Youngest black Broadway playwright receives 6 Tony Award Nominations

Jordan E. Cooper has received 6 Tony nominations for his play ‘Ain’t No Mo,’ which includes “Best New Play,” “Best Featured Actor in a Play,” and “Best Featured Actress in a Play.”

The 27-year-old is the youngest Black playwright in the history of Broadway, according to Black Wall Street Times. The play is a series of short comedy skits compiled against a framework of a strange future.

The Play’s website discloses the provocative question, “What if the U.S. government offered Black Americans one-way tickets to Africa?” The play is said to move faster than the transatlantic jet plane, as the satirical comedy speeds through the turbulent skies of being Black in today’s America. Cooper’s play received early support from ‘big time’ producers like Dwayne Wade, Gabrielle Union, Lee Daniels, and RuPaul Charles.

The play faced imminent closure approximately one week after opening on December 1, 2022, and took a social media campaign to get it going, however, its curtains closed again on December 23, which Cooper called a “frustrating experience.” Even though the play had a short run on Broadway, it is one of the top Tony-nominated plays of 2022. It also received a lot of praise from viewers.

“So it takes time, especially when you’re a Black show to find your audience and especially when you’re leaning on traditional Broadway marketing which doesn’t necessarily market to Black folks. And this is a play that was written specifically for Black folks.” He told BET. “So, it is imperative right now that we really look into how we market these shows, and really look into where it goes. So people can know that they’re invited, and people can know that this is for them, because, traditionally, Broadway is not always meant for us, right?”

According to the young playwright, he traveled back to Texas to watch the nominations with his family. He recalls the memory of seeing his play come to life, “Yes, I was living my dream, but at the same time I was having to fight for my life in a way.”

In an Instagram post after the Tony announcement, he wrote “I’m a Tony-nominated actor & playwright My God, My God. Thank you to my amazing cast & crew members & producers [Lee Daniels] and the incomparable [Stevie Walker Webb] and to the American Theater Wing for recognizing this piece of work. Thank you to COMMUNITY who rallied and lifted this thing up even when people couldn’t see its worth. DON’T GIVE UP ON WHAT YOU BELIEVE TO BE SO.”

Jordan E. Cooper is an Obie Award-winning playwright and performer who was once selected as OUT Magazine’s Entertainer of the Year. He has received a special citation from Obie for his play, ‘Aint No Mo.’ According to Broadway.com, Cooper recently created and executive produced his first television project, ‘The Ms. Pat Show’ which critics have called “One of the most radical sitcoms in the modern era.” He is also noted as the youngest Black showrunner in television history, as well as the youngest American playwright in Broadway history.