The Gilded Age actor Carrie Coon recently told Playbill that she considers the show "the Broadway corridor." For good reason. Even though the show takes place in turn-of-the-20th-century New York, the Julian Fellowes-created series is filmed in modern-day New York, which means some of the best theatrical talent in the country are cast members in the series. For instance, Tony nominee Denée Benton is a main character in the series, and her parents are played by stage legends Audra McDonald and John Douglas Thompson. Meanwhile, Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon play squabbling sisters. It's a veritable who's who of Broadway faces.

Season one and two of The Gilded Age followed the new-money Russell family (led by Coon and Morgan Spector), who are trying to make their way into high society and gain respect from the closed-off old money establishment. Season two even had a natural theatre tie-in because it was about the formation of the Metropolitan Opera. Season three is a bit more domestic, featuring characters potentially divorcing, an arranged marriage, and some new, budding romances. Plus there's a bevy of new cast members, such as Phylicia Rashad, Jordan Donica, Victoria Clark, and many other Broadway favorites.

READ: How The Gilded Age Got So Many Broadway Stars to Join Its Cast

Below, see the theatre actors who have appeared so far in season three of The Gilded Age and their storylines this season. Three episodes have been released so far, but Playbill will continue to update this article as new episodes are out, and new faces show up with more drama coming up behind them. Many spoilers ahead.

Episode 1 (Who's in Charge Here) and Episode 2 (What the Papers Say)

Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon (Agnes Van Rhijn and Ada Forte)

One of the main duos in this series are Agnes Van Rhijn and Ada Forte, played by two-time Tony winners Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon, respectively. While in prior seasons, elder sister Agnes was very much the alpha in the relationship while the soft-spoken Ada was more obedient, season three turns their dynamic around. Now newly a widow with a sizable fortune behind her, Ada rises up to become the lady of the Van Rhijn household, much to the consternation of Agnes. It also doesn't help that Ada is now passionate about the temperance movement while Agnes has taken an interest in women's suffrage, setting the stage for some truly delicious conflict, and some pithy one-liners from Agnes—including when she tells Aurora Fayne, whose husband wants a divorce: "It would be easier for you if he were dead," to which Ada responds: "I'm not sure how helpful that is, Agnes." Classic comedy, in fabulous gowns.

Kelli O'Hara (Aurora Fayne)

The Tony winner had been a supporting character for the past two seasons of The Gilded Age, but season three sees her stepping up as a main player as she navigates something truly scandalous: her husband (played by Ward Horton), wants a divorce so he can marry his mistress. To agree to a divorce would ruin her in the eyes of society (and she can't very well set sail to Siam to be a governess to small children). It's a storyline that gives Aurora quite a tricky conundrum, and O'Hara the opportunity to expand all of our vocabularies with lines such as: “How strange, when I bedecked myself in these geegaws, I was looking forward to your coming home.” We're excited to get to know O'Hara in this new context!

Denée Benton and Jordan Donica (Peggy Scott and Dr. William Kirkland)

Tony nominee Denée Benton's storyline in The Gilded Age has been nothing short of dramatic. Season one saw her discover what happened to the child she gave up due to pressure from her parents. Then season two saw her travel to the South, almost get lynched, and get into an affair with a married man (which was very Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 coded). It's a bit of a relief that season three sees Peggy getting a relatively stress-free storyline—she is gaining ground as a novelist and she is getting a potential new suitor in Tony nominee Jordan Donica (as Dr. William Kirkland, sporting a top hat as skillfully here as he did in My Fair Lady). Here's hoping this romance works out better than last season's.

Note: Donica can currently be seen in Sunset Boulevard on Broadway through July 20.

Audra McDonald and John Douglas Thompson (Dorothy and Arthur Scott)

Peggy's parents, Dorothy and Arthur Scott, were on the periphery the past two seasons—which seemed like a waste considering they were played by three-time Obie Award winner John Douglas Thompson and six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald (who is currently playing Madame Rose in Gypsy). That's like putting the most talented players on the bench. Well, season three finally sees these two acting legends getting more screen-time, with some juicy dialogue to boot. In episode two, they finally get to meet Peggy's employer, Agnes, and it gave both actors the opportunity to share scenes with Christine Baranski—which did not disappoint, as they had an illuminating conversation about race and parenthood. It also gave Thompson the opportunity to deliver this killer line: "I'm not convinced good manners will prove an effective cure for 2.5 centuries of slavery." It's in large thanks to Gilded Age co-writer Sonja Warfield, who is helping Gilded Age have some complicated conversations about race that was largely absent from Downton Abbey. And so far, McDonald and Thompson show they are hugely up to the task of spearheading those conversations.

Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector (Bertha and George Russell)

The Russells in previous season seemed to be a united front: obviously in love and similarly ambitious, their goals were aligned in ascending to the height of New York society. But season three is beginning to look very similar to Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Coon's previous Broadway credit)—the Russells are in deep disagreement over how to marry off their daughter Gladys (played by Taissa Farmiga). Bertha (Coon) wants to marry her to a Duke, while George (Spector) wants Gladys to have more of a choice. Marriage issues seem to be a theme of the season, and the Russells will no doubt bring plenty of it (though hopefully with a happier ending than Virginia Woolf). 

Victoria Clark (Joan Carlton)

Two-time Tony winner Victoria Clark shows up on The Gilded Age for the first time this season, playing Lady Joan Carlton, whose ancestors (as she haughtily points out) "signed the Declaration of Independence." Clark plays the mother of Billy Carlton, who wants to marry Gladys (to the disapproval of her mother Bertha). This gives Clark a number of deliciously tense scenes opposite Coon, and when she calls an upper-class party "a ghastly gathering," we can't disagree with her.

Louisa Jacobson (Marian Brook)

Louisa Jacobson rose to prominence by playing the idealistic Marian Brook on The Gilded Age, who is the niece to Agnes and Ada. Though in between seasons, Jacobson has been spending the past few years doing Off-Broadway theatre, such as in Lunch Bunch and, currently, Trophy Boys. Last season saw Marian breaking off an engagement because she didn't love the man who proposed, and because she wanted her own career. This season finally sees Marian and Larry Russell (the son to Bertha and George, played by Harry Richardson), go from friends to lovers—with the conflict so far centered on when they will go public with their relationship. Let's hope the third time's the charm since Marian and Larry is as in-love as he claims (considering he spent most of last season in an affair with a widow played by Laura Benanti).

Donna Murphy (Mrs. Astor)

Two-time Tony winner Donna Murphy's Mrs. Astor has been a formidable force for the past two seasons on The Gilded Age, as the head of New York high society—and channeling Hello, Dolly! with her ostentatious hats. It remains to be seen what her role will be during season three, considering that she's now playing nice with her former foe, Bertha. But considering her pointedly asking Aurora if she plans to spend some time out of town this summer, due to her impending divorce, having Murphy around to provide side-eyes and silent judgment is what we consider valuable screen time.

Claybourne Elder (John Adams)

The Company actor has been a recurring character throughout the first two seasons of The Gilded Age, as the lover of the closeted Oscar Van Rhijn (played by Blake Ritson). It has helped 21st-century viewers understand the complications of being gay during such a heteronormative time. Elder's re-appearance in season three, episode two, was so welcomed, with him providing some much-needed help to Oscar, who has been swindled out of all of his money after trying unsuccessfully to find a wife in season two. Hopefully this means their romance, which was on pause in season two, can be rekindled.

Celia Keenan-Bolger and Douglas Sills (Mrs. Bruce and Chef Borden)

Fresh from her Isabelle Stevenson Tony Awards honor, actor and activist Celia Keenan-Bolger returns to The Gilded Age as Russell-head-of-household Mrs. Bruce, a widow who in last season, had begun a romance with the (French-not-French) Chef Borden (played by Douglas Sills). She hasn't gotten as much screen-time so far in the season, but she did get a smart and pithy line—when asked whether or not Gladys should have an arranged marriage: "Plenty of people who have a free choice live to regret it." Meanwhile, Borden has discovered that his estranged wife has died, giving him and Mrs. Bruce a chance to freely pursue their relationship (and hopefully unlike his counterpart in Downton Abbey, he won't be charged with her murder). 

