Stephanie J. Block, Rob McClure, and More Receive 2024 Helen Hayes Awards
Learn more about the top winners here!
By: Stephi Wild May. 21, 2024
On May 20, 2024, the 40th Helen Hayes Awards took place at The Anthem on the District Wharf, with over 1,600 theatre-makers and theatre supporters in attendance. Esteemed Washington theatre artists Felicia Curry, Rayanne Gonzales, Maria Rizzo, and Holly Twyford hosted an evening showcasing the vibrant and diverse community of professional theatre artists in the Washington region. They were joined by a performance ensemble of Quadry Brown, Carolyn Burke, Victoria Gomez, Sarah Anne Sillers, and Wood Van Meter with special performances by two-time Award recipient Melody A. Betts, Tuyết Thị Phạm, and James J. Johnson. The ceremony was written by Will Gartshore and co-directed by Will Gartshore and Raymond O. Caldwell.
Recognizing work from 151 eligible productions presented in the 2023 calendar year, awards were given in 41 categories. Productions under consideration in 2023 included 44 musicals, 107 plays, and 36 world premieres. For the eighth year, the Helen Hayes Awards were given in parallel tracks determined by the ratio of Actors’ Equity contracts involved in an individual production, recognized as recipients in either the “Helen” or “Hayes” categories. For the second year, performers were adjudicated as gender inclusive (vs. gender segregated “actor” and “actress”), with ten or 11 nominees and two recipients in each performance category.
Topping the list of individual theater organizations receiving Helen Hayes Awards this year was Arena Stage and The Keegan Theatre. Each received six awards for work in 2023. Seussical received all six awards for The Keegan Theatre, including Outstanding Production, Musical Helen. Arena Stage received three for Swept Away (Musical, Hayes), two for Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches (Play, Hayes), and one for Exclusion (Play, Hayes). Arena Stage received an additional award with The Alley Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and ACT Theatre/5th Avenue for Cambodian Rock Band (Play, Hayes).
Fela! (Musical, Hayes), a co-production from Olney Theatre Center and Round House Theatre went home with five awards, including Outstanding Production (Musical, Hayes). Solas Nua received three awards for The Honey Trap (Play, Helen) and Toby’s Dinner Theatre received three awards for Something Rotten (Musical, Helen).
Outstanding Productions in 2023 went to The Jungle from STC & Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (Visiting Production), A Year with Frog and Toad from Imagination Stage (Theatre for Young Audiences), La Salpêtrière from Taffety Punk Theatre Company (Play, Helen), and My Mama and the Full-Scale Invasion from Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and The Wilma Theater (Play, Hayes).
The 40th Helen Hayes Tribute honored Peter Marks, former Theater Critic at the Washington Post. Marks stepped down in late 2023 after serving in this role for 21 years. This award recognizes Marks’ decades of knowledgeable and thoughtful writing about the DC-area, national, and international theatre landscape. He offered nuanced theatre criticism and reporting and he contributed immensely to the recognition of the artistic vibrancy of our region.
This year’s award show was supported by a variety of hosts and sponsors. Sheila Johnson and The Honorable William J. Newman, Jr., served as this year’s Honorary Chairs alongside Event Chair Jan Du Plain.
Producing Sponsors included Andrew A. Ammerman, Jan Du Plain, Meg and John Hauge, Dr. Judy Kuriansky, Craig Pascal, Alan J. Savada and Will Stevenson. Co-Chairs included Michael Burke and Carl Smith, Claire Carlin, Janet Farrell, Myrna Fawcett, Holly Hassett, Kevin Hennessy, Karina Hou, John Kiser, David A. Lamdin, Abel Lopez, Shahin D. Mafi, Dale A. Mott and Charles D. Urstadt, Bonnie Nelson Schwartz, Robin Phillips, and Annie Simonian Totah of the Sami and Annie Totah Family Foundation.
This year’s host committee included Drs. Nathan and Debbie Ann Doyle Ainspan, Jacqueline Badger Mars, Jeffrey and Stacie Lee Banks, Sherrie Beckstead, Susan and Dixon Butler, Debra Chandler, Prima and Chas Colburn, Leayne Dempsey, Kimberly E. Douglas and Maria Manuela Goyanes, Gary P. Fontaine and O'Shelya Brown, Edie Fraser, Brett and Cynthia Fuller, Handan Gencogluer, Barbara Hawthorn, Randy C. Howes, Debbie M. Jackson & Bill Lammers, Cliftine Jones, Elizabeth A. Karcher & Arthur A. Cohen, Renée Klish, Catherine Leggett, Jason Loewith, Howard Menaker & Patrick Gossett, David & Rita Sirignano, Lisa Stark, Carmen Stull, Graciela Thomen Ginebra, and Linda White.
Full List of Winners
Outstanding LIGHTING Design, Helen
Alberto Segarra
The Honey Trap
Solas Nua
Outstanding CHOREOGRAPHY in a Play, Hayes
Ambika Raina
A Nice Indian Boy
Olney Theatre Center
Outstanding SUPPORTING Performer in a Musical, Hayes
Awa Sal Secka
Ragtime
Signature Theatre
Outstanding LEAD Performer in a Musical, Hayes
Bobby Smith
Fun Home
Studio Theatre
Outstanding CHOREOGRAPHY in a Musical, Hayes
Breon Arzell
Fela!
