The liveliest post-show conversation I heard was about Mark Rylance's acceptance speech for best actor, a comically surreal riff on how you costume yourself in context, with no clear connection to "Boeing-Boeing" or anything else. He was already something of an anomaly, winning for a farce in a category dominated by more "serious" performances. He identified his speech later as a prose poem by Louis Jenkins from Duluth. It didn't make any sense to me, so I loved it -- along with the cut-away shots to cast mates Christine Baranski, Mary McCormack and others laughing with affectionate incredulity.

Well, consider the context of acceptance speeches that are mainly hurried lists of names. Lin-Manuel Miranda ("In the Heights") gets points for rapping his speech. It's always the unusual that stands out, such as Gabriel Byrne's lovely remark that "it's because of Jim Norton I became an actor." Norton's supporting actor award for "The Seafarer" was one of my favorites, since I've gotten to see him on stage in some great Irish plays in London, Dublin and New York.

How do you think Patti LuPone's Tony for "Gypsy" affects Lenora Nemetz, her stand-by as Mama Rose? I bet it gives the show a boost, which means Lenora will get to play the role even more in the long run. Frequent commentator Ron Necheff wrote to say he thought "if Patti had not won the Tony she would have tripped whoever won and taken the award anyway" -- but that's probably just confusing the actor with the role, don't you think?

As always, my favorite part of the telecast was the excerpts from the shows themselves, and I thought the little "Spotlights" were a good addition -- letting cast members of different shows announce or highlight this or that. I thought Rob Ashford's choreography for "Cry-Baby" looked great, but I hear that the show will now close at the end of the month, part of the initial post-Tony fallout.

As I write this, I'm in Washington, D.C., at the annual conference of the American Theatre Critics Association, so it's timely to thank Barbara Gaines of the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre who, in the brief televised excerpt from her acceptance speech for the regional theater Tony, thanked ATCA, which selects a theater to recommend to the Theatre Wing and Broadway League for the award. Everybody likes recognition, even theater critics.

P.S. Our gal at the Tonys, Gwen Orel, has supplemented her backstage report with a further report from a post-Tony party. Read it here.

Already on my way to Washington Monday, I missed Bloomsday, but coordinator-deluxe Anne Burnham wrote to say that "Salome" cast member Kate Young contributed "a memorable rendition of 'I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls' in Mullaney's after the 'Cyclops' reading (which was fantastic!). It made me vow next year to repeat the concert of Joyce's music we presented that first year of this iteration of Bloomsday, in 1989, at the Carnegie Library music room."

Sunday, while preparing to head for D.C. and dropping by City Theatre's "MOMENTUM 08" (more next week), I squeezed in the first act of the Pittsburgh Savoyards' "H.M.S. Pinafore." It's never been my very favorite of the comic G&S operas, but maybe that's partly the snobbery of preferring something lesser-known, because "Pinafore" is certainly one of the most popular. The Savoyards gave a good account of themselves, especially the 20-something strong orchestra led by Guy Russo, and all of us especially loved the charming young cabin boy played by Ben Nadler. "Pinafore" continues through Sunday at the Catherine Thomas Theater at St. Benedict Center just off I-279 in Ross, a few minutes north of Downtown.

In last week's column I regretted not having caught up to Pittsburgh native Virginia Ann Woodruff, one of the Church Ladies in "The Color Purple," but a few days later I went back to the Benedum stage door and succeeded. While talking, I remembered that I saw her play Effie in that great "Dreamgirls" at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in 1990 (along with Billy Porter and several other CMU actors). On Broadway, I saw her in "All Shook Up," and she reminded me she was also in "Smokey Joe's Cafe" at New York's aptly named Virginia Theatre. Virginia grew up on the North Side and before moving on to the national scene, she lived all around town at different times, sang at different churches and worked at Hill House. A group of more than 50 relatives and friends came to see her in "Color Purple." For her part, she said she doesn't remember Pittsburgh being so "gorgeous." Sometimes we need outlanders or returning natives to remind us of that.

• According to my latest word, the only remaining performances of "Take Me Out" with available seats are Sunday at 8 p.m. and an added show Saturday at 4 p.m. Too bad barebones couldn't extend, but Patrick Jordan assures me they just couldn't.

• PICT has a pre- "Salome" "Beyond the Scenes" discussion at 7 p.m. today under the Schenley Plaza Oval Tent, across from the Stephen Foster Memorial, featuring composer Roger Doyle; more info at 412-561-6000.

• David Ives' fine "Ancient History," directed by Michael E. Moats, continues through June 28 at Off the Wall Productions in Little Washington (724-873-3576). The company has plans of turning professional next year.

• Jeanne Drennan's "12 Dogs" has its second reading as part of the Arts Festival, 7 tonight, 937 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Erika Cuenca plays a young teacher with a brilliant 17-year-old student in a remote outpost of post-apocalyptic North America some 100 years in the future. The play has already had developmental readings at Open Stage and in Philadelphia, San Diego and recently New York at the Lark Play Development Center.

• Paid admissions at city's pro theaters for the week ending June 15:

Color Purple/CLO (53%).....11,685

Odd Couple/Public (75%).....3,523

Stand by Your Man/Mt.Playhouse (77%).....2,407

Bust/City (96%).....756

Salome/PICT (59%).....613

Take Me Out/barebones (107%).....531

Shear Madness/CLO Cabaret (28%).....406

Out of This Furnace/Unseam'd Shakespeare (102%) ... 388

Eastburn Avenue/Playhouse REP.....NA

Post-Gazette theater editor Christopher Rawson can be reached at crawson@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1666.