggling with their own control, legacy and mortality.”
Watch the video below to hear more from Thomas and Lindsay-Abaire ahead of the ceremony on June 7:
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