LOS ANGELES -- The theatre weekly Backstage West gave out its first annual Garland Awards at the Coronet Theatre Jan. 19. The ceremony, attended by 270 stage artists and theatre supporters, honored excellence in West Coast stage productions reviewed in 1997.

Hosted by Back Stage West's editor, Rob Kendt, the show presented 80 awards in categories that included production, performance, ensemble cast, sound design, musical score and choreography. A special award was also bestowed on Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice, CA.

Here is a list of the winners in the "Outstanding Productions" and "World Premiere Writing" categories:

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTIONS
ArabIan Nights, the Lookingglass Theatre Company at the Actors Gang Theatre
Arcadia at the Mark Taper Forum
Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Butt Pirates of the Carribbean, the Troubadour Theatre Company at LunaPark
Company at West Coast Ensemble
Dangerous Corne at the Matrix Theatre
David's Mother at Company of Angels
The Glory Booty Club at the Annex Theatre
Golden Child at South Coast Repertory
The Magic Fire at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Old Wicked Songs at the Geffen Playhouse
Putting It Together at the Colony Studio Theatre
Ragtime, Livent Inc. at the Shubert Theatre
Speed-the-Plow at the Odyssey Theatre
A Streetcar Named Desire at American Conservatory Theater
Terra Nova at Actors' Co-op
Wuthering! Heights! The! Musical! at the Empty Space

WORLD PREMIERE WRITING
Doug Heyes Jr., Seven Out at the Globe Playhouse
Lillian Garrett-Groag, The Magic Fire at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival -- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent