Signature Theatre earned more Helen Hayes Award nominations than any other theater company in the Washington region this year.

The Shirlington-based theater received 28 nominations across five productions, leading all 38 theaters recognized by Theatre Washington for the 42nd annual Helen Hayes Awards, announced last Monday (Feb. 23). Its most-nominated production was “The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical” with eight nominations, followed by “Play On!” with seven and “Fiddler on the Roof” with six.

Two other Arlington theater companies also received nominations. Synetic Theater picked up 12 nominations, with 10 of those going to its production of “The Immigrant.” Avant Bard Theatre received two nominations for “The Margriad,” marking its second consecutive year with nominations.

The Helen Hayes Awards have recognized excellence in professional theater across the D.C. area since 1983. The awards are named for Helen Hayes, the Washington-born actor known as the “First Lady of American Theatre.”

Nominations were drawn from 149 eligible productions staged in 2025, including 42 musicals, 107 plays and 33 world premieres, according to Theatre Washington. A panel of 49 judges evaluated nearly 2,000 individual pieces of work spanning design, direction, choreography, performances and writing.

The nominations come during a strong stretch for Arlington’s theater scene. Signature’s “Fiddler on the Roof” was the best-selling production in the theater’s history, and Synetic set sales records with “The Immigrant” and its fall production of “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus,” as ARLnow previously reported.

Regional theaters across the D.C. area have reported surging ticket sales and increased donations as the Kennedy Center faces upheaval. Trump announced in February that the venue will close for roughly two years starting July 4 for renovations, following a period of artist boycotts and plummeting attendance after the center’s board added his name to the building. Subscriptions and ticket sales at the Kennedy Center fell significantly last year, according to the Washington Post.

“A success at Arena Stage or Shakespeare Theater is good news for Signature and vice versa,” Signature managing director Maggie Boland told WTOP in January.

Several other Northern Virginia theaters earned Helen Hayes nominations. 1st Stage, in Tysons, tied for fifth overall with 16 nominations across four productions, including six each for “hang” and “The Piano Lesson.” Creative Cauldron in Falls Church received five nominations for “The Turn of the Screw: The Musical” and “Woman on Fire.”

Across the region, Round House Theatre in Bethesda followed Signature with 21 nominations, boosted by 14 for “The Inheritance: Parts One and Two.” Arena Stage in D.C. received 19, and Shakespeare Theatre Company earned 16.