tonys

Rachel Chavkin became the 10^th woman to win a Tony award for directing when she won for her work on Hadestown, a retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus. Chavkin was the only woman nominated this year, mostly because she was the only woman to direct a Broadway play this year. And if she had her druthers, that wouldn't have been the case.

During her acceptance speech, Chavkin called on Broadway to do better when it comes to diversity. "My folks raised me with the understanding that life is a team sport. And so is walking out of hell. That's what is at the heart of show: It's about whether you can keep faith when you are made to feel alone. And it reminds us that that is how power structures try to maintain control: by making you feel like you're walking alone in the darkness, even when your partner is right there at your back," Chavkin said during her speech. "And this is why I wish I wasn't the only woman directing a musical on Broadway this season."