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Mission To develop, produce, and present socially conscious, thought-provoking work that fully engages our community in active dialogue.

Vision

A catalyst for innovation and diversity, Theater Alliance is among DC’s pre-eminent theater companies, one that consistently produces thought-provoking and socially pertinent work, successfully uniting audiences of all backgrounds through the power of creative presentation and participation.

Values

History

Theater Alliance was founded in 1993 as a community theater and made the transition to a professional company in 2001. Theater Alliance began with the distinct goal of producing work that would illuminate the experiences, philosophies, and interests of DC’s diverse populations. For a decade, Theater Alliance’s home and performance space was the H Street Playhouse.​

In 2012, under the new leadership of Producing Artistic Director Colin Hovde, Theater Alliance began a new chapter with a refocused mission: to develop, produce, and present socially conscious, thought-provoking work that fully engages our community in active dialogue. The company moved from H Street to became the resident theater company of the Anacostia Playhouse, presenting its first full season there in 2013.

Theater Alliance, now under artistic direction of Raymond O. Caldwell, produces 3-4 plays each year, as well as a reading series, called the Hothouse New Play Development Series. Hothouse provides resources and space to emerging DC-based writers to assist in play development, working under the belief that theater can successfully unite audiences of all backgrounds through the power of creative presentation and participation. Theater Alliance strives to create an audience laboratory where the myriad of DC perspectives are face-to-face, tackling questions and confronting issues that separate, such as those of race, class, and privilege, as well those that unite, such as aging, mental illness, and family strife.

Theater Alliance has twice been named a finalist for the Mayor’s Art Award, been featured in the Greater Washington Catalogue for Philanthropy, received the Capitol Hill Community Foundation’s Keller Award for making significant, ongoing contributions to the life of the community, and awarded the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities’ UPSTART Grant for capacity building. Nationally, Theater Alliance has received the American Theatre Wing’s National Theater Company Grant and is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and the National New Play Network (NNPN). With NNPN, Theater Alliance took part in a Rolling World Premiere of DONTRELL WHO KISSED THE SEA.

In the company’s history, Theater Alliance has received 88 Helen Hayes nominations and 25 Helen Hayes Awards.

Accolades

Awards and Grants

  • DC Commission on the Arts UPSTART GRANT (3x)
  • American Theatre Wing’s National Theatre Company Grant
  • The Mary Goldwater Award
  • Arnold F. Keller, Jr. Award for significant contribution to the life of the community

2020 Helen Hayes Awards

Winner

  • Outstanding Production: Blood at the Root
  • Outstanding Ensemble: Blood at the Root
  • Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play: Blood at the Root — Billie Krishawn
  • Outstanding Director: Blood at the Root — Raymond O. Caldwell
  • Outstanding Choreography in a Play: Blood at the Root — Tiffany Quinn
  • Outstanding Lighting Design: Blood at the Root — Alberto Segarra and Kelly Colburn
  • Outstanding Sound Design: Blood at the Root — Tony Starnes
  • Outstanding Original Adaptation of a Play of Musical: Klytmnestra — Dane Figueroa Edidi

2019 Helen Hayes Awards

Winner

  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play: The Events – Regina Aquino
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play: The Events – Josh Adams
  • Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play: Flood City Ryan Tumulty

Nominee

  • Outstanding Play: The Events
  • Director of a Play: The Events – Colin Hovde

2018 Helen Hayes Awards

Winner

  • Outstanding Production of a Play: Still Life with Rocket

Nominee

  • Outstanding Production of Play: Mnemonic
  • Outstanding Ensemble in a Play: Mnemonic
  • Outstanding Ensemble in a Play: Still Life with Rocket

2017 Helen Hayes Awards

Winner

  • Outstanding Play: Word Becomes Flesh
  • Director of a Play: Word Becomes Flesh – Psalmayene 24
  • Ensemble in a Play: Word Becomes Flesh
  • Supporting Actor in a Play: Word Becomes Flesh – Justin Weaks
  • Lighting Design: Word Becomes Flesh – William K. D’Eugenio

Nominee

  • Choreography in a Play: Word Becomes Flesh – Tony Thomas II
  • Supporting Actor in a Play: Word Becomes Flesh – Louis E. Davis
  • Supporting Actor in a Play: Word Becomes Flesh – Clayton Pelham, Jr.
  • Supporting Actor in a Play: Word Becomes Flesh – Gary Perkins III
  • Sound Design: Word Becomes Flesh – Nick tha 1da
  • Supporting Actress in a Play: for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf – Kashayna Johnson

2016 Helen Hayes Awards

Winner

  • Choreography in a Play: Occupied Territories – Kelly & Mollye Maxner

Nominee

  • Outstanding Play: Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea
  • Director of a Play: Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea – Timothy Douglas
  • Choreography in a Play: Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea – Dane Figueroa Edidi
  • Sound Design: Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea  – Matthew M. Nielson
  • Lighting Design: Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea – Dan Covey (Lighting Design) & Michael Redman (Projections Design)
  • Outstanding Play: Occupied Territories
  • Ensemble in a Play: Occupied Territories
  • Director of a Play: Occupied Territories – Mollye Maxner
  • Supporting Actor in a Play: Occupied Territories – Thomas Rowell
  • Supporting Actor in a Play: Occupied Territories – Nathan Jan Yaffe
  • Supporting Actress in a Play: Night Falls on the Blue Planet – Kerri Rambow

2015 Helen Hayes Awards

Winner

  • Outstanding Musical: Black Nativity
  • Ensemble in a Musical: Black Nativity
  • Musical Direction: Black Nativity – e’Marcus Harper-Short
  • Outstanding Play: The Wonderful World of Dissocia
  • Director of a Play: The Wonderful World of Dissocia – Colin Hovde and Nathaniel Mendez
  • Lighting Design: The Wonderful World of Dissocia – John Burkland
  • Sound Design: The Wonderful World of Dissocia – Matthew M. Nielson and Christopher Baine

Nominee

  • Director in a Musical: Black Nativity – Eric Ruffin
  • Choreography in a Musical: Black Nativity – Princess Mhoon
  • Costume Design: Black Nativity – Collin Ranney
  • Lead Actress in a Musical: Black Nativity – Ny’a Johnson
  • Lead Actress in a Musical: Black Nativity – Thomascena Nelson
  • Lead Actress in a Musical: Black Nativity – Krislynn Perry
  • Lead Actor in a Musical: Black Nativity – G. Carlos Henderson
  • Lead Actor in a Musical: Black Nativity – Roy Patten, Jr.
  • Ensemble in a Play: The Wonderful World of Dissocia
  • Costume Design: The Wonderful World of Dissocia – Collin Ranney
  • Set Design: The Wonderful World of Dissocia – Collin Ranney
  • Lead Actress in a Play: The Wonderful World of Dissocia – Karina Hilleard
  • Supporting Actress in a Play: The Wonderful World of Dissocia – Lisa Hodsoll

2013 Helen Hayes Awards

Nominee

  • Sound Design: hum – Brendon Vierra

2010 Helen Hayes Awards

Nominee

  • Charles McArthur Award for New Play or Musical: The Bread of Winter – Victor Ladato

2008 Helen Hayes Awards

Nominee

  • Ensemble: Insurrection: Holding History
  • Director: Insurrection: Holding History – Timothy Douglas

2007 Helen Hayes Awards

Nominee

  • New Play or Musical: ¾ of A Mass for St. Vivian
  • Ensemble: The Bluest Eye

2006 Helen Hayes Awards

Nominee

  • Actress: You Are Here – Jennifer Mendenhall
  • Supporting Actress: Spitfire Grill – Rebecca Herron
  • Supporting Actress: Spitfire Grill – Joanne Schmoll

2005 Helen Hayes Awards

Nominee

  • Production: Mary’s Wedding
  • Direction: Mary’s Wedding – Jeremy Skidmore
  • Lead Actress: Mary’s Wedding – Kathleen Coons
  • Scenic Design: Mary’s Wedding – Tony Cisek
  • Lighting Design: Mary’s Wedding – Dan Covey
  • Sound Design: Mary’s Wedding – Mark K. Anduss
  • Choreography: Mary’s Wedding – Kelly Parsley
  • Direction: Boy Gets Girl – Kristen Kelly
  • Supporting Actor: Boy Gets Girl – John Dow
  • Scenic Design: Boy Gets Girl – Milagros Ponce de Leon

2004 Helen Hayes Awards

Nominee

  • Direction: Thief River – Steven Carpenter
  • Sound Design: Thief River – Ryan Rumery
  • Scenic Design: Slaughter City – Tony Cisek
  • Lighting Design: Slaughter City – Dan Covey

2003 Helen Hayes Awards

Nominee

  • Choreography: Tales from Ovid – Kelly Parsley and Sam Elmore

2000 Helen Hayes Awards

Nominee

  • New Play: Courting Chris