Arts & Entertainment

The Hayes gays

Plenty of queer energy among this year’s regional theater nominees

Published

14 years ago

February 28, 2012

theatreWashington's Victor Shargai, center, at the Helen Hayes Award nominations Monday night. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

A large showing of local theater folk and their supporters gathered Monday night to hear theatreWashington announce nominees for the 28th annual Helen Hayes Awards. Named for first the lady of the American theater, the prestigious awards are given to reward excellence in professional theater in the greater Washington area. Many gay theater professionals were among those nominated.

Standing shoulder to shoulder in the National Theatre’s chandeliered Helen Hayes Gallery (a native Washingtonian, Hayes saw her first play as a child in the landmark theater), the cheery crowd was welcomed by Victor Shargai, chairman of the board at theatreWashington (the newly named and improved group that sponsors the awards). Shargai, who is gay, first praised the vibrant local theater community and then quickly moved on to name Faction of Fools Theatre Company (Commedia dell’ Arte-focused) as recipient of The John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company. The late Aniello was an avid Washington theatergoer as well as Shargai’s longtime partner.

Next, theaterWashington’s hardworking president and CEO Linda Levy revealed the nominees (more than 150 in 26 categories). The lion’s share of the nominations went to the movement-based Synetic Theater’s wordless adaptation of Shakespeare’s “King Lear.” Resident musical productions that fared well included Signature’s “Hairspray,” and Signature Theatre 2ndStage’s “Pop!”(a tuneful tale of the Andy Warhol’s shooting). The most nominated resident plays were Woolly Mammoth’s “A Bright New Boise” by young gay playwright Sam Hunter, Studio’s “The Habit of Art” and Arena Stage’s “Ruined.” And the most nominated non-resident productions went to the Kennedy Center’s socially conscious dance fest “Billy Elliot” and the highly deserving “Uncle Vanya” featuring movie star Cate Blanchett.

Gay nominees included directors Serge Seiden and Eric Schaeffer for Adventure Theatre’s charming “Charlotte’s Web” and Signature’s fun “Hairspray,” respectively. Gay actors Philip Fletcher and Chris Dinolfo received nods for their supporting roles in Synetic’s “King Lear.” Outstanding lead actor nominations went to Michael Russotto (“A Bright New Boise”) and Tom Story who was nominated for his terrific take on Warhol in “Pop!” Talented gay musical directors Jon Kalbfleisch and Jay Crowder were nominated for “Hairspray” and Ford’s “Liberty Smith,” respectively. Michael J. Bobbitt received a choreography nomination for “Mirandy and Brother Wind” at Adventure Theatre where his is also artistic director.

Winners will be announced at the Helen Hayes Ceremony at the Warner Theatre on April 23.

For a complete list of nominees go to theatreWashington.org

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Introducing the Torchbearers Awards honoring queer, trans women and nonbinary people

Meet the Legends and Illuminators lighting new paths

Published

11 minutes ago

March 26, 2026

Staff reports

The Torchbearers Awards are more than recognition—they are a continuation of legacy. They honor the quiet architects of progress in our community: those who organize, advocate, build, and protect, often without fanfare but always with purpose. Rooted in a belief in intentional recognition, this honor names those who carry our movements forward—those who make room for others, who remind us that change is both generational and generative. In a time marked by uncertainty and challenge, these leaders push forward with courage, clarity, and an unwavering commitment to expanding opportunity and equity.

This year’s honorees reflect the full breadth of our community, spanning generations, backgrounds, identities, and industries. From Legends, with decades of leadership and having created pathways for others, to Illuminators, who are lighting new paths with creativity and innovation, each Torchbearer represents the power of intergenerational leadership and the strength found in our diversity. They are organizers, advocates, artists, policy leaders, healers, and changemakers whose lived experiences shape a shared vision for equity and liberation.

This award is our love letter to queer and trans women and nonbinary people who carry the flame when it would be easier to let it dim. To those who consistently show up, who use their voice and visibility and stand firm, often without recognition, so that others may live more freely and fully. The Torchbearers Awards celebrates not just what has been done, but the enduring spirit, responsibility, and collective care that ensure the work continues, and that the flame is always passed forward.

