Helen Hayes Awards

Folger Theatre has received 125 nominations and 21 Helen Hayes Awards for excellence in acting, direction, design, and production. To learn more about the Helen Hayes Awards, click here.

Winning productions

Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play

• Craig Wright, playwright, Melissa Arctic (Folger Theatre, 2004)

James MacArthur Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Play

• Louis Butelli, as Will Sommers playing the roles of Surveyor, Cromwell, Old Lady, & others, Henry VIII (Folger Theatre, 2010)

Outstanding Director, Resident Production

• Aaron Posner, Cyrano (Folger Theatre, 2011)
• Aaron Posner, Measure for Measure (Folger Theatre, 2006)
• Aaron Posner, The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Folger Theatre, 2004)
• Joe Banno, Romeo and Juliet (Folger Theatre, 1997)

Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Play

• Holly Twyford, as Juliet, Romeo and Juliet (Folger Theatre, 1997)

Outstanding Lighting Design, Resident Production

• Andrew F. Griffin, *Henry V (Folger Theatre, 2013)
• Dan Covey, The Tempest (Folger Theatre, 2000)

Outstanding Resident Play

• The Taming of the Shrew (Folger Theatre, 2012)
• Hamlet (Folger Theatre, 2010)
• Measure for Measure (Folger Theatre, 2006)

Outstanding Set Design

• Tony Cisek, Much Ado About Nothing (Folger Theatre, 1998)

Outstanding Sound Design, Residential Production

• Scott Burgess, The Tempest (Folger Theatre, 2000)
• Scott Burgess, The Tempest (Folger Theatre, 2000)
• Scott Burgess, Romeo and Juliet (Folger Theatre, 1997)

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Play

• Eric Hissom, as Bernard Nightengale, Arcadia (Folger Theatre, 2009)

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Play

• Erin Weaver, as Thomasina Coverly, Arcadia (Folger Theatre, 2009)
• Kate Eastwood Norris, as Puck, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Folger Theatre, 2006)
• Holly Twyford, as Speed, Host, and Eglamour, The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Folger Theatre, 2004)

Outstanding Supporting Performer, Non-Resident Production

• Christopher Saul, as Polonius, Francisco, Player, First Grave Digger, Priest, Hamlet (Shakespeare's Globe, 2012)

Robert Prosky Award for Outstanding Leading Actor, Resident Play

• Graham Michael Hamilton, as Hamlet, Hamlet (Folger Theatre, 2010)

Nominated productions

Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play

• Cyrano (Folger Theatre, 2011)
• Caleen Sinnette, playwright, Casting Juliet/Playing Othello (Folger Theatre, 1998)

James MacArthur Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Play

• Louis Butelli, as Feste, Twelfth Night (Folger Theatre, 2013)
• Richard Sheridan, as Malvolio, Twelfth Night (Folger Theatre, 2013)
• Danny Scheie, as Grumio, The Taming of the Shrew (Folger Theatre, 2012)

Outstanding Choreography, Residential Production

• Erika Chong Shuch, The Conference of the Birds (Folger Theatre, 2012)
• Dale Anthony Girard, Cyrano (Folger Theatre, 2011)
• Brad Waller, Fight Choreographer, Richard III (with the Travelling Shakespeare Company, 1995)

Outstanding Costume Design, Resident Production

• Mariah Hale, Twelfth Night (Folger Theatre, 2013)
• William Ivey Long, Henry VIII (Folger Theatre, 2010)

Outstanding Director, Resident Play

• Aaron Posner, Romeo and Juliet (Folger Theatre, 2013)
• Aaron Posner, The Taming of the Shrew (Folger Theatre, 2012)
• Joseph Haj, Hamlet (Folger Theatre, 2010)
• Robert Richmond, Henry VIII (Folger Theatre, 2010)
• Aaron Posner, Twelfth Night (Folger Theatre, 2003)
• Joe Calargco, Shakespeare's R & J (Folger Theatre, 2000)

Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Play

• The Taming of the Shrew (Folger Theatre, 2012)
• Cyrano (Folger Theatre, 2011)
• Henry VIII (Folger Theatre, 2010)
• Orestes, A Tragic Romp (Folger Theatre, 2010)

Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production

• Michael Benz, as Hamlet, Hamlet (Shakespeare's Globe, 2012)

Outstanding Lead Actor, Residential Musical

• Floyd King, Mad About the Bard (Folger Theatre, 1998)
• Jeff Hairston, male vocalist, Standup Shakespeare (Folger Theatre, 1995)

Outstanding Lead Actor, Residential Play

• Ian Price, as Elyot Chase, Private Lives (with the Interact Theatre Company, 1995)

Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Play

• Erin Weaver, as Juliet, Romeo and Juliet (Folger Theatre, 2013)
• Kate Eastwood Norris, as Katherine Minola, The Taming of the Shrew (Folger Theatre, 2012)
• Naomi Jacobson, as Queen Katherine, Henry VIII (Folger Theatre, 2010)
• Holly Twyford, as Electra, Tyndareus, Orestes, A Tragic Romp (Folger Theatre, 2010)
• Michael Learned, as Elizabeth, Elizabeth the Queen (Folger Theatre, 2003)
• Lucy Newman-Williams, as Lady Macbeth, Macbeth (Folger Theatre, 2001)
• Holly Twyford, as Beatrice, Much Ado About Nothing (Folger Theatre, 1998)

Outstanding Lighting Design, Resident Production

• Andrew F. Griffin, Henry V (Folger Theatre, 2013)
• Thom Weaver, Cyrano (Folger Theatre, 2011)
• Andrew F. Griffin, Othello (Folger Theatre, 2011)
• Justin Townshend, Hamlet (Folger Theatre, 2010)
• Klyph Standford, Henry VIII (Folger Theatre, 2010)
• Dan Covey, Macbeth (Folger Theatre, 2001)

Outstanding Musical Direction, Residential Production

• James Sugg, Orestes, A Tragic Romp (Folger Theatre, 2010)
• Jack Bashkow, Standup Shakespeare (Folger Theatre, 1995)
• George Fulginiti-Shakar, Mad About the Bard (Folger Theatre, 1998)

Outstanding Non-Resident Production

• Hamlet (Shakespeare's Globe, 2012)

Outstanding Resident Play

• Romeo and Juliet (Folger Theatre, 2013)
• Cyrano (Folger Theatre, 2011)
• Henry VIII (Folger Theatre, 2010)
• Orestes, A Tragic Romp (Folger Theatre, 2010)
• She Stoops to Conquer (Folger Theatre, 2002)
• Shakespeare's R & J (Folger Theatre, 2000)
• Much Ado About Nothing (Folger Theatre, 1998)
• Romeo and Juliet (Folger Theatre, 1997)

Outstanding Set Design, Resident Production

• Daniel Conway, Cyrano (Folger Theatre, 2011)
• Tony Cisek, Henry VIII (Folger Theatre, 2010)

Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production

• Christopher Baine and Carla Kihlstedt, Romeo and Juliet (Folger Theatre, 2013)
• Cliff Eberhardt, Original Music and Christopher Baine, Sound Design, The Taming of the Shrew (Folger Theatre, 2012)
• Matthew M. Nielson and Jack Herrick, Hamlet (Folger Theatre, 2010)
• Anthony Cochrane and Michael Rasbury, Henry VIII (Folger Theatre, 2010)
• Scott Burgess, Elizabeth the Queen (Folger Theatre, 2003)
• Scott Burgess, Othello (Folger Theatre, 2002)

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Play

• Sherri L. Edelen, as Nurse, Romeo and Juliet (Folger Theatre, 2013)
• Sarah Marshall, as Baptista Minola, The Taming of the Shrew (Folger Theatre, 2012)
• Holly Twyford, as Tranio, The Taming of the Shrew (Folger Theatre, 2012)
• Catherine Flye, as Mrs. Hardcastle, She Stoops to Conquer (Folger Theatre, 2002)

Outstanding Supporting Performer, Non-Resident Production

• Tom Lawrence, as Horatio, Reynaldo, Captain, Hamlet (Shakespeare's Globe, 2012)

Robert Prosky Award for Outstanding Leading Actor, Resident Play

• Cody Nickell, as Petruchio, The Taming of the Shrew (Folger Theatre, 2012)
• Ian Merrill Peakes, as King Henry, Henry VIII (Folger Theatre, 2010)