Justin David Sullivan, & Juliet star, declines Tony award eligibility over ... trends now
A non-binary performer in the Broadway hit musical & Juliet has withdrawn from Tony award eligibility in protest against the organization's gendered categories.
Justin David Sullivan, who plays the part of May, a friend of the title character in a reimagining of William Shakespeare's play, said in a statement they had 'no choice but to abstain from being considered for nomination this season.
Sullivan complained that neither category 'resonated' with them in an interview with Playbill about their decision.
'I hope that award shows across the industry will expand their reach to be able to honor and award people of all gender identities,' they added.
Both the Obie Awards, the most high-profile awards ceremony for off-Broadway performances, and the Outer Critics Circle Awards have announced the removal of gender specific categories this year. The Grammy Awards has been without many gendered categories since 2012. The British equivalent followed suit in 2021.
Justin David Sullivan, a native of Southern California, said this week that their decision to withdraw from consideration was because neither category 'resonates' with them
The show & Juliet, which debuted in November 2022 and attracted a host of A-listers to its premiere, is currently running at the Stephen Sondheim Theater.
It started out at the Manchester Opera House in England in September 2019 before moving to the West End in London in November 2019, and has received three Olivier Awards.
One reviewer wrote of Sullivan's moment in the show when they sing Britney Spears' hit I'm Not a Girl Not Yet a Woman saying: 'It’s a landmark moment for Broadway, allowing a non-binary main character to talk about being misgendered and what it’s like to date while trans.'
Following their decision to withdraw, Sullivan told Playbill they did not feel comfortable choosing a gender when deciding to submit. They said: 'I struggled a lot.
'There's nothing more that I want to empower than non-binary people, to show that it's possible to be non-binary on Broadway, play a non-binary character on Broadway and be nominated, and possibly potentially awarded,' they added.
Sullivan said neither category 'resonated with them' and that the only thing that felt right was to 'abstain' from nomination.
In their report on Sullivan's withdrawal, The New York Times wrote that the star has 'put public pressure on the awards.'
Sullivan claimed in their interview with Playbill that they hope their decision serves as a 'wake-up' call not just for the Tonys but for every award ceremony.
In their report on Sullivan's withdrawal, The New York Times wrote that the star has 'put public pressure on the awards'
Sullivan pictured with Broadway-icon Lin-Manuel Miranda in January 2023 on stage at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre
