An impressive array of veteran artists and rookie contenders share the nominees’ list for this year’s Helen Hayes Awards, now in its 28th year celebrating achievement in Washington, DC professional theatre.
“Washington theatre not only entertains — it transforms,” said Victor Shargai, the Chairman of the Board of Directors at the newly-named TheatreWashington, which presents the awards. “We congratulate the nominees for their wonderful performances and productions that make Washington one of the top theatre towns in the nation.”
Shargai spoke to a crowd of about 200 theatre professionals and friends in the Helen Hayes Gallery at The National Theatre downtown. “What an immense privilege to live in a city that is represented by such great art,” he said, grinning.
For the 2012 Helen Hayes Awards, 25 theatre companies were nominated in 26 categories. The Studio Theatre and Studio Theatre 2ndStage led the pack with a total of 20 nominations in 17 categories, followed by The Kennedy Center with 16 nominations and Synetic Theater with 15 nominations. Adventure Theatre and Signature Theatre collected ample recognition as well, with 13 and 12 nominations respectively. Arena Stage received 11 nods. Folger Theatre, Ford’s Theater, and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company each received 8 nominations, while 7 nominations each went to Shakespeare Theatre Company, Olney Theatre, and Theater J.
The additional theatres nominated, several of them quite small, demonstrated an exemplary range of style and strength of character this past year. Rorschach Theatre, having gone more than a full year without producing, returned strong with two nominations. The relatively new Hub Theatre, currently in its fourth season, received 3 nominations; dog & pony dc, perhaps the smallest and scrappiest company among the nominees, got a respectful nod as well.
The 2012 John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company will be presented to Faction of Fools, a performance group rooted in the Italian Commedia dell’Arte style currently in residence at Gallaudet University.
Tonight’s audience shared a hearty laugh as Cate Blanchett earned her inevitable nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Non-Resident Production for her role in Uncle Vanya at the Kennedy Center. Clearly our support for one of the world’s most talented stars of stage and screen is unanimous.
But the nominee list showcases more than Chekhov: listeners also shared a happy, supportive chuckle after Adventure Theatre’s children’s show A Year With Frog and Toad went on to earn its ninth nomination — a tie with Signature Theatre’s Hairspray for the second-most nominated production. The most nominated production was Synetic Theater’s King Lear, with 15 nods.
Linda Levy Grossman, the President and CEO of TheatreWashington, smiled with appreciation as she stood at the podium reading aloud the nominees. “We are most gratified that the national and international significance of the Helen Hayes Awards continues to build economic strength, growth of Washington theatre, aspirations of theatre professionals, and experiences of audiences throughout the region,” she said
She has reason to smile — with 192 eligible productions, and an impressive 23,240 judge scores balloted and tabulated, it’s clear that DC theatre is alive and kicking. There’s never been a better time to welcome the inaugural year of TheatreWashington and the continued success of DC theatre’s largest, most exciting awards show.
For more Helen Hayes Awards fun, stay tuned to DC Theatre Scene the night of the big show on Monday, April 23rd, 2012.
Learn more about the Helen Hayes Awards, and enjoy a special video retrospective, at theatrewashington.org.
Nominated Theatres, listed alphabetically
(# of nominations in parentheses)
Adventure Theatre (13)
Arena Stage (11)
Bay Theatre Company (1)
Constellation Theatre Company (2)
dog & pony dc (1)
Folger Theatre (8)
Ford’s Theatre (8)
GALA Hispanic Theatre (2)
Hub Theatre (3)
Imagination Stage (5)
Keegan Theatre (1)
Kennedy Center (16)
MetroStage (1)
Olney Theatre Center (7)
Rorschach Theatre (2)
Round House Theatre (2)
Rep Stage (1)
The Studio Theatre (20)
Synetic Theatre (15)
Signature Theatre (12)
Shakespeare Theatre Company (7)
Theater J (7)
Toby’s Dinner Theatre (1)
Theater of the First Amendment (1)
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (8)
Nominated Productions, listed alphabetically
(# of nominations in parentheses)
After The Fall, Theater J (2)
The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (1)
Aladdin’s Luck, Imagination Stage (1)
An Almost Holy Picture, Rep Stage (1)
At Home at the Zoo, Arena Stage (1)
Ay, Carmela!, GALA Hispanic Theatre (2)
Beertown, dog & pony dc (1)
Billy Elliot, The Kennedy Center (6)
Birds of a Feather, Hub Theatre (2)
A Bright New Boise, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (6)
Charlotte’s Web, Adventure Theatre (2)
Chicago, Toby’s Dinner Theatre (1)
Cyrano, Folger Theatre (7)
Dr. Doolittle, Imagination Stage (4)
Equivocation, Arena Stage (1)
FELA!, Shakespeare Theatre Company (2)
Follies, The Kennedy Center (4)
The Green Bird, Constellation Theatre Company (2)
The Habit of Art, The Studio Theatre (6)
Hairspray, Signature Theatre (9)
The Heir Apparent, Shakespeare Theatre Company (1)
His Eye Is on the Sparrow, MetroStage (1)
The Hollow, Signature Theatre (1)
Imagining Madoff, Theater J (2)
Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Olney Theatre Center (2)
King Lear, Synetic Theater (15)
Les Miserables, Kennedy Center (1)
Liberty Smith, Ford’s Theater (6)
Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse, Adventure Theatre (1)
Lungs, The Studio Theatre (1)
Mirandy and Brother Wind, Adventure Theatre (1)
Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare Theatre Company (4)
National Pastime, Keegan Theatre (1)
Oedipus El Rey, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (1)
Othello, Folger Theatre (1)
Parade, Ford’s Theater and Theater J (2)
POP!, Studio Theatre 2ndStage (7)
Pride and Prejudice, Round House Theatre (1)
Return to Haifa, Theater J (1)
Ruined, Arena Stage (6)
Side by Side by Sondheim, Signature Theatre (2)
The Sound of Music, Olney Theatre Center (5)
STAY, Theater of the First Amendment (1)
Trip to Bountiful, Round House Theatre (1)
Uncle Vanya, The Kennedy Center (5)
Venus in Fur, The Studio Theatre (3)
Voices Underwater, Rorschach Theatre (2)
The Walworth Farce, The Studio Theatre (3)
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Arena Stage (3)
Wit, Bay Theatre Company (1)
Wonderful Life, Hub Theatre (1)
A Year With Frog and Toad, Adventure Theatre (9)
— To view the nominations by category, visit TheatreWashington.
You must be logged in to post a comment.