Silhouette Stages’ “Fun Home” earns the All-Round Production Excellence trophy, the competition’s highest honor
KENSINGTON, MD — The British Players are proud to announce the winners of the 2025-2026 Ruby Griffith Awards, honoring excellence in community theatre throughout the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia region. Sponsored and administered by The British Players and organized this year by Caroline Gelb, the annual competition celebrates outstanding achievement among the area’s amateur theatre companies. The awards were presented on May 30th at Kensington Town Hall in Kensington, MD.
Silhouette Stages received the All-Round Production Excellence award, the competition’s top honor, for its production of “Fun Home.” The Ruby Griffith Award for Outstanding Achievement in a Musical resulted in a tie between The Talent Machine Company’s “The Addams Family” and Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church’s “The Prince of Egypt.” The Colonial Players of Annapolis earned the Ruby Griffith Award for Outstanding Achievement in a Play for “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors.”
“This year’s entries reflected the remarkable depth of talent across our region, from intimate dramas to large-scale musicals,” said Caroline Gelb, who organized this year’s competition for The British Players. “All entries achieved an extremely high standard and it is a privilege to celebrate the artists, directors, designers, and volunteers whose dedication keeps community theatre thriving throughout the area.”
2025-2026 Ruby Griffith Award Winners
All-Round Production Excellence
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“Fun Home,” Silhouette Stages
Outstanding Achievement in a Musical (two-way tie)
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“The Addams Family,” The Talent Machine Company
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“The Prince of Egypt,” Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church
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First Runner-Up: “Urinetown,” Rockville Musical Theatre
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Second Runner-Up: “The Spitfire Grill,” 2nd Star Productions
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Third Runner-Up (two-way tie): “Kinky Boots,” The Little Theatre of Alexandria, and “The Elixir of Love,” Victorian Lyric Opera Company
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Honorable Mention (two-way tie): “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” Theatre@CBT, and “Company,” Damascus Theatre Company
Outstanding Achievement in a Play
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“Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors,” The Colonial Players of Annapolis
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First Runner-Up: “Women Playing Hamlet,” Bowie Community Theatre
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Second Runner-Up (two-way tie): “Sylvia,” NOVA Nightsky Theatre, and “The Mousetrap,” Providence Players of Fairfax
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Third Runner-Up: “What the Constitution Means to Me,” Reston Community Players
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Honorable Mention: “Bull in a China Shop,” Montgomery Playhouse
The British Players congratulate all of this year’s winners and participants for their artistry, hard work, and continued contribution to the region’s vibrant theatre landscape.
About the Ruby Griffith Awards
The Ruby Griffith Awards recognize excellence in community theatre across the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The competition is named for Ruby L. Griffith, a London-trained theatre educator who became a founding member of The British Players in 1964 and served as the group’s artistic director. Following her death in 1968, The British Players instituted an annual competition for All-Round Production Excellence in her honor; awards for Outstanding Achievement in a Musical and Outstanding Achievement in a Play (Non-Musical) were added in the 1991-1992 season. Each year, productions are evaluated by a panel of trained adjudicators drawn from the membership of The British Players. The All-Round Production Excellence trophy, crafted by Garrards of London, is made of sterling silver and depicts the masks of comedy and tragedy beneath the British Lion.
About The British Players
The British Players are a community theatre organization based in Kensington, Maryland, with roots in British theatrical tradition. In addition to their own productions, The British Players sponsor and administer the Ruby Griffith Awards, which have recognized excellence in regional community theatre for more than fifty years.
The British Players
Email: info@britishplayers.org
Website: britishplayers.org