Olney Theatre Center & Round House Theatre
Outstanding MUSICAL DIRECTION, Hayes
Brian Usifer, Chris Miller, & Will Van Dyke
Swept Away
Arena Stage
Outstanding SUPPORTING Performer in a Musical, Helen
Bruni Herring
In The Heights
NextStop Theatre Company
Outstanding MEDIA/PROJECTION Design, Hayes
David Bengali
Here There Are Blueberries
STC
Outstanding COSTUME Design, Hayes
Erik Teague
Ragtime
Signature Theatre
Outstanding COSTUME Design, Helen
Frank Labovitz
The School for Lies
Constellation Theatre Company
Outstanding SOUND Design, Helen
Gordon Nimmo-Smith
How the Light Gets In
1st Stage
Outstanding CHOREOGRAPHY in a Play, Helen
Irina Tsikurishvili
The Tell-Tale Heart
Synetic Theater
Outstanding LEAD Performer in a Musical, Helen
Jeffrey Shankle
Something Rotten
Toby's Dinner Theatre
Outstanding LEAD Performer in a Play, Hayes
Joe Ngo
Cambodian Rock Band
Arena Stage in association with Alley Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and ACT Theatre/5th Avenue
Outstanding DIRECTOR of a Play, Helen
Johamy Morales
This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing
Theater Alliance
Outstanding SOUND Design, Hayes
John Shivers
Swept Away
Arena Stage
Outstanding LEAD Performer in a Play, Helen
Jonathan Holmes
The Honey Trap
Solas Nua
Outstanding SUPPORTING Performer in a Musical, Helen
Jordan B. Stocksdale
Something Rotten
Toby's Dinner Theatre
Outstanding SET Design, Helen
Josh Sticklin
Seussical
The Keegan Theatre
Outstanding SUPPORTING Performer in a Play, Hayes
Justin Weaks
Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches
Arena Stage
Outstanding MEDIA/PROJECTION Design, Helen
Kelly Colburn & Dylan Uremovich
Look Both Ways
The Kennedy Center & Theater Alliance
Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical
Kenneth Lin
Exclusion
Arena Stage
Outstanding LIGHTING Design, Hayes
Kevin Adams
Swept Away
Arena Stage
Outstanding SUPPORTING Performer in a Play, Hayes
Kevin Mambo
August Wilson's Radio Golf
Round House Theatre
Outstanding SUPPORTING Performer in a Play, Helen
Kimberly Gilbert
La Salpêtrière
Taffety Punk Theatre Company
Outstanding CHOREOGRAPHY in a Musical, Helen
Kurt Boehm & Ashleigh King
Seussical
The Keegan Theatre
Outstanding DIRECTOR of a Musical, Helen
Kurt Boehm & Ashleigh King
Seussical
The Keegan Theatre
Outstanding DIRECTOR of a Musical, Hayes
Lili-Anne Brown
Fela!
Olney Theatre Center & Round House Theatre
Outstanding SUPPORTING Performer in a Play, Helen
Lise Bruneau
The Honey Trap
Solas Nua
Outstanding Performer, Visiting Production
Melody A. Betts
The Wiz
The National Theatre
Outstanding SUPPORTING Performer in a Musical, Hayes
Melody A. Betts
Fela!
Olney Theatre Center & Round House Theatre
Outstanding LEAD Performer in a Musical, Helen
Michael Innocenti
Seussical
The Keegan Theatre
Outstanding SET Design, Hayes
Misha Kachman
My Mama and the Full-Scale Invasion
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company & The Wilma Theater
Outstanding DIRECTOR of a Play, Hayes
Moisés Kaufman
Here There Are Blueberries
STC
Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical Adaptation
Nathan Weinberger
The Tell-Tale Heart
Synetic Theater
Outstanding LEAD Performer in a Play, Helen
Nicole Halmos
The Cake
Prologue Theatre & NextStop Theatre Company
Outstanding LEAD Performer in a Play, Hayes
Renea S. Brown
The Mountaintop
Round House Theatre
Outstanding Performer, Visiting Production
Rob McClure
Mrs. Doubtfire
The National Theatre
Outstanding MUSICAL DIRECTION, Helen
Musical
Helen
Ross Scott Rawlings
Something Rotten
Toby's Dinner Theatre
Outstanding LEAD Performer in a Musical, Hayes
Stephanie J. Block
Sunset Boulevard
The Kennedy Center
Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences
A Year with Frog and Toad
Imagination Stage
Outstanding ENSEMBLE in a Play, Hayes
Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches
Arena Stage
Outstanding ENSEMBLE in a Musical, Hayes
Fela!
Olney Theatre Center & Round House Theatre
Outstanding Production - MUSICAL, Hayes
Fela!
Olney Theatre Center & Round House Theatre
Outstanding Production - PLAY, Helen
La Salpêtrière
Taffety Punk Theatre Company
Outstanding Production - PLAY, Hayes
My Mama and the Full-Scale Invasion
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company & The Wilma Theater
Outstanding ENSEMBLE in a Musical, Helen
Seussical
The Keegan Theatre
Outstanding Production - MUSICAL, Helen
Seussical
The Keegan Theatre
Outstanding Visiting Production
The Jungle
STC & Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Outstanding ENSEMBLE in a Play, Helen
This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing
Theater Alliance
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