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.