2008 Helen Hayes Awards
Congratulations to the recipients of the 24th annual Helen Hayes Awards.
Outstanding resident play:"Macbeth," Synetic Theater.
Outstanding resident musical:"Reefer Madness: The Musical," Studio Theatre 2ndStage.
Outstanding director, resident play: Paata Tsikurishvili, "Macbeth," Synetic Theater.
Outstanding director, resident musical: Keith Alan Baker with Matt Gardiner and Ryan Christie, co-directors, "Reefer Madness: The Musical," Studio Theatre 2ndStage; and Eric Schaeffer, "Meet John Doe," Ford's Theatre.
Outstanding non-resident production:"Avenue Q," National Theatre.
Outstanding lead actor, resident play: J. Fred Shiffman, "Souvenir, a Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins," Studio Theatre.
Outstanding lead actress, resident play: Nancy Robinette, "Souvenir, A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins," Studio Theatre.
Outstanding lead actor, resident musical: Marc Kudisch, "The Witches of Eastwick," Signature Theatre.
Outstanding lead actress, resident musical: Heidi Blickenstaff, "Meet John Doe," Ford's Theatre.
Outstanding lead actor, non-resident production: Bill Irwin, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," Kennedy Center.
Outstanding lead actress, non-resident production: Cherry Jones, "Doubt, a Parable," National Theatre.
Outstanding supporting actor, resident play: Daniel Escobar, "She Stoops to Comedy," Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; and Philip Fletcher, "Macbeth," Synetic Theater.
Outstanding supporting actress, resident play: Kate Eastwood Norris, "She Stoops to Comedy," Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.
Outstanding supporting actor, resident musical: Erik Liberman, "Merrily We Roll Along," Signature Theatre.
Outstanding supporting actress, resident musical: E. Faye Butler, "Saving Aimee," Signature Theatre; and Karlah Hamilton, "The Witches of Eastwick," Signature Theatre.
Outstanding supporting performer, non-resident production: Caroline Stefanie Clay, "Doubt, a Parable," National Theatre.
Outstanding choreography, resident production: Irina Tsikurishvili, "Macbeth," Synetic Theater.
Outstanding musical direction, resident production: Jon Kalbfleisch, "Merrily We Roll Along," Signature Theatre; and Christopher Youstra, "Titanic," Toby's Dinner Theatre.
Outstanding set design, resident production: Neil Patel, "Dead Man's Cell Phone," Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.
Outstanding lighting design, resident production: Colin K. Bills, "Dead Man's Cell Phone," Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.
Outstanding costume design, resident production: Reggie Ray, "Souvenir, a Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins," Studio Theatre.
Outstanding sound design, resident production: Irakli Kavsadze and Paata Tsikurishvili, "Macbeth," Synetic Theater.
The Canadian Embassy Award for outstanding ensemble, resident play or musical:"Hamlet . . . the rest is silence," Synetic Theater.
The Charles MacArthur Award for outstanding new play or musical:"Dead Man's Cell Phone," Sarah Ruhl, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.
It turns out that though I saw a good portion of the performances nominated, a lot of the ones that actually won, I missed. So I can’t fairly say whether I agree with a lot of them, but I will point out my favorite performances of 2007.
My favorite production was My Children! My Africa! at Studio Theatre. I also highly enjoyed Democracy at Olney, Edward II at the Shakespeare Theatre, and Songs for a New World at the Strathmore. My favorite single performances were as follows: Kate Eastwood Norris in She Stoops to Comedy at Woolly Mammoth, Andrew Long in Democracy at Olney Theatre, Mark Kudisch in The Witches of Eastwick at Signature, Deborah Hazlitt in Betrayal and Sight Unseen at Everyman Theatre (which is out of the range of the Helen Hayes Awards), and James Brown-Orleans, Veronica del Cerro and Yaegel Welch in My Children! My Africa! at Studio Theatre.
Norris and Kudisch both won for their roles. Norris was a tour de force in She Stoops to Comedy, playing two characters with extremely different physical and vocal deliveries. The scene where the two characters are finally onstage together was worth more than the price of admission. The Witches of Eastwick wasn’t a very good piece in terms of the writing and music, but Kudisch commanded and energized that show every time he walked onstage.
I missed Dead Man’s Cell Phone, which won the Charles MacArthur Award for outstanding new play or musical. Also nominated in that category was Moises Kaufman’s 33 Variations, which was produced at Arena Stage. It was an excellent play. Kaufman and Ruhl are two of the most exciting playwrights working in America, and we should be proud that we see their new work here in DC.
