On Monday night, the National Theatre’s Helen Hayes Gallery was the scene for the announcement of the nominations for the 28th annual Helen Hayes Awards, which are among the most important honors for local artists and theater companies.
Among those nominated this year are:
Outstanding lead actress/resident play: Rena Cherry Brown, “Wit,” Bay Theatre Company; Jenny Jules, “Ruined,” Arena Stage; Ira Koval, “King Lear,” Synetic Theater; Mona Martinez, “ÁAy, Carmela!” GALA Hispanic Theatre; Lizan Mitchell, “Trip To Bountiful,” Round House Theatre; Erica Sullivan, “Venus in Fur,” Studio Theatre; Irina Tsikurishvili, “King Lear,” Synetic Theater
Outstanding lead actor/resident play: Mitchell Hebert, “After the Fall,” Theater J; Irakli Kavsadze, “King Lear,” Synetic Theater; James McMenamin, “At Home in the Zoo,” Arena Stage; Michael Russotto, “A Bright New Boise,” Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; Ted van Griethuysen, “The Habit of Art,” Studio Theatre; Paxton Whitehead, “The Habit of Art,” Studio Theatre
Outstanding actor/resident musical: Rob McQuay, “Dr. Dolittle,” Imagination Stage; Euan Morton, “Parade,” Ford’s Theatre and Theater J; Geoff Packard, “Liberty Smith,” Ford’s Theater; Tom Story, “Pop!” Studio Theatre; Alan Wiggins, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Olney Theatre Center
Outstanding lead actress/resident musical: Nancy Anderson, “Side By Side By Sondheim;” Signature Theatre; Jessica Lauren Ball, “The Sound of Music,” Olney Theatre Center; Carolyn Cole, “Hairspray,” Signature Theatre; Kelly Karbacz, “Liberty Smith,” Ford’s Theatre; Jan Maxwell, “Follies,” Kennedy Center; Bernardine Mitchell, “His Eye is On the Sparrow,” MetroStage
Outstanding resident musical: “Follies,” Kennedy Center; “Hairspray,” Signature Theatre; “Liberty Smith,” Ford’s Theatre; “Pop!” Studio Theatre; “Side By Side by Sondheim,” Signature Theatre; “The Sound of Music,” Olney Theatre Center
Outstanding resident play: “A Bright New Boise,” Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; “Cyrano,” Folger Theatre; “King Lear,” Synetic Theater; “Ruined,” Arena Stage; “Venus in Fur,” Studio Theatre
Outstanding director, resident play: David Muse, “The Habit of Art,” Studio Theatre and “Venus in Fur,” Studio Theatre; Aaron Posner, “Cyrano,” Folger Theatre; Charles Randolph-Wright, “Ruined,” Arena Stage; Serge Seiden, “Charlotte’s Web,” Adventure Theatre; Paata Tsikurishvili, “King Lear,” Synetic Theater; John Vreeke, “A Bright New Boise,” Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Outstanding director, resident musical: Matt August, “Liberty Smith,” Ford’s Theatre; Keith Alan Baker, Hunter Styles, Jennifer Harris, “Pop!” Studio Theatre; Michael Baron, “A Year With Frog and Toad,” Adventure Theatre; Toby Orenstein and Lawrence Munsey, “Chicago,” Toby’s Dinner Theatre; Eric Schaeffer, “Hairspray,” Signature Theatre; Janet Stanford, “Dr. Dolittle,” Imagination Stage
The John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company was given to the Faction of Fools, which celebrates commedia dell’arte.
“We congratulate the nominees for the wonderful performances and productions that make Washington one of the top theatre towns in the nation,” said Victor Shargai, chairman of the Helen Hayes Awards Board of Directors.