Patrick Page (Richard Clay)

Patrick Page has played George's loyal-and-steely secretary, Richard Clay, for three seasons. This season, Richard has been given a storyline of his own to try and land a deal with a group of southwestern minors, so that George can build a railroad through their land. And here's the tension: Richard will be sacked if he fails. Then again, if there's anyone who can land a deal, it's a former King of the Underground.

Kristine Nielsen (Mrs. Bauer) and Debra Monk (Miss Armstrong)

As the Van Rhijn house cook, Tony nominee Kristine Nielsen has sported an apron and a German accent for three seasons now. And she continues to be the peacemaker among the working class characters, whether it's offering a supportive voice for Jack Trotter (Ben Ahlers) and his alarm clark invention, or when shutting down housekeeper Miss Armstrong (Tony winner Debra Monk) for continuing to be prejudiced against Peggy and her family. Monk is the stern counterpoint to Nielson's warmth, ensuring that the downstairs drama of Gilded Age is just as entertaining as upstairs.

Bobby Steggert (John Singer Sargent)

Tony-nominated actor Bobby Steggert made headlines when he retired from acting in 2016 to pursue a Master's Degree in Social Work from Columbia. But the Big Fish actor is back, playing famed painter John Singer Sargent in The Gilded Age, who makes an appearance in season three, episode one, when Bertha commissions John to paint a portrait of Gladys. And it's an educational scene for those who need a reminder that this is the painter behind the controversial/iconic Portrait of Madame X. Episode three is the portrait unveiling, so Steggert made not just one, but two, appearances on this season of The Gilded Age.

Paul Alexander Nolan (Alfred Merrick)

Paul Alexander Nolan (last seen on Broadway in Water for Elephants) is new to The Gilded Age and has only appeared in one scene so far this season—when he is complimenting Bertha Russell on the Metropolitan Opera. But his scene with Carrie Coon was too lengthy and pointed to be a one-off, so we're looking forward to seeing how he reappears this season on The Gilded Age.

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Episode 3 (Love Is Never Easy)

Phylicia Rashad and Brian Stokes Mitchell (Elizabeth and Frederick Kirkland)

Episode three of The Gilded Age season three sees the arrival of two much-buzzed-about characters: two-time Tony recipients Phylicia Rashad and Brian Stokes Mitchell, who play Elizabeth and Frederick Kirkland, the parents of Dr. William Kirkland—whose family "rules the roost" in the upper-class, seaside community of Newport. And their arrival not only allowed for a Ragtime reunion between Mitchell and Audra McDonald, it also opened up a tense conversation that revealed the social distance between Black families who were never enslaved and families that had a history of slavery in this country. Representation of slavery is not new to the screen, but this kind of frank conversation about colorism, class, and history in a period setting is truly novel. And we're looking forward to seeing how deep it goes this season.

Jessica Frances Dukes (Athena Trumbo)

Jessica Frances Dukes (who was last seen on Broadway in 2021 in Trouble in Mind) plays Athena Trumbo, the sister to Dorothy and aunt of Peggy. Episode three sees Athena being fully supportive of Peggy's budding romance with William, while revealing the history of colorism in Athena and Dorothy's family. But it is clear from her scenes in season three, we could all use an Aunt Athena as a hype person.

Andrew Garman (Mr. Delancey)

Longtime stage actor Andrew Garman showed up for one scene in episode three as Mr. Delancey, a wealthy banker who rightfully tells Bertha that “I think you give these matters more importance than they're worth"—meaning her obsession with Gladys marrying a Duke. It's the kind of frank-yet-correct statement reserved for characters that will have more screen-time. And considering Bertha mentioned Mr. Delancey's daughter and her son Larry in the same sentence, and asked Mr. Delancey for his card, we'll probably see more of this banker.

John Ellison Conlee (Weston)

John Ellison Conlee (The Full Monty) made a brief appearance in episode three as an investor named Weston. Larry Russell and Jack Trotter meet with Weston in the hopes of securing some capital for Jack's alarm clark. Weston expressed skepticism, so it's likely that's the last we've seen of Conlee, unless his character comes through with the much-needed funds—though theatregoers can see Conlee in the upcoming Twelfth Night in Shakespeare in the Park.