THE BAND'S VISIT Tour Wins Helen Hayes Award for 'Outstanding Visiting Production'
The Helen Hayes Awards for individual achievements were announced via Zoom.
On September 25, the 36th Annual Helen Hayes Awards concluded, after a series of virtual events celebrating Washington's dynamic and diverse theatre community.
Recognizing 255 Helen Hayes Award nominees and 48 award recipients drawn from 185 eligible productions - including 46 musicals, 139 plays, and 45 world premieres - and 2,570 individual pieces of work from 35 theater companies in 2019.
The Helen Hayes Awards for individual achievements were announced via Zoom with nominees, presenters, and guests from the community from August 31-September 11, 2020. As a culmination of the 2020 Helen Hayes Awards celebrations, the community enjoyed a celebratory evening of virtual events, including a pre-show red carpet on Instagram live, hosted by DC theatre artists and Helen Hayes Award recipients Rick Hammerly and Felicia Curry and an after party on Zoom, DJ'd and hosted by Edward Daniels, DC actor and owner of Scorpio Entertainment.The program, streamed live (and now available in full) on YouTube, included a Land Acknowledgement, a recap of the individual Award announcements, a video retrospective of 2019 productions, and a community message from over 30 Washington theatre-makers. Eleven additional Awards were also announced - for outstanding productions, outstanding ensembles, and The John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company.
Topping the list of 20 theaters receiving Helen Hayes Awards this year was Theater Alliance, which received a total of eight awards for their work, seven for the production of Blood at the Root, including Outstanding Production in a Play-Helen. Signature Theatre received six awards, five for their production of A Chorus Line, including Outstanding Production in a Musical-Hayes. The Brothers Size at 1st Stage also received four awards, including Outstanding Production in a Play-Hayes. The John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company was given to 4615 Theatre Company, which produces a blend of classical and contemporary work, inspiring audiences to explore the echoes and resonances of storytelling passed down through the ages and is dedicated to local artists, audience accessibility, and nurturing the next generation of visionaries, troublemakers, multi-hyphenates, and storytellers. Established in 2008, the Aniello Award is named for the late John Aniello Jr., a theatre enthusiast lovingly remembered for his personal support of both emerging and established theatre artists in the Washington area. Hosting the first virtual Helen Hayes Awards were Washington theater artists and past Helen Hayes Award-recipients Felicia Curry and Naomi Jacobson. Awards were presented by a group of artists and theater professionals including Ta??mídaya?? Amay, Regina Aquino, Frank Britton, Allyson Currin, Dane Figueroa Edidi, Gwen Grastorf, Helen Hedman, Mark Jaster, Sabrina Mandell, Bobby Smith, Deidra LaWan Starnes, Holly Twyford, and Justin Weaks. The late Victor Shargai, long-time theatreWashington board chair, theater lover, and philanthropist, was honored by his family-his husband Craig Pascal, Eric and Heidi Murkoff, Freda, Evan, and Sara Xing Eisenberg, and Sandee and Tim Hathaway-as the Premiere Sponsor for the awards. Andrew R. Ammerman, a long-time supporter of theatre in the Washington DC region, was the The Helen Hayes Community Sponsor and John and Meg Hauge served as Chairs of the Host Committee. The Share Fund was The Nominee Sponsor. theatreWashington and the Helen Hayes Awards are also supported in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the DC Office of Cable, Television, Film, Music and Entertainment, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, and The Revada Foundation. During the Helen Hayes Awards season, theatreWashington raised money for the Taking Care COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. This Fund, started in March 2020, has surpassed its original goal of $330,000-which was distributed in microgrants to local theater professionals in need during the near shutdown of our industry. Generous community donors and foundations, including Craig Pascal, Holly Hassett, The Gwendolyn and Morris Cafritz Foundation, and the board of directors of theatreWashington pledged $25,000 to be matched by the community, raising an additional $50,000 for this Fund.2020 Helen Hayes Awards Recipients
