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Arena Stage, Woolly Mammoth, 1st Stage Receive Most Helen Hayes Awards
at 35th Annual Ceremony

theatreWashington
Review by Susan Berlin | Season Schedule

Also see Susan's reviews of Spunk, The Oresteia and Love's Labor's Lost

Arena Stage and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company received the most Helen Hayes Awards in the Hayes (majority Equity) category, seven and five respectively, and 1st Stage received five awards in the Helen (majority non-Equity) category at ceremonies May 13. The 35th annual award ceremony was held at the Anthem in Southwest Washington, DC, hosted by theatreWashington.

Four Arena Stage productions received awards: four for Anything Goes - including Corbin Bleu, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, and Maria Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical - and one each for Dave, Indecent, and Two Trains Running. Rizzo also was honored as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical-Helen as Roxie Hart in the Keegan Theatre's Chicago, tied with Debora Crabbe for Keegan's As You Like It.

Woolly Mammoth received two awards each for Gloria, including Outstanding Production in a Play-Hayes, and Familiar and one, Outstanding Visiting Production, for Second City's She the People. Four of 1st Stage's awards, including Outstanding Production in a Musical-Helen, went to Fly by Night, while Swimming with Whales received the other.

Chicago also received two additional awards. Three other productions received three awards each: Camelot at the Shakespeare Theatre Company, which was named Outstanding Production in a Musical-Hayes; The Lathe of Heaven at Spooky Action Theater and Georgetown University (Helen), and The Wiz at Ford's Theatre (Hayes). Constellation Theatre Company's Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce received two awards including Outstanding Production in a Play-Helen.

Jennifer L. Nelson was honored with the Helen Hayes Tribute and Ally Theatre Company received the John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company.

Following is the complete list of Helen Hayes Award nominations for 2019. The award recipients are designated in bold. For more information, visit www.theatrewashington.org.

Outstanding Choreography in a Musical - Hayes
Parker Esse, Anything Goes, Arena Stage
Matthew Gardiner, Mark Orsborn, Billy Elliot, Signature Theatre
Dell Howlett, The Wiz, Ford's Theatre
Tara Jeanne Vallee, On the Town, Olney Theatre Center
Tara Jeanne Vallee, Elf, The Musical, Olney Theatre Center

Outstanding Choreography in a Musical - Helen
Rachel Leigh Dolan, Chicago, The Keegan Theatre
Ilona Kessell, Disney's Newsies, Toby's Dinner Theatre
Ahmad Maaty, Pippin, Monumental Theatre Company
Mark Minnick, Young Frankenstein, Toby's Dinner Theatre
Liz Tenuto, A Chorus Line, Compass Rose Theater

Outstanding Choreography in a Play - Hayes
Karma Camp, David Leong, The Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Matthew Gardiner, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Round House Theatre
Orange Grove Dance-Colette Krogol & Matt Reeves, How to Catch a Star, The Kennedy Center
Stephanie Paul, The Wolves, Studio Theatre
Erika Chong Such, Indecent, Arena Stage

Outstanding Choreography in a Play - Helen
Kathy Gordon, Rite of Spring, Pointless Theatre
Happenstance Theater, Cabaret Noir: A Film Noir Theatrical Montage, Happenstance Theater
Tori Tolentino, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Synetic Theater
Irina Tsikurishvili, Sleepy Hollow, Synetic Theater
Irina Tsikurishvili, The Trial, Synetic Theater

Outstanding Musical Direction - Hayes
James Cunningham, Camelot, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Bob Eisenstein, Macbeth, Folger Theatre
Jon Kalbfleisch, Passion, Signature Theatre
Darius Smith, The Wiz, Ford's Theatre
Alexander Sovronsky, Indecent, Arena Stage
Paul Sportelli, Anything Goes, Arena Stage

Outstanding Musical Direction - Helen
Tie: Britt Bonney, Girlfriend, Signature Theatre
Walter "Bobby" McCoy, Fly by Night, 1st Stage
Walter "Bobby" McCoy, Aida, Constellation Theatre Company
Tie: Jake Null, Chicago, The Keegan Theatre
Markus Williams, A Civil War Christmas, 1st Stage

Outstanding Costume Design - Hayes
Tie: Kara Harmon, The Wiz, Ford's Theatre
Ana Kuzmanic, Camelot, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Robert Perdziola, Passion, Signature Theatre
Ivania Stack, Cinderella, Imagination Stage
Tie: Alejo Vietti, Anything Goes, Arena Stage

