Three Arlington theater companies took home a combined seven Helen Hayes Awards this week — including one for a Yorktown High School graduate.
Signature Theatre led local winners with four awards, while Synetic Theater claimed two — including one of the night’s top Outstanding Production prizes — and Avant Bard Theatre picked up one. The Shirlington-based Signature finished fifth overall among the region’s theaters at the 42nd annual Helen Hayes Awards, held Monday at The Anthem in D.C.
Signature’s most-nominated production, “The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical,” won Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical, and George Abud picked up Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Musical for the same show. Douglas Sills, cast as Tevye last fall, won Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical for “Fiddler on the Roof,” and Lili-Anne Brown took home Outstanding Director of a Musical for “Play On!”
Synetic Theater’s production of “The Immigrant,” staged in association with Theater J, won Outstanding Production – Play in the awards’ “Helen” category, which recognizes productions primarily featuring local artists. Synetic co-founder Irina Tsikurishvili won Outstanding Choreography in a Play for the same production.
Avant Bard Theatre’s Stephen Kime won Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Play for “The Margriad.” Kime graduated from Yorktown High School in 2011 and earned a BFA from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Arena Stage led all D.C.-area theaters with eight awards, followed by Round House Theatre with six. Adventure Theatre MTC and Spooky Action Theater each won five. Arena Stage’s “Damn Yankees” was the most-awarded production of the night, also with eight honors.
Theatre Washington, which produces the awards, presented honors in 41 categories drawn from 149 productions staged in 2025. The Helen Hayes Awards have recognized excellence in D.C.-area professional theater since 1983.
Signature Theatre announced its 2026-27 season earlier this month, following a record-setting year. Arlington-based Synetic, which is searching for a new permanent home, also set sales records with “The Immigrant” and its fall production of “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.”
