Linda Emond (Homebody/Kabul), Phylicia Rashad (Gem of the Ocean), playwright August Wilson (Gem of the Ocean), composer Stephen Sondheim (Passion) and choreographer Susan Stroman (The Producers) are among the nominees this year.
The 35th annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards ceremony is set for April 4 at 7:30 PM at West Hollywood's Coronet Theatre. Tickets are priced at $35 and are available by calling (323) 993-8695. Doors open at 6:30 PM for drinks and a light buffet.
Special awards will be bestowed as follows: The Margaret Harford Award (for sustained excellence in theatre) will go to Jessica Kubzansky. The Ted Schmitt Award (for world premiere of an outstanding new play) will be presented to Del Shores for The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife. The Bob Z Award (for lifetime achievement in set design) will honor Desma Murphy. The Natalie Schafer Award (for an emerging comic actress) goes to Rebecca O’Brien. The Polly Warfield Award (for an excellent season/year in a small-to-mid-sized theