Natascia Diaz, Terrence McNally, Donna Miglaccio, et al. Set for D.C.’s Helen Hayes Awards

Performers and presenters have been announced for the 2010 Helen Hayes Awards, honoring the best in Washington, D.C.-area theater, which will be presented in a ceremony at The Warner Theatre and JW Marriott Hotel on Monday, April 5.

Presenters will include actors Brigid Cleary, Allyson Currin, Natascia Diaz, Jessica Frances Dukes, Sherri L. Edelen, Ted van Greithuysen, Paige Hernandez, Brian Hemmingsen, Nanna Ingvarsson, Donna Migliaccio, Jane Pesci-Townsend, J. Fred Shiffman, Gary Sloan, Deidre LaWan Starnes, and Craig Wallace; designers Daniel Conway, Helen Huang, and Tim Jones; musical director George Fulginiti-Shakar; directors Andrew Baughman, Derek Goldman, Allison Stockman, and Joy Zinoman; and James MacArthur, the son of Helen Hayes and playwright Charles MacArthur.

Performers will include Kurt Boehm, Keittra Colombel, Cyana Cook, Glen Howard, Stacey Jackson, John Lescault, Amy McWilliams, Don Kenneth Mason, Jobari Parker-Namdar, Aaron Reeder, Bobby Smith, Max Talisman, Kerry Waters Lucas, and Lauren Williams.

Playwright Terrence McNally, himself a recipient of the 2004 Helen Hayes Tribute, will present this year’s tribute to his colleague Edward Albee.

The Kennedy Center led the field with a total of 21 nominations. Its production of Ragtime, which recently concluded a Broadway run, received six nominations, including for Outstanding Resident Musical, director Marcia Milgrom Dodge, musical director James Moore, costume designer Santo Loquasto, and actors Quentin Earl Darrington and Christiane Noll. The theater also presented two tours that garnered multiple nods: August: Osage County for Outstanding Non-Resident Production and actors Shannon Cochran, Libby George, Paul Vincent O’Connor, Estelle Parsons, and Angelica Torn; and A Streetcar Named Desire for Outstanding Non-Resident Production and actors Cate Blanchett, Joel Edgerton, Morgan David Jones, Mandy McElhinney, Robin McLeavy, and Tim Richards.

Among the acting nominees were also Jim Brochu (Zero Hour), E. Faye Butler (Crowns), John Dossett (Giant), Will Gartshore (Show Boat), Edward Gero (King Lear), Valerie Harper (Looped), Stacy Keach (King Lear), Tonya Pinkins (Black Pearl Sings!), Ashley Robinson (Giant), James Sugg (Hell Meets Henry Halfway), and Holly Twyford, who was triple-nominated for her performances in Arcadia, The Little Dog Laughed, and Lost in Yonkers.

Notable nominations also included Maurice Hines for his choreography of Cool Papa’s Party, Robert Falls for his direction of King Lear, and Lisa Peterson for her direction of The Quality of Life.

For a full list of nominations, visit www.helenhayes.org.