Co-Creators of the Torchbearers Awards: Shannon Alston, June Crenshaw, Heidi Ellis

Torchbearers Awards Advisory Board: Aditi Hardikar, Lesley Bryant, Jasmine Wilson-Bryant, Stephen Rutgers

ILLUMINATOR AWARDEES

Representative Sharice Davids (she/her), (D, KS-03)
— U.S. House of Representatives
Greisa Martinez Rosas (she/her/ella)
— Executive Director, United We Dream
Paola Ramos (she/her)
— Journalist & Correspondent
Meagan A. Fitzgerald (she/her)
— Journalist & Correspondent
Jessica L. Lewis (she/her)
— Founder / Producer, Play Play DC
Savannah Wade (she/her)
— Founder, OAR Agency
Suhad Babaa (she/her)
— Filmmaker/ Former Executive Director of Just Vision
Ashlee Davis (she/her)
— Global Head of Inclusive Outcomes, Ancestry
Jazmine Hughes (she/her)
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Queen Adesuyi (she/they)
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Michele Rayner, Esq. (she/her)
— Civil Rights Attorney, State Representative (Florida House of Representatives)
Gaby Vincent (she/her)
— Sports/Cultural Commentator and Community Leader
Jenny Nguyen (she/her)
— Founder & Owner, The Sports Bra
Denice Frohman (she/her)
— Independent Artist, Poet / Performer
Vida Rangel (she/her)
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Roxanne Anderson (they/them)
— Executive Director, Our Space
Ann Marie Gothard (she/her)
— Director of Programs, Pride Live (Stonewall Visitor Center)
Diana Rodriques (she/her)
— Program Leader, Pride Live (Stonewall Visitor Center)
Wendi Cooper (she/her)
— Founder / Executive Director, Transcending Women
Toya Matthews (she/her)
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Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones (she/her)
— Sports/Cultural Commentator and Community Leader
Charity Blackwell (she/her)
— Poet, LGBTQ Advocate & Community Leader
Wilhelmina Indermaur (she/her)
— Director of Communications, Tyler Clementi Foundation
Em Chadwick (she/her)
— CMO, For Them & Autostraddle
Kylo Freeman (they/he)
— CEO, For Them & Autostraddle

LEGEND AWARDEES

Sheila Alexander-Reid (she/her)
— Executive Director, PHL Diversity, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
Cassandra Cantave Burton (she/her)
— Interim Director of Thought Leadership & Senior Research Advisor, AARP
leigh h. mosley (she/her)
— Photographer / Educator, PhotoFlo Photography
Jenn M. Jackson, PhD (they/them)
— Assistant Professor of Political Science; Author & Columnist, Syracuse University
Jordyn White (she/her)
— COO, Washington Prodigy / VP of Leadership Development & Research, HRC Foundation
AJ Hikes (they/them)
— Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer, ACLU
RaeShanda Lias (she/her)
— Digital Creator, RL Lockhart
Donna Payne-Hardy (she/her)
— Educator, EEO Specialist, Former Leader at the Human Rights Campaign
Courtney R. Snowden (she/her)
— Principal, Blueprint Strategy Group
Gaye Adegbalola (she/her)
— Musician & Activist, Musician / Inductee of the Blues Hall of Fame
Cheryl A. Head (she/her)
— Independent Author, Novelist (Crime Fiction)
Letitia Gomez (she/her)
— The American LGBTQ+ Museum, Formerly of Voto Latino
Lynne Brown (she/her)
— Publisher, Washington Blade
Shay Franco-Clausen (She/Her/Ella/Queen)
— Political Strategist and Organizer
Melissa L. Bradley (she/her)
— Founder & Managing Partner, New Majority Ventures
Meghann Burke (she/her)
— Executive Director, NWSL Players Association
Victoria Kirby York, MPA (she/they)
— Director of Public Policy & Programs, National Black Justice Coalition
Joli Angel Robinson (she/her)
— CEO, Center on Halsted
Jeannine Frisby LaRue (she/her)
— CEO, Moxie Strategies
Alice Wu (she/her)
— Film Director (Saving Face, The Half of It) / Screenwriter
Storme Webber (she/her)
— Interdisciplinary Artist / Educator, University of Washington
Kim Stone
— CEO of the Washington Spirit, Washington Spirit
Mickalene Thomas
— American Visual Artist, Mickalene Thomas Studio
Erika Lorshbough (any/they/she)
— Executive Director, interACT
J. Gia Loving (she/ella)
— Co-Executive Director, GSA Network

Celebrity News

D.C. goes gaga for Gaga

Bisexual icon brought ‘The Mayhem Ball’ tour to Washington this week

Published

1 day ago

March 25, 2026

Michael K. Lavers

Lady Gaga brought "The Mayhem Ball" tour to Capital One Arena this week. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

Lady Gaga this week took D.C. by storm.

The bisexual icon and LGBTQ rights champion brought “The Mayhem Ball” tour to Capital One Arena on Monday and Tuesday.

“Abracadabra,” “Paparazzi,” “Applause,” and “Bad Romance” are among the songs Lady Gaga performed during the 2 1/2-hour long concert. Lady Gaga also celebrated her many queer fans.

“You are precious to us,” she said on Tuesday night before she performed “Born This Way.”