Outstanding Choreography in a Musical - Hayes
Parker Esse Newsies Arena Stage
Outstanding Choreography in a Musical - Helen
Ashleigh King Legally Blonde The Keegan Theatre
Outstanding Choreography in a Play - Hayes
Orange Grove Dance, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Round House Theatre
Outstanding Choreography in a Play - Helen
Tiffany Quinn, Blood at the Root - Theater Alliance
Outstanding Musical Direction - Hayes
William Yanesh, Into the Woods - Ford's Theatre
Outstanding Musical Direction - Helen
Walter "Bobby" McCoy, Legally Blonde - The Keegan Theatre
Outstanding Costume Design - Hayes
Wade Laboissonniere, Into the Woods - Ford's Theatre
Outstanding Costume Design - Helen
Frank Labovitz, Little Shop of Horrors - Constellation Theatre Company
Outstanding Lighting Design - Hayes
William D'Eugenio, The Brothers Size - 1st Stage
Outstanding Lighting Design - Helen
Alberto Segarra (Lighting Designer), Kelly Colburn (Projections/Media Designer), Blood at the Root - Theater Alliance
Outstanding Set Design - Hayes
Paul Tate DePoo III, Grand Hotel - Signature Theatre
Outstanding Set Design - Helen
Nephelie Andonyadis, Topdog/Underdog - Avant Bard Theatre
Outstanding Sound Design - Hayes
Kenny Neal, The Royale - Olney Theatre Center & 1st Stage
Outstanding Sound Design - Helen
Tony Starnes, Blood at the Root - Theater Alliance
Outstanding Direction in a Musical - Hayes
Matthew Gardiner, A Chorus Line - Signature Theatre
Outstanding Direction in a Musical - Helen
Matt Conner, Disney's Beauty and the Beast - Creative Cauldron
Outstanding Direction in a Play - Hayes
Jose Carrasquillo, The Brothers Size - 1st Stage
Outstanding Direction in a Play - Helen
Raymond O. Caldwell, Blood at the Root - Theater Alliance
Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical - Hayes
A Chorus Line - Signature Theatre
Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical - Helen
Fame, The Musical - GALA Hispanic Theatre
Outstanding Ensemble in a Play - Hayes
School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play - Round House Theatre
Outstanding Ensemble in a Play - Helen
Blood at the Root - Theater Alliance
Outstanding Performer - Visiting Production
Pat Kinevane, Silent Solas - Nua
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Musical -Hayes
Samantha M Gershman, A Chorus Line - Signature Theatre
Jeff Gorti, A Chorus Line - Signature Theatre
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Musical - Helen
Molly Rumberger, Be More Chill - Monumental Theatre Company
Greg Watkins, Legally Blonde - The Keegan Theatre
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Play - Hayes
Temidayo Amay, School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play - Round House Theatre
Vincent Randazzo, Vanity Fair - Shakespeare Theatre Company
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Play - Helen
Zoe Walpole, Agnes of God - Factory 449
Matt Stover, Cyrano de Bergerac - Synetic Theater
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical -Hayes
Malinda Kathleen Reese, Once - Olney Theatre Center
Mason Alexander Park, Cabaret - Olney Theatre Center
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical - Helen
Nora Palka, On Air - Creative Cauldron
John Poncy, A Christmas Story - Toby's Dinner Theatre
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play - Hayes
Alison Luff, Nell Gwynn - Folger Theatre
Gary-Kayi Fletcher, The Brothers Size - 1st Stage
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play - Helen
Billie Krishawn. Blood at the Root - Theater Alliance
Louis E. Davis, Topdog/Underdog - Avant Bard Theatre
Outstanding Original Play or Musical Adaptation
Dane Figueroa, Edidi Klytmnestra: An Epic Slam Poem - Theater Alliance
Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding Original New Play or Musical
Ken Ludwig, Dear Jack, Dear Louise - Arena Stage
Outstanding Production - Theatre for Young Audiences
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical - The Kennedy Center
Outstanding Visiting Production
The Band's Visit - The Kennedy Center
Outstanding Production in a Musical - Hayes
A Chorus Line - Signature Theatre
Outstanding Production in a Musical - Helen
Fame, The Musical - GALA Hispanic Theatre
Outstanding Production in a Play - Hayes
The Brothers Size - 1st Stage
Outstanding Production in a Play - Helen
Blood at the Root - Theater Alliance
The John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company
4615 Theatre Company
