At last night’s 70th Tony Awards, Oakland alumna Jayne Houdyshell won an award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play.  

She attended the Academy of Dramatic Art at Oakland University and graduated in 1974.  

The academy was a two-year intensive training program focusing on concentrated courses with practical application for acting, according to Houdyshell.  

The award was for her role as Deidre Blake in “The Humans.”  

“The Humans” follows six characters in real-time throughout a Thanksgiving meal. The play received six nominations total at last night’s event. 

This was Houdyshell’s third nomination and first win at the Tony Awards. She was up against other performers like Pascale Armand and Saycon Sengbloh.  

The awards took place at New York’s Beacon Theatre and were hosted by James Corden.