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 theater artists Felicia Curry, Rayanne Gonzales, Maria Rizzo, and Tom Story will host an evening showcasing the vibrant and diverse community of professional theater 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 (+$10 venue fee and Ticketmaster fees) for general admission seats and $350 (+$10 venue fee and Ticketmaster fees) for a seated dinner. Information on all tickets and sponsorships is available on the Theatre Washington website.
NEW: An industry discount with code INDUSTRY20 is available here.
“The contributions of DC-area theater makers extend far beyond the stage. The Helen Hayes Awards recognize the impact theater has on our region, country, and globe. Shared experience, understanding, empathy, and insight are some of the ways that theater 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.
Jan Du Plain, of Du Plain Global Enterprises and a member of the Theatre Washington Board of Directors, is serving as Chair. The 2024 Helen Hayes Awards are also supported by Events DC, Destination DC, Giant Foods, and TodayTix.
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 theater landscape. He offered nuanced theater 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 Theater – the Helen Hayes Awards has honored excellence in professional theater 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.
About Theatre Washington
Through collaborative partnerships and programs, Theatre Washington supports the Washington, DC, area’s professional theater community to celebrate artistic achievement, strengthen the theatrical workforce, support institutional growth and advancement, and cultivate collective action. Theatre Washington’s core programs include the Helen Hayes Awards, Theatre Week, Theatre Work, and the Taking Care Fund.