Outstanding resident play:"Macbeth," Synetic Theater.
Outstanding resident musical:"Reefer Madness: The Musical," Studio Theatre 2ndStage.
Outstanding director, resident play: Paata Tsikurishvili, "Macbeth," Synetic Theater.
Outstanding director, resident musical: Keith Alan Baker with Matt Gardiner and Ryan Christie, co-directors, "Reefer Madness: The Musical," Studio Theatre 2ndStage; and Eric Schaeffer, "Meet John Doe," Ford's Theatre.
Outstanding non-resident production:"Avenue Q," National Theatre.
Outstanding lead actor, resident play: J. Fred Shiffman, "Souvenir, a Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins," Studio Theatre.
Outstanding lead actress, resident play: Nancy Robinette, "Souvenir, A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins," Studio Theatre.
Outstanding lead actor, resident musical: Marc Kudisch, "The Witches of Eastwick," Signature Theatre.
Outstanding lead actress, resident musical: Heidi Blickenstaff, "Meet John Doe," Ford's Theatre.
Outstanding lead actor, non-resident production: Bill Irwin, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," Kennedy Center.
Outstanding lead actress, non-resident production: Cherry Jones, "Doubt, a Parable," National Theatre.
Outstanding supporting actor, resident play: Daniel Escobar, "She Stoops to Comedy," Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; and Philip Fletcher, "Macbeth," Synetic Theater.
Outstanding supporting actress, resident play: Kate Eastwood Norris, "She Stoops to Comedy," Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.
Outstanding supporting actor, resident musical: Erik Liberman, "Merrily We Roll Along," Signature Theatre.
Outstanding supporting actress, resident musical: E. Faye Butler, "Saving Aimee," Signature Theatre; and Karlah Hamilton, "The Witches of Eastwick," Signature Theatre.
Outstanding supporting performer, non-resident production: Caroline Stefanie Clay, "Doubt, a Parable," National Theatre.
Outstanding choreography, resident production: Irina Tsikurishvili, "Macbeth," Synetic Theater.
Outstanding musical direction, resident production: Jon Kalbfleisch, "Merrily We Roll Along," Signature Theatre; and Christopher Youstra, "Titanic," Toby's Dinner Theatre.
Outstanding set design, resident production: Neil Patel, "Dead Man's Cell Phone," Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.
Outstanding lighting design, resident production: Colin K. Bills, "Dead Man's Cell Phone," Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.
Outstanding costume design, resident production: Reggie Ray, "Souvenir, a Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins," Studio Theatre.
Outstanding sound design, resident production: Irakli Kavsadze and Paata Tsikurishvili, "Macbeth," Synetic Theater.
The Canadian Embassy Award for outstanding ensemble, resident play or musical:"Hamlet . . . the rest is silence," Synetic Theater.
The Charles MacArthur Award for outstanding new play or musical:"Dead Man's Cell Phone," Sarah Ruhl, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.
It turns out that though I saw a good portion of the performances nominated, a lot of the ones that actually won, I missed. So I can’t fairly say whether I agree with a lot of them, but I will point out my favorite performances of 2007.
My favorite production was My Children! My Africa! at Studio Theatre. I also highly enjoyed Democracy at Olney, Edward II at the Shakespeare Theatre, and Songs for a New World at the Strathmore. My favorite single performances were as follows: Kate Eastwood Norris in She Stoops to Comedy at Woolly Mammoth, Andrew Long in Democracy at Olney Theatre, Mark Kudisch in The Witches of Eastwick at Signature, Deborah Hazlitt in Betrayal and Sight Unseen at Everyman Theatre (which is out of the range of the Helen Hayes Awards), and James Brown-Orleans, Veronica del Cerro and Yaegel Welch in My Children! My Africa! at Studio Theatre.
Norris and Kudisch both won for their roles. Norris was a tour de force in She Stoops to Comedy, playing two characters with extremely different physical and vocal deliveries. The scene where the two characters are finally onstage together was worth more than the price of admission. The Witches of Eastwick wasn’t a very good piece in terms of the writing and music, but Kudisch commanded and energized that show every time he walked onstage.
I missed Dead Man’s Cell Phone, which won the Charles MacArthur Award for outstanding new play or musical. Also nominated in that category was Moises Kaufman’s 33 Variations, which was produced at Arena Stage. It was an excellent play. Kaufman and Ruhl are two of the most exciting playwrights working in America, and we should be proud that we see their new work here in DC.
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