Survival Guide
A Tony Award nomination is a big deal for any actor, but for first-time nominee David Harbour, it has also been a learning experience. Currently turning heads in the Tony-nominated revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Harbour is one of the brightest young stars of the season. Before stepping into the role of Nick for this revival, Harbour was cast in Between Us, The Two Noble Kinsmen, A Bad Friend, Fifth of July, Twelfth Night and The Invention of Love. Here, Harbour conjures up a survival guide, complete with a list of helpful tips for everyday living as a first-time nominee. Why does Harbour wake up in a cold sweat? How should one handle crank phone calls from other nominees? How much has his life really changed? Read on!
So... you're a first time Tony nominee. Here's a heads-up guide on what to expect by your fellow traveler David Harbour.
1. Waking up in a cold sweat.
That's right. Horrible nightmares. That it's all been some mistake. Running from darkened room to darkened room checking and rechecking Broadway.com for the results, and your name, which of course isn't there. Friends coming up to you, patting you on the back saying, "It's not your fault they took your nomination away." Horror, oh, horror.
2. Lunch.
Prepare. I don't know about you, but it's never been my favorite meal. Be warned, prepare. You'll be eating it a lot. In front of other people. Up on podiums. Dress-up and dressed-down. Practice your table manners. I've been chastised for the old elbows on the table more than once. The veg plate is usually not so great either, be warned.
3. Crank phone calls from bloodthirsty nominees.
You're going down, Harbour. DOWN! Click.
I'm sure it's Alda. Sure, he seems like a nice guy, but don't let that fool you. Underneath it all he is an award-hungry monster.
4. Getting tickets to the Tonys for your grade 3-8 dentist.
It was a long time ago, Dr. Golden. I can only take one date. I'm sorry.
Go on, you deserve it.
6. Practicing your speech.
Thirty seconds. That's right. You'll forget everyone. And there's too many anyway. Don't even bother. Say something nice to your mom.
7. The Tuxedo.
Don't go with the old catering one. Clip on bowtie? C'mon!
8. Throwing your weight around.
I want the corner table! I don't care if you've been booked for weeks, I'm a Tony nominee, dammit!
If this appeals to you, you'd best get the Oscar nod. When it comes down to it, being a Tony nominee impresses only a select few we happy few. And unfortunately those few do not generally include club bouncers, maitre d's or valets...
9. The magnificent company you'll keep.
There's no more sublime feeling than Marian Seldes kissing you on the cheek. Or having John Guare throw his arm around your shoulder. I could namedrop all day. You are among the people you have always admired: luminaries of the American theater. And some of them actually know your name.
10. The real award.
The real award, if you are nominated in this category, is that you are actually already having a very unique experience. You are doing a straight play on Broadway. You are living the dream.
Living inside Edward Albee's masterpiece at the legendary Longacre home of the revolutionary play Waiting for Lefty, with such talented folks on all sides of the production has been the most profound experience of my life. It's the culmination of a tremendous amount of effort and sheer will to have gotten the opportunity, and I cherish every moment of it including two-show days. If you've already come to see it, thank you, and if not I invite you to an unforgettable evening of verbal sparring, boozing, smoking, "humiliate the host," "get the guests" and "hump the hostess." And if your lucky we'll throw in "bringing up baby."