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Helen Hayes Awards Announces 2017 Nominees

Review by Susan Berlin | Season Schedule

Also see Susan's reviews of Caroline, or Change, Baby Screams Miracle, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and As You Like It

At an event February 6 in the Helen Hayes Gallery of the National Theatre in Washington, DC, theatreWashington announced the nominees for the 2017 Helen Hayes Awards, which recognize excellence in professional theater throughout the Washington metropolitan area.

The 236 nominations, recognizing work from 200 eligible productions—including 41 world premieres—presented during calendar year 2016, encompass 47 categories grouped in "Helen" or "Hayes" cohorts depending on the number of Equity members involved in the production.

Theaters with the largest number of nominations are Signature Theatre, 25 nominations for six productions; Studio Theatre, 22 nominations for six productions; Ford's Theatre, 18 nominations for three productions; Keegan Theatre, 16 nominations for four productions; Arena Stage, 15 nominations for eight productions; Constellation Theatre Company, 15 nominations for three productions; and Folger Theatre, 14 nominations for four productions.

Productions with the most nominations are Come from Away, Ford's Theatre, with 14; MOXIE: A Happenstance Vaudeville, Happenstance Theater, 11; Jelly's Last Jam, Signature Theatre, and Word Becomes Flesh, Theater Alliance, 10 each; and with eight each, Carousel, Arena Stage; Next to Normal, Keegan Theatre; and Sense & Sensibility, Folger Theatre.

The Helen Hayes Tribute will honor veteran Washington actor Ted van Griethuysen, who has been nominated for 16 Helen Hayes Awards and received the award seven times.

This year's Helen Hayes Award gala celebration will be held May 15, 2017, at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington. The complete list of nominees can be found at www.theatreWashington.org.