Historically, dual Best Actress in a Play nominations do not bode particularly well for either performer. In the eleven prior instances since 1956 — ironically, the year of the most recent Fallen Angels revival — an actress nominated against a costar has won only four times. Those victors include Beryl Reid for The Killing of Sister George in 1967, Madeline Kahn for The Sisters Rosensweig in 1993, Deanna Dunagan for August: Osage County in 2008, and Marcia Gay Harden for God of Carnage in 2009. Harden’s year and victory were particularly impressive, as 2009 marks the only time in Tony history that two pairs of actresses were nominated in the same category. See below for the complete list of 12 Tony nominated Best Actress in a Play costars.

But even if only Byrne or O’Hara had received a nomination without the other, that would not have likely impacted the outcome in this year’s race. In his legendary annual survey of Tony voters for The New York Times, Michael Paulson spoke to 175 individuals and reports of the Best Play Actress race, “[A]mong the nominated play actresses, Manville, who made her Broadway debut playing Jocasta in ‘Oedipus,’ appears to have a healthy lead, with Susannah Flood of ‘Liberation’ as the runner-up.”

Even so, these history-tying nominations are well-deserved recognition for two truly uproarious performances. This theatre writer won’t soon forget how Byrne drunkenly and cacophonously cut her steak at dinner or swayed as she downed an entire glass of champagne, or O’Hara hilariously thrashing about in the curtains or the daft way she descends the staircase to the roaring thunder with a massive hangover. One hopes both of these actresses return to the Broadway stage in another comedic romp sooner than later.