The 1998 Helen Hayes Awards, honoring excellence in Washington D.C. theatre, were announced May 4 at a ceremony in the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, hosted by Pat Carroll.

The Shakespeare Theatre's production of Eugene O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra was the most-honored production, taking four of the awards, including Outstanding Resident Play. The national touring production of Chicago was named Outstanding Non-Resident Production.

Major names among the winners were actors Anna Deavere Smith, Liz Larsen, Robert Proskey, L. Scott Caldwell, and designer Jane Greenwood.

Here is a complete list of the winners:

Outstanding Resident Musical
Hair, The Studio Theatre Secondstage

Outstanding Resident Play
Mourning Becomes Electra, The Shakespeare Theatre

Outstanding Non-Resident Production
Chicago, The National Theatre

Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Musical
Liz Larsen, Sunday in the Park with George, Arena Stage and Signature Theatre

Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Musical
Lawrence Redmond,No Way to Treat a Lady, Signature Theatre

Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Play
Holly Twyford, Romeo and Juliet, Folger Shakespeare Library

Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Play
Edward Gero, Skylight, The Studio Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Performer, Resident Musical
David James, The Wizard of Oz. Toby's Dinner Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Play
Franchelle Stewart Dorn, Mourning Becomes Electra, The Shakespeare Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Play
Robert Sella, Mourning Becomes Electra, The Shakespeare Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design, Resident Play or Musical
Jane Greenwood, Mourning Becomes Electra, The Shakespeare Theatre

Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Play or Musical
Scott Burgess,Romeo and Juliet, Folger Shakespeare Library

Outstanding Lighting Design, Resident Play or Musical
Howell Binkley, The Tempest, The Shakespeare Theatre

Outstanding Set Design, Resident Play or Musical
Tony Cisek, Things That Break, Theater of the First Amendment

KPMG Peat Marwick Award for Distinguished Service to the Washington Theatre Community
Bell Atlantic Washington

The Washington Post Award for Distinguished Community Service
"Signature in the Schools," a project of Signature Theatre and Wakefield High School

Outstanding Supporting Performer, Non-Resident Production
L. Scott Caldwell, Proposals, The Kennedy Center

Outstanding Lead Actress, Non-Resident Production
Anna Deavere Smith, Twilight, Los Angeles, 1992, Ford's Theatre Society

Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production
Derick K. Grant, Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk, The National Theatre

Outstanding Musical Direction, Resident Play or Musical
Jon Kalbfleisch, Sunday in the Park with George, Arena Stage and Signature Theatre

Outstanding Director, Resident Musical
Keith Alan Baker, Hair, The Studio Theatre Secondstage

Outstanding Director, Resident Play
Joe Banno, Romeo and Juliet, Folger Shakespeare Library

The Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Purloined Patience or The Scandal at the D'Oyly Carte by Nick Olcott, Interact Theatre Company

The American Express Tribute
Robert Prosky

AWARDS BY PRODUCTION

Mourning Becomes Electra 4
Romeo and Juliet 3
Hair 2
Sunday in the Park with George 2
Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk 1
Chicago 1
No Way to Treat a Lady 1
Proposals 1
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Purloined Patience or The Scandal at the D'Oyly Carte 1
Skylight 1
The Tempest 1
Things That Break 1
Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 1
The Wizard of Oz 1

AWARDS BY THEATRE

The Shakespeare Theatre 5
Folger Shakespeare Library 3
Arena Stage & Signature Theatre 2
The National Theatre 2
The Studio Theatre Second stage 2
Ford's Theatre 1
Interact Theatre 1
The Kennedy Center 1
Signature Theatre 1
The Studio Theatre 1
Theatre of the First Amendment 1
Toby's Dinner Theatre

-- By Robert Viagas