Washington, DC – Tonight before a crowd of 1200 theatre-makers and theatre-lovers at the historic Lincoln Theatre, theatreWashington celebrated excellence on Washington stages at the 2015 Helen Hayes Awards. The awards celebration was a night of excitement and surprise as 57 Washington theatre artists, theatres, and ensembles received honors in 47 categories for their outstanding accomplishments during the 2014 theatre season.
The 2015 Awards are the first for which eligible productions were adjudicated under a new system intended to further improve the quality, consistency, and credibility of the Awards process. First, each judge was chosen by all qualifying theatres’ artistic directors. In addition, after extensive dialogue with the theatre community, theatreWashington assigned each production to one of two purely administrative divisions — designated “HELEN” and “HAYES” — depending on the ratio of actors working in the production under an Actors’ Equity contract. Because the distinction is production-specific, a theatre company’s range of work may be nominated in both categories over the course of the year.
Special honors went to National New Play Network, which received The Washington Post Award for Innovative Leadership and Flying V, which received The John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company.
Leading players in Washington theatre presented awards in 47 categories for outstanding achievement, including Kathryn Chase Bryer, Priscilla Cuellar, Felicia Curry, Derek Goldman, Frank Labovitz, Jon Hudson Odom, James Whalen, Doug Wilder, and Rachel Zampelli.
During the 2014 season, 50 theatres produced 188 productions that met eligibility requirements in the January 1 – December 31 judging cycle. These productions were seen by a pool of 47 Helen Hayes Awards Judges going on five individual panels who submitted 26,183 scores for 2,435 pieces of work, 1,417 of which were acting performances alone. From these shows, 264 artists, ensembles and productions from 31 theatres were recognized with Helen Hayes Awards nominations.
Click HERE for full list of nominees.
Full List of Recipients for the 2015 Helen Hayes Awards
Outstanding Performer, Visiting Production
Tovah Feldshuh, Golda’s Balcony, Theater J
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play-HELEN Production
Maggie Erwin, Failure: A Love Story, The Hub Theatre
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play-HAYES Production
Erin Weaver, Mother Courage and Her Children, Arena Stage
The James MacArthur Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play-HELEN Production
Wayne Bennett, Seven Guitars, No Rules Theatre Company
The James MacArthur Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play-HAYES Production
Zachary Fine, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Folger Theatre
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical-HELEN Production
David Jennings, Spamalot, Toby’s Dinner Theatre
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical-HAYES Production
Matthew A. Anderson, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Ford’s Theatre
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical-HELEN Production
Miranda Medugno, Visible Language, WSC Avant Bard
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical-HAYES Production
Erin Weaver, Ordinary Days, Round House Theatre
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical-HELEN Production
Alan Naylor, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well & Living in Paris, Creative Cauldron
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical-HAYES Production
Sam Ludwig, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Olney Theatre Center
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical-HELEN Production
Barbara Walsh, Carrie: The Musical, Studio Theatre
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical-HAYES Production
Brynn O’Malley, Sunday in the Park With George, Signature Theatre
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play-HELEN Production
Nanna Ingvarsson, The Amish Project, Factory 449
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play-HAYES Production
Kimberly Gilbert, Marie Antoinette, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
The Robert Prosky Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play-HELEN Production
Doug Wilder, One Man, Two Guvnors, 1st Stage
The Robert Prosky Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play-HAYES Production
Rick Foucheux, Freud’s Last Session, Theater J
Outstanding Sound Design-HELEN Production
Matthew M. Nielson and Christopher Baine, The Wonderful World of Dissocia, Theater Alliance
Outstanding Sound Design-HAYES Production
Christopher Baine, Colossal, Olney Theatre Center
Outstanding Lighting Design-HELEN Production
John Burkland, The Wonderful World of Dissocia, Theater Alliance
Outstanding Lighting Design-HAYES Production
Philip S. Rosenberg, Private Lives, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Outstanding Costume Design-HELEN Production
Kendra Rai, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Synetic Theater
Outstanding Costume Design-HAYES Production
Paul Tazewell, Side Show, The Kennedy Center
Outstanding Set Design-HELEN Production
Dan Conway, Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol, Adventure Theatre MTC
Outstanding Set Design-HAYES Production
Eric J. Van Wyk, The BFG, Imagination Stage
Outstanding Choreography in a Play-HELEN Production
Irina Tsikurishvili (Choreographer) and Ben Cunis (Fight Choreographer), Twelfth Night, Synetic Theater
Outstanding Choreography in a Play-HAYES Production
Ben Cunis (Fight & Movement Choreographer) and Christopher D’Amboise (Choreographer), Colossal, Olney Theatre Center
Outstanding Choreography in a Musical-HELEN Production
Mark Minnick, Spamalot, Toby’s Dinner Theatre
Outstanding Choreography in a Musical-HAYES Production
Susan Stroman, Little Dancer, The Kennedy Center
Outstanding Musical Direction-HELEN Production
e’Marcus Harper-Short, Black Nativity, Theater Alliance
Outstanding Musical Direction-HAYES Production
Jon Kalbfleisch, Sunday in the Park With George, Signature Theatre
Outstanding Director of a Musical-HELEN Production
Steven Royal, Bat Boy: The Musical, 1st Stage
Outstanding Director of a Musical-HAYES Production
Matthew Gardiner, Sunday in the Park With George, Signature Theatre
Outstanding Director of a Play-HELEN Production
Colin Hovde and Nathaniel Mendez, The Wonderful World of Dissocia,Theater Alliance
Outstanding Director of a Play-HAYES Production
Will Davis, Colossal, Olney Theatre Center
Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical-HELEN Production
Black Nativity, Theater Alliance
Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical-HAYES Production
Side Show, The Kennedy Center
Outstanding Ensemble in a Play-HELEN Production
Twelfth Night, Synetic Theater
Outstanding Ensemble in a Play-HAYES Production
The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Folger Theatre
The Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding Original New Play or Musical
Andrew Hinderaker, Colossal, Olney Theatre Center
Outstanding Play or Musical Adaptation
Patrick McDonnell, Aaron Posner, and Erin Weaver; Andy Mitton (Music & Lyrics), The Gift of Nothing, The Kennedy Center
Outstanding Visiting Production
Brief Encounter, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences
The BFG, Imagination Stage
Outstanding Musical-HELEN Production
Black Nativity, Theater Alliance
Outstanding Musical-HAYES Production
Side Show, The Kennedy Center
Sunday in the Park With George, Signature Theatre
Outstanding Play-HELEN Production
The Wonderful World of Dissocia, Theater Alliance
Outstanding Play-HAYES Production
C**k, Studio Theatre
The John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company
Flying V
The Washington Post Award for Innovative Leadership in Theatre Community
National New Play Network
