The 40th Helen Hayes Awards will take place on Monday, May 20, 2024 at The Anthem, on the District Wharf, with a celebratory party to follow. Esteemed Washington theatre artists Felicia Curry, Rayanne Gonzales, Maria Rizzo, and Tom Story will host an evening showcasing the vibrant and diverse community of professional theatre artists in the Washington region. They will be joined by an ensemble of DC-based performers, including Quadry Brown, Carolyn Burke, Victoria Gomez, Sarah Anne Sillers, and Wood Van Meter.
Tickets for the event are $75 for general admission seats and $350 for a seated dinner. Information on all tickets and sponsorships is available here.
“The contributions of DC-area theatre makers extend far beyond the stage. The Helen Hayes Awards recognize the impact theatre has on our region, country, and globe. Shared experience, understanding, empathy, and insight are some of the ways that theatre changes us and makes us better citizens,” said Amy Austin, Theatre Washington President and CEO. “This is a night to celebrate the expansive creative local industry professionals who create and produce plays and musicals on stages seven days a week, 365 days a year.”
The event will recognize work from 151 eligible productions presented in the 2023 calendar year, with nominations made in 41 categories. Productions under consideration in 2023 included 44 musicals, 107 plays, and 36 world premieres.
The 2024 Helen Hayes Tribute will honor Peter Marks, former Theater Critic at the Washington Post. Marks stepped down in late 2023 after serving in this role for 21 years. This award recognizes Marks’ decades of knowledgeable and thoughtful writing about the DC-area, national, and international theatre landscape. He offered nuanced theatre criticism and reporting and he contributed immensely to the recognition of the artistic vibrancy of our region.
Named for actor Helen Hayes – a Washington native and legendary First Lady of the American Theatre – the Helen Hayes Awards has honored excellence in professional theatre throughout the Washington region, now celebrating forty years. Nominations are grouped in “Helen” or “Hayes” cohorts, depending on the number of Equity members involved in the production.
