#2015HHA Winners Announced!
The theatreWashington 2015 Helen Hayes Awards Winners have been announced⊠A shockingly low number of Artists of Color were recognized. Last year, Artists of Color were only nominated for 24% of the awards and only won about 28% of the awards. This year, sadly, only 13% of the nominations were given to Artists of ColorâŠâŠ. and only 10% of the winnings.
Out of 208 possible individual nominations, only 28 of them went to Artists of Color: 14 women and 14 men; and out of the 48 awards: only 5 awards went to Artists of Color.
Wayne Bennett wins âThe James MacArthur Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play - Helen Productionâ for their work on "Seven Guitars" with No Rules Theatre Company.
Paul Tazewell wins the âOutstanding Costume Design - Hayes Productionâ for their work on "Side Show" with The Kennedy Center
e'marcus Harper-Short wins the âOutstanding Musical Direction - Helen Productionâ for their work on "Black Nativity" with Theater Alliance
Theater Allianceâs âBlack Nativityâ wins the âOutstanding Ensemble in a Musical - Helen Productionâ and the âOutstanding Musical - Helen Productionâ awards.
(Photo Credit: The ensemble of Black Nativity (center) G. Carlos Henderson and Nyâa Johnson. (C. Stanley Photography) )
There were many great Artists of Color that were nominated, most notably: (former Fresh Prince of Bel Air star) Joseph Marcell in Folger Theatreâs King Lear (âOutstanding Performer, Visiting Productionâ); 8 individual artists from Theater Allianceâs Black Nativity (including Outstanding work in a HELEN Production for âLead Actress in a Musical,â âLead Actor in a Musical,â âDirector of a Musical,â âMusical Direction,â and âChoreography in a Musicalâ); and 4 individual artists from No Rules Theatre Companyâs Seven Guitars.
(Photo Credit: Joseph Marcell and Rawiri Paretene in King Lear. (Ellie Kurttz)
Still, European-Descendant Men garnered 60% of the individual awards; European-Descendant Women received 32% of the individual awards; Men of Color won 8% of the individual awards; and Women of Color were not named winners in the individual awards at all.
In general, Male Artists fared better than Female Artists who only took in only 32% of the individual awards (again, all of which were European-descent women). 90% of the awards comprised of mostly European-descendant teams and only 10% were given to teams with a majority Artists of Color.
There were also two Deaf Actors that were nominated as well (the first Deaf actors to be nominated for a Helen Hayes Award in 21 years, since Mary Vreelandâs nomination in Shakespeare Theatre's Mother Courage and Her Children in 1994), and Miranda Medugno won the award for âOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical-HELEN Productionâ for her work on WSC Avant Bardâs Visible Language. A historical win!
(Photo Credit: Miranda Medugno with Sarah Anne Sillers in Visible Language (WSC Avant Bard).)
The #2015HHA did not offer the diversity needed, as expected. With the high success of Theater Allianceâs âBlack Nativity,â this should be a wake up call to DCâs Professional Theatres that Artists of Color DO produce amazing theatre! Theatres need to provide more opportunities for Artists of Color by producing works by Playwrights of Color, hiring Directors of Color to lead productions, and having Artists of Color in prominent artistic positions within productions.
We will end with a congratulations to all the winners, the DC theatre community, the DC Deaf Community, and the future of the US Theatre; and with a quote by the African-American Playwright August Wilson: âWe do not need colorblind casting, we need some theatres to develop our playwrights."