Outstanding Costume Design - Helen
Sandra Spence, The Comedy of Errors, Annapolis Shakespeare Company
Kelsey Hunt, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Constellation Theatre Company
Debra Kim Sivigny, The Lathe of Heaven, Spooky Action Theater and Georgetown University
Debra Kim Sivigny, Swimming With Whales, 1st Stage
Erik Teague, Sleepy Hollow, Synetic Theater
Erik Teague, The Trial, Synetic Theater

Outstanding Lighting Design - Hayes
Andrew Cissna, John, Signature Theatre
Josh Epstein, Indecent, Arena Stage
Kimberly Purtell, Snow Child, Arena Stage
Rui Rita, The Wiz, Ford's Theatre
Robert Wierzel, Camelot, Shakespeare Theatre Company

Outstanding Lighting Design - Helen
Brian S. Allard, Titus Andronicus, Synetic Theater
Brian S. Allard, The Trial, Synetic Theater
Adam Bacigalupo, The Lathe of Heaven, Spooky Action Theater and Georgetown University
Colin K. Bills, Girlfriend, Signature Theatre
David A. Hopkins, Disney's The Little Mermaid, Toby's Dinner Theatre

Outstanding Set Design - Hayes
Paige Hathaway, John, Signature Theatre
Emily Lotz, The Princess & The Pauper - A Bollywood Tale, Imagination Stage
Lee Savage, Passion, Signature Theatre
Jason Sherwood, The Wiz, Ford's Theatre
Nate Sinnott, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Imagination Stage

Outstanding Set Design - Helen
A.J. Guban, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Constellation Theatre Company
Misha Kachman, Girlfriend, Signature Theatre
Matthew Keenan, The Undeniable Sound of Right Now, The Keegan Theatre
Daniel Pinha, The Trial, Synetic Theater
Natsu Onoda Power (Set Designer), Danny Carr (Projection Designer), The Lathe of Heaven, Spooky Action Theater and Georgetown University

Outstanding Sound Design - Hayes
Ryan Hickey, Light Years, Signature Theatre
Kenny Neal (Sound Designer), Deborah Wicks La Puma (Composer), Digging Up Dessa, The Kennedy Center
Tosin Olufolabi (Sound Designer), Rebecca Hart (Composer), Gloria, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Andre Pluess, Indecent, Arena Stage
Ken Travis, Camelot, Shakespeare Theatre Company

Outstanding Sound Design - Helen
Ryan Hickey, Girlfriend, Signature Theatre
Roc Lee, The Lathe of Heaven, Spooky Action Theater and Georgetown University
Gordon Nimmo-Smith (Sound Designer), Brian Lotter & Matthew Schleigh (Composers), The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Constellation Theatre Company
Sarah O'Halloran, Swimming With Whales, 1st Stage
Michael Winch, The Frederick Douglass Project, Solas Nua
Michael Winch, How to Keep an Alien, Solas Nua

Outstanding Direction in a Musical - Hayes
Kathryn Chase Bryer, Cinderella, Imagination Stage
Matthew Gardiner, Passion, Signature Theatre
Kent Gash, The Wiz, Ford's Theatre
Tina Landau, Dave, Arena Stage
Molly Smith, Anything Goes, Arena Stage

Outstanding Direction in a Musical - Helen
Kathryn Chase Bryer, Fly by Night, 1st Stage
Matthew Gardiner, Girlfriend, Signature Theatre
Mark Minnick, Disney's The Little Mermaid, Toby's Dinner Theatre
Mark A. Rhea, Susan Marie Rhea, Chicago, The Keegan Theatre
Michael Windsor, Brooklyn The Musical, Monumental Theatre Company

Outstanding Direction in a Play - Hayes
Tie: Kip Fagan, Gloria, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Paige Hernandez, Queens Girl in Africa, Mosaic Theater Company of DC
Marti Lyons, Botticelli in the Fire, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Marti Lyons, The Wolves, Studio Theatre
David Muse, The Remains, Studio Theatre
Alan Paul, The Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Tie: Eric Rosen, Indecent, Arena Stage

Outstanding Direction in a Play - Helen
Colin Hovde, The Events, Theater Alliance
Alex Levy, The Farnsworth Invention, 1st Stage
Alex Levy, Swimming With Whales, 1st Stage
Nick Martin, Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce, Constellation Theatre Company
Natsu Onoda Power, The Lathe of Heaven, Spooky Action Theater and Georgetown University

Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical in Honor of Rick Tedesco - Hayes
Anything Goes, Arena Stage
Dave, Arena Stage
The Scottsboro Boys, Signature Theatre
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Rep Stage
The Wiz, Ford's Theatre
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Imagination Stage

Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical in Honor of Rick Tedesco - Helen
Brooklyn The Musical, Monumental Theatre Company
Chicago, The Keegan Theatre
Disney's The Little Mermaid, Toby's Dinner Theatre Fly by Night, 1st Stage
Pippin, Monumental Theatre Company

