Cast members of Mexodus, which won Outstanding Musical Production at 2025 Helen Hayes Awards, May 19, 2025. (Photo by Linda Harris –FB)
WASHINGTON, DC — The 41st Annual Helen Hayes Awards lit up The Anthem at the District Wharf, drawing more than 1,600 theatre-makers and supporters for a night celebrating the dynamic and diverse world of professional theatre in the Washington, DC region.
Signature Theatre led the pack with six awards, followed by 1st Stage and The Keegan Theatre with four awards each. The most honored individual productions were The Nance at 1st Stage and the world premiere musical Private Jones at Signature Theatre, both earning four awards.
The evening was hosted by acclaimed theatre artists Felicia Curry and Mike Millan, and featured a vibrant performance ensemble including Quadry Brown, Alex De Bard, Caroline Graham, Jordyn Taylor, and Wood Van Meter. Ashleigh King directed and choreographed the show—King also received the 2025 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Choreography in a Musical (Helen) for She Persisted at Adventure Theatre MTC.
Gise Estrada wins her first Helen Hayes Award for Best Set Design for Covenant at Theatre Alliance. (Photo: Estrada FB)
This year’s awards honored outstanding work from 165 eligible productions staged in 2024, comprising 57 musicals, 108 plays, and 37 world premieres. A total of 41 awards were presented, continuing the practice—now in its ninth year—of dividing categories into “Helen” or “Hayes” tracks based on the proportion of Actors’ Equity contracts involved in each production. For the third year, all performance categories were adjudicated in a gender-inclusive format, featuring 10 or 11 nominees and two recipients per category.
A highlight of the evening was the Helen Hayes Tribute, which honored Robert Hooks for his trailblazing contributions as an actor, producer, and political activist. Hooks played a pivotal role in the Black Arts Movement and significantly advanced Black representation in the arts. He founded three influential Black theatre institutions: New York’s Group Theatre Workshop, the Negro Ensemble Company, and the DC Black Repertory Company. Hooks also made history as the first Black male lead in a network television drama (N.Y.P.D., produced by David Susskind). His numerous accolades include an NAACP Image Award for Lifetime Achievement and induction into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.
The 2025 Helen Hayes Awards were made possible through the generous support of event hosts and sponsors, led by Event Chair Jan Du Plain of Du Plain Global Enterprises Inc. and Co-Producer Dr. Judy Kuriansky.
Producer-Level Sponsors:
Andrew R. Ammerman
Karina Hou
John & Meg Hauge
Craig Pascal
The Savada-Stevenson Family
Director-Level Sponsors:
Marilynn Bianco
The Sherrie Beckstead Luxury Group
Michael Burke & Carl Smith
Holly Hassett
Kevin Hennessy & David Lamdin
Renée Klish
Debbie Jackson & Bill Lammers
Sharon Lewis Tompkins
Abel Lopez
Sara & Ebrahim Maghsoud
Dale A. Mott
Robin Phillips
Bonnie Nelson Schwartz
Annie Simonian Totah
Additional support was provided by:
Destination DC
Events DC
Giant Food
School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park
Share Fund
TodayTix
United Media Group
Chinese American Museum DC
Produced and administered by Theatre Washington, the Helen Hayes Awards recognize and celebrate excellence in professional theatre throughout the greater Washington area.
For the full list of 2025 Helen Hayes Award recipients, visit theatrewashington.org.
Mary Wadland is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of The Zebra Press, founded by her in 2010. Originally from Delray Beach, Florida, Mary is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hollins College in Roanoke, VA and has lived and worked in the Alexandria publishing community since 1987.
