Loyola University Chicago Theatre Alumni and Faculty Recognized at the 2026 Tony Awards

Alumni Spotlight

The Department of Fine and Performing Arts was well represented during the 2026 Annual Tony Awards on June 15, 2026. John Drea (Theatre ‘20) hit a double whammy this season after working alongside 2026 Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play winner Laurie Metclaf (Death of a Salesman) in Little Bear Ridge Road (2026 Best Play Nominee) and the 2026 Best Revival of a Play Arthur Miller’s Death of Salesman. Drea made his Broadway debut this past fall in Little Bear Ridge Road after the production transferred from Steppenwolf Theatre.  

Each year, the Tony Awards recognizes a regional theatre company in the United States. This year, The Regional Theatre Tony Award was presented to American Players Theatre (APT). APT is a professional theater located just outside Spring Green, WI, performing from June through November each year in their outdoor amphitheater and indoor theatre. Associate Professor of Theatre, Rachel Healy, has worked with the company for 23 seasons, including their current summer season. Alongside Healy, numerous theatre alumni have worked with the company, including Elizabeth Ledo, Nate Burger, Maggie Cramer, Annika Halonen, and Erin Chin to name a few there this summer. Healy designed the costumes and puppet for the current production of As You Like It.  


 
We’re excited to see our faculty and alumni receive these recognitions as they embark on creative projects outside of Mundelein. Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, directed by Joe Mantello, runs now through August 9, 2026 at the Winter Garden Theatre. To learn more about APT’s current season and how to get tickets, visit americanplayers.org/plays  

To see more exiting artistic collaborations between our faculty and students, come see Alice by Heart in the Newhart Family Theatre Spring 2027.