Outstanding Ensemble in a Play in Honor of Rick Tedesco - Hayes
The Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Gloria, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
If I Forget, Studio Theatre
Indecent, Arena Stage
The Remains, Studio Theatre
The Wolves, Studio Theatre

Outstanding Ensemble in a Play in Honor of Rick Tedesco - Helen
The Farnsworth Invention, 1st Stage
The Frederick Douglass Project, Solas Nua
Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce, Constellation Theatre Company
Swimming With Whales, 1st Stage
The Trojan Women Project, Brave Spirits Theatre

Outstanding Performer - Visiting Production
Liam Brennan, An Inspector Calls, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Carrie Compere, The Color Purple, The Kennedy Center
Jennifer Kidwell, Underground Railroad Game, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Marty Rea, Waiting for Godot, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Ephraim Sykes, Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations, The Kennedy Center

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical - Hayes
Hasani Allen, The Wiz, Ford's Theatre
Michael J. Mainwaring, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Imagination Stage
Kevin McAllister, The Wiz, Ford's Theatre
Christopher Michael Richardson, The Wiz, Ford's Theatre
Bobby Smith, Light Years, Signature Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical - Hayes
Steffanie Leigh, Passion, Signature Theatre
Monique Midgette, The Wiz, Ford's Theatre
Maria Rizzo, Anything Goes, Arena Stage
Awa Sal Secka, The Wiz, Ford's Theatre
Awa Sal Secka, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Imagination Stage

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical - Helen
Michael Innocenti, Chicago, The Keegan Theatre
Ryan Manning, Fly by Night, 1st Stage
Da'Von Moody, Aida, Constellation Theatre Company
DeCarlo Raspberry, Disney's The Little Mermaid, Toby's Dinner Theatre
Harrison Smith, Disney's Newsies, Toby's Dinner Theatre
Taylor Witt, Disney's Newsies, Toby's Dinner Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical - Helen
Linda Bard, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Adventure Theatre MTC
Kaitlin Kemp, Pippin, Monumental Theatre Company
Farrell Parker, Fly by Night, 1st Stage
Louisa Tringali, Young Frankenstein, Toby's Dinner Theatre
Caroline Wolfson, Fly by Night, 1st Stage

James MacArthur Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play - Hayes
Jonathan Goldstein, If I Forget, Studio Theatre
Ahmad Kamal, Gloria, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Song Kim, Aubergine, Olney Theatre Center & Everyman Theatre
Kim Sullivan, Familiar, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Andy Truschinski, Familiar, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Justin Weaks, Gloria, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play - Hayes
Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Familiar, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Mary Catherine Curran, The Second City's Love, Factually, The Kennedy Center
Lindsley Howard, The Wolves, Studio Theatre
Susan Rome, If I Forget, Studio Theatre
Danielle Skraastad, The Remains, Studio Theatre

James MacArthur Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play - Helen
Scott Ward Abernethy, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Constellation Theatre Company
Michael Kevin Darnall, The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs, Spooky Action Theater
Louis E. Davis, The Frederick Douglass Project, Solas Nua
Ryan Tumulty, Flood City, Theater Alliance
Ryan Tumulty, The Trial, Synetic Theater
Jacob Yeh, East of Eden, NextStop Theatre Company

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play - Helen
Moriamo Temidayo Akibu, The Interstellar Ghost Hour, Longacre Lea
Tiffany Byrd, The Frederick Douglass Project, Solas Nua
Amanda Forstrom, The Farnsworth Invention, 1st Stage
Tie: Mary Myers, 45 Plays for 45 Presidents, NextStop Theatre Company
Tie: Tuyet Thi Pham, The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs, Spooky Action Theater

Nicole Ruthmarie, The Trojan Women Project, Brave Spirits Theatre

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical - Hayes
Corbin Bleu, Anything Goes, Arena Stage
Ken Clark, Camelot, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Drew Gehling, Dave, Arena Stage
David Schlumpf, Elf, The Musical, Olney Theatre Center
Douglas Sills, Dave, Arena Stage

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical - Hayes
Nancy Anderson, Billy Elliot, Signature Theatre
Natascia Diaz, Passion, Signature Theatre
Tracy Lynn Olivera, On the Town, Olney Theatre Center
Bryonha Marie Parham, Dave, Arena Stage
Awa Sal Secka, Cinderella, Imagination Stage

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical - Helen
Aaron Bliden, Fly by Night, 1st Stage
Jimmy Mavrikes, Girlfriend, Signature Theatre
Lukas James Miller, Girlfriend, Signature Theatre
Solomon Parker, Pippin, Monumental Theatre Company
DeCarlo Raspberry, Brooklyn The Musical, Monumental Theatre Company
Jamie Smithson, Fly by Night, 1st Stage

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical - Helen
Jessica Bennett, Chicago, The Keegan Theatre
Tie: Debora Crabbe, As You Like It, The Keegan Theatre
Abby Middleton, Disney's The Little Mermaid, Toby's Dinner Theatre
Tie: Maria Rizzo, Chicago, The Keegan Theatre
Shayla S. Simmons, Aida, Constellation Theatre Company
Taylor Washington, Brooklyn The Musical, Monumental Theatre Company

Robert Prosky Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play - Hayes
Carson Elrod, The Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Glenn Fitzgerald, The Remains, Studio Theatre
Eugene Lee, Two Trains Running, Arena Stage
Jon Hudson Odom, Botticelli in the Fire, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Jack Willis, The Great Society, Arena Stage

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play - Hayes
Stephanie Berry, Gem of the Ocean, Round House Theatre
Julia Coffey, Labour of Love, Olney Theatre Center
Veanne Cox, The Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Naomi Jacobson, Becoming Dr. Ruth, Theater J
Erika Rose, Queens Girl in Africa, Mosaic Theater Company of DC

Robert Prosky Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play - Helen
Tie: Josh Adams, The Events, Theater Alliance
Sam Ludwig, The Farnsworth Invention, 1st Stage
Sasha Olinick, The Secrets of the Universe (and other songs), The Hub Theatre and the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia
Jonathan Lee Taylor, The Farnsworth Invention, 1st Stage
Tie: Matthew R. Wilson, Swimming With Whales, 1st Stage

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play - Helen
Regina Aquino, The Events, Theater Alliance
Tonya Beckman, The Skin of Our Teeth, Constellation Theatre Company
Lolita Marie, The Secrets of the Universe (and other songs), The Hub Theatre and the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia
Billie Krishawn, Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce, Constellation Theatre Company
Madeline Mooney, The Frederick Douglass Project, Solas Nua

Outstanding Original Play or Musical Adaptation
Sandra B. Eskin & Michael J. Bobbitt (Book), William Yanesh (Music & Lyrics), Blueberries for Sal, Adventure Theatre MTC
Tom Kitt (Music), Thomas Meehan (Book), Nell Benjamin (Book/Lyrics), Dave, Arena Stage
Patti Kalil, Rachel Menyuk, Eric Swartz, Don Cristobal, Pointless Theatre Jared Mezzocchi, How to Catch a Star, The Kennedy Center
Natsu Onoda Power, The Lathe of Heaven, Spooky Action Theater and Georgetown University
Nathan Weinberger, Sleepy Hollow, Synetic Theater

Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding Original New Play or Musical
Caleen Sinnette Jennings, Queens Girl in Africa, Mosaic Theater Company of DC
Mona Mansour, The Vagrant Trilogy, Mosaic Theater Company of DC
Psalmayene 24 & Deirdre Kinahan, The Frederick Douglass Project, Solas Nua
Heather Raffo, Noura, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Ken Urban, The Remains, Studio Theatre

Outstanding Production - Theatre for Young Audiences
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Adventure Theatre MTC
Judy Moody & Stink: The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt, Adventure Theatre MTC
My Father's Dragon, Synetic Theater
The Princess & The Pauper - A Bollywood Tale, Imagination Stage
To the Clouds, Arts on the Horizon
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Imagination Stage

Outstanding Visiting Production
The Fall, Studio Theatre
H.M.S. Pinafore, Olney Theatre Center
The Second City's She the People, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Underground Railroad Game, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Waiting for Godot, Shakespeare Theatre Company

Outstanding Production in a Musical - Hayes
Anything Goes, Arena Stage
Camelot, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Cinderella, Imagination Stage
Dave, Arena Stage
The Wiz, Ford's Theatre

Outstanding Production in a Play - Hayes
Botticelli in the Fire, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Familiar, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Gloria, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Indecent, Arena Stage
The Wolves, Studio Theatre

Outstanding Production in a Musical - Helen
Brooklyn The Musical, Monumental Theatre Company
Chicago, The Keegan Theatre
Disney's The Little Mermaid, Toby's Dinner Theatre
Fly by Night, 1st Stage
Girlfriend, Signature Theatre

Outstanding Production in a Play - Helen
The Events, Theater Alliance
The Farnsworth Invention, 1st Stage
The Lathe of Heaven, Spooky Action Theater and Georgetown University
Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce, Constellation Theatre Company
Swimming With Whales, 1st Stage

Helen Hayes Tribute
Jennifer Nelson

John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company
Ally Theatre Company