In October 2011, after 27 years of operation as The Helen Hayes Awards, the region’s leading theatre service organization transitioned to become theatreWashington. theatreWashington is the only organization that promotes, represents and supports Washington theatres, artists and audiences of all ages. In this transition, the governance of the organization also evolved.

The operation of theatreWashington, including all programs and services, continues to be overseen by a Board of Directors.

The Helen Hayes Awards year-long adjudication policies and procedures are now overseen by a 24-member Board of Governors comprised of theatre professionals, academics, and life-long, learned theatregoers.

The Board of Governors is supported by three working committees:

THE ADJUDICATION COMMITTEE

• Implements Existing Rules
• Makes Decisions about Eligibility Classifications
• Support the Judges via Nominee Cultivation, Selection & Education
• Led by Brad Watkins, Committee Chair

THE NEW EMERGING THEATRES COMMITTEE

• Reviews Applications for New Theatres and vets their eligibility for consideration under the criteria for the Helen Hayes Awards
• Attends productions by theatres that are eligible for the John Aniello Award for Outstanding Ensemble Theatre Company
• Annually confers with the Board/Committee Chair on choosing the recipient of this award
• Led by Victor Shargai, Committee Chair and theatreWashington Board Chair

THE RULES COMMITTEE

• Adapts Existing Rules as necessary
• Addresses Market Concerns regarding adaptation, deletion, or creation of new Rules
• Vets New Rules with the full Board of Governors, the Board of Directors and the theatre community
• Led by Abel Lopez, Committee Chair and Board of Governors Chair

2013 BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Abel Lopez (Chair) - Associate Producing Director, GALA Hispanic Theatre
Kathleen Akerley - Artistic Director, Longacre Lea
Warren Arbogast - Executive Director, WSC Avant Bard
Ian Armstrong – Actor
Edgar Dobie – Managing Director, Arena Stage
Jessica Frances Dukes - Actress
Ricardo Frederick Evans - Actor; President, Board of Directors, The Actors’ Center
Jenny McConnell Frederick - Co-Artistic Director, Rorschach Theatre; Director of Performing Arts, Cultural DC
Matthew Gardiner - Associate Artistic Director, Signature Theatre
Caleen Jennings - Professor of Theatre, American University; Playwright
Debra L. Kraft - Executive Director, Choral Arts Society of Washington
Roger Meersman - Former Journalist & Chair of the Theatre Dept., UMD
Todd Morgan – Theater Programming, The Kennedy Center
Joe Morra - Attorney; President, Boomerang Fund for Artists; Former Helen Hayes Awards Judge
Jefferson A. Russell - Actor; Founding Member, Galvanize Network
Serge Seiden - Associate Producing Artistic Director, Studio Theatre
Victor Shargai - Chair, theatreWashington Board of Directors
Allison Stockman - Founding Artistic Director, Constellation Theatre Company
Gwydion Suilebhan - DC Rep, Dramatists Guild of America; Playwright
Daniel MacLean Wagner - Professor and Former Director, School of Theatre, Dance & Performance Studies, UMD; Lighting Designer
Brad Watkins – Director of Theatre Services, theatreWashington
Jerry Whiddon - Director, Actor, Teacher
Carmen C. Wong - Founder & Artistic Director, banished? productions

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