The Victor Shargai Leadership Award (VSLA) recognizes individuals, groups, or institutions whose outstanding service and creative leadership have strengthened the Washington, DC-area theater community. Theatre Washington established the award in 2021 in collaboration with Craig Pascal to honor Pascal’s late husband and beloved DC-area theater champion, Victor Shargai. For decades, Victor was an avid supporter of the Washington, DC region’s theater community, its artists, and its institutions — generously donating his time and resources to theaters of all sizes. Additionally, Victor served as a long-time chair and member of the Theatre Washington Board of Directors and played a vital role in the annual Helen Hayes Awards. In honor of Victor’s legacy and leadership, the VSLA recognizes individuals or groups who have demonstrated exceptional initiative, collaboration, advocacy, and personal generosity in support of the Washington, DC-area theater community.
Psalmayene 24 is a prolific theater artist — playwright, director, dancer, and performer. Psalmayene 24 made Washington, DC, his artistic home after being a student at Howard University. In the 1990s, he immersed himself in creative communities in dance, music, spoken word, and theater. Since that time, he has created and led projects across the DC-area theater scene, including Cinderella: the Remix at Imagination Stage, Word Becomes Flesh at Theater Alliance, Dear Maple at Mosaic Theater Company, Out of the Vineyard at Joe’s Movement Emporium, Metamorphoses at Folger Theatre, and the much-anticipated upcoming Young John Lewis at Mosaic Theater Company. He is a six-time nominee and two-time recipient of the Helen Hayes Award. Psalmayene 24 is a passionate advocate for local communities, consistently amplifying voices and narratives that are often marginalized in mainstream theater. He holds long and loyal artistic collaborations with artists such as Tony Thomas, Kate Bryer, Nick “the 1da” Hernandez, and Paige Hernandez, and organizations such as Imagination Stage, Studio Theatre, and Mosaic Theater Company.