Three-part series hosted on GATHER by Events DC to debut on December 8, 2021
Washington, D.C. (December 8, 2021) -- Today, Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, announced a new partnership with Theatre Washington, an alliance of regional theatre companies and theatre-makers, on a series of short films spotlighting the richness and variety of the professional theatre community in Washington, DC. Titled Backstage at the Helen Hayes Awards, the three-part interview series debuts on December 8, 2021 on GATHER by Events DC, Events DC’s platform for live and on-demand programming from the worlds of culture, sports and entertainment. The films celebrate the safe and highly anticipated reopening of the District’s theaters and provide an entertaining and personal look into the lives that have made DC the second largest and most successful theatre community in the nation.
The series will debut on GATHER by Events DC according to the following schedule:
- 12/08/2021 - Episode 1: Roz White and William Knowles
- Roz White, actress, vocalist and teaching artist with composer, performer, and music director William Knowles discuss their shared history in #dctheatre including at MetroStage, Alexandria Virginia. Filmed at the historic Anacostia Playhouse in DC
- Roz White, actress, vocalist and teaching artist with composer, performer, and music director William Knowles discuss their shared history in #dctheatre including at MetroStage, Alexandria Virginia. Filmed at the historic Anacostia Playhouse in DC
- 12/15/2021 - Episode 2: Maria Manuela Goyanes
- Emika Abe, Managing Director of DC’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre talks with Maria Manuela Goyanes, the second-ever artistic director at Woolly Mammoth Theater Company, nationally known for producing new work and original productions
- Emika Abe, Managing Director of DC’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre talks with Maria Manuela Goyanes, the second-ever artistic director at Woolly Mammoth Theater Company, nationally known for producing new work and original productions
- 12/22/2021 - Episode 3: Debbie Allen
- Alicia Adams, Vice President of International Programming at the John F. Kennedy Center interviews Debbie Allen, prominent dancer, director, actress, filmmaker, and recent recipient of both the Kennedy Center Honors and the Emmy’s Governor Award
Theatre Washington is the producer of the Helen Hayes Awards and the only organization dedicated to supporting and representing all sectors of DC's professional theater community. Supported by their efforts and the awareness generated by the Helen Hayes Awards, Washington, DC’s professional theatre community has grown from a handful of theatres and producing companies in the 1980s to a staggering 90 today.
The three-part series is the latest addition to the diverse program portfolio featured on GATHER by Events DC. It will captivate viewers seeking compelling, locally relevant on-demand content to enjoy anytime, anywhere.
For more information, visit https://www.gatherbyeventsdc.com/series/backstage-at-the-helen-hayes-awards.
ABOUT EVENTS DC
Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, delivers premier event services and flexible venues across the Nation’s Capital. Leveraging the power of a world-class destination and creating amazing attendee experiences, Events DC generates economic and community benefits through the attraction and promotion of business, athletic, entertainment and cultural activities. Events DC oversees the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, an anchor of the District’s hospitality and tourism economy that hosts more than 1.7 million visitors and generates more than $400 million annually in direct economic impact, and the historic Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square. Events DC manages the RFK Stadium-Armory Campus (RFK Campus), including Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Festival Grounds at RFK Campus, the non-military functions of the DC Armory, and the Skate Park at RFK Stadium. Stay current on the 190-acre RFK Campus Redevelopment Project at www.RFKCampus.com. Events DC also built and serves as landlord for Nationals Park, the first LEED-certified major professional sports stadium in the United States. Events DC manages Gateway DC, R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center and Entertainment & Sports Arena all conveniently located in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC. For more information, please visit www.eventsdc.com and find us on social media – Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Events DC), and Twitter (@TheEventsDC) — and on our new hub for live and on-demand event programming on GATHER by Events DC at www.gatherbyeventsdc.com.
ABOUT THEATER WASHINGTON
Theatre Washington is an alliance of theatre organizations, theatre-makers, and theatre supporters that promotes equitable, healthy, and diverse regional theatre in the greater Washington DC region. They do this through partnerships and programs that celebrate artistic achievement, support institutional growth and advancement, and cultivate collective action.
Theatre Washington was established in 1984 with the goal of recognizing outstanding achievements in Washington, DC-area theatre through the annual Helen Hayes Awards. In subsequent years, the organization has expanded its mission to meet the evolving needs of the region’s growing cultural community, continuing to recognize artists and organizations through the nationally recognized Helen Hayes Awards program and advocating for local artists, attracting audiences, and providing services to the more than 90 professional theatres throughout the Washington DC region.
www.theatrewashington.org
ABOUT THE HELEN HAYES AWARDS
Founded in 1984, The Helen Hayes Awards recognize outstanding achievements from more than 60 professional theatres and hundreds of theatre-makers across the Washington, DC area each year. Named for Helen Hayes – the legendary First Lady of the American Theatre and a Washington, DC native – the awards celebrate the artists and companies whose work makes the Washington, DC-area a thriving, nationally recognized theatre community.
Award nominations result from a year-long process in which 40 volunteer judges on five panels attend as many as 200 eligible productions, including dozens of world premieres. The Helen Hayes Awards are traditionally celebrated each spring during a festive awards ceremony and after-party.
The Helen Hayes Presents series is to celebrate the work of the theatre community as the Awards paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This initial series celebrates the resiliency of the theatre community by giving recognition and celebrating the strong history of exciting theatre in the Washington, DC region.
MEDIA CONTACTS
EVENTS DC
Craig Chester, Marketing Director
202-359-2806, cchester@eventsdc.com
Theatre Washington
Liz O’Meara-Goldberg
liz@theatrewashington.org
###
