Two MacDowell Fellows took home Tony Awards this June — Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (‘12, ‘15, ‘16) won Best Play for Purpose, and Jonathan Spector (‘19) earned Best Revival of a Play for Eureka Day.
Eureka Day, first staged in 2018, was workshopped during Spector’s residency at MacDowell. The play centers on the unraveling of a seemingly utopian Berkeley elementary school during a mumps outbreak, exposing deep divisions within the community. At the time, vaccination was a relatively niche, largely apolitical issue. This made an ideal lens, Spector believed, for examining the impact of collective decision-making.
In its Broadway revival, Eureka Day speaks directly to a world now well-versed in disease outbreaks and vaccine debates. “This may be a perfectly goldilocks moment to be doing it,” he shared. “We’re trying to navigate this strange space of making choices, individually and collectively, about balancing the needs of society.”
And he was successful— rather than succumbing to the heavy weight of American politics today, Spector's satire retained its levity and even sharpened its bite. This humor was central to the play in its first run, and today, it is all the more important, more impressive, that Spector can hold a mirror to America with curiosity, comedy, and wit, rather than exasperated anger. The revival of Eureka Day and its recognition at the Tony Awards is a testament to the play’s transcendent questioning of leadership, of discord, and of what Spector regards as “the failure of a utopia.
Meanwhile, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins—now a two-time Tony Award winner—adds to his remarkable year, following his 2025 Pulitzer Prize in Drama with the Tony for Best Play. His Made at MacDowell work Purpose marks the 40th Tony awarded to a playwright who has created at MacDowell.
Purpose follows the Jaspers, a powerful upper-class Black family in Chicago, as the return of the youngest son sets off a chain reaction of revelations and reckonings. In their stately sitting room, family tensions around identity, culture, politics, and legacy rise to the surface. Jacobs-Jenkins mines these personal dynamics to pose broader questions about America and its present. “I’m always trying to understand what’s happening and why,” he has shared. His ability to reflect back on the complexity of the world we live in has earned him critical acclaim.
Jacobs-Jenkins is the first Black playwright to win Best Play since his personal paragon, August Wilson, received the honor in 1987. His passion for theatre started with a D.C. The play is undoubtedly indebted to his hometown’s regional theatre, and on a broader scale, place based collaborative art making. “Community arts is where it all begins,” he shared in response to his win.
As he works on his next play—an exploration of Black American history through the life of music legend Prince—Jacobs-Jenkins continues to push the boundaries of American theatre.
Both Fellows embody MacDowell’s mission: to nurture locally engaged, collaborative artists whose work resonates far beyond their communities. Their Tony wins affirm MacDowell’s legacy as a crucible for artistic excellence.
Shapiro, A. D. (2025, January 6). Jonathan Spector: What the Play Wants. American Theatre. Retrieved from American Theatre website AMERICAN THEATRE
Kumar, N. (2025, June 4). Is Branden Jacobs‑Jenkins the best playwright in America? The Washington Post. Retrieved from The Washington Post website The Washington Post
Masseron, M. (2025, June 9). Best Play Tony Winner Branden Jacobs‑Jenkins Says ‘Now More Than Ever’ Is the Time to Invest in Regional Theatre. Playbill. Retrieved from Playbill website playbill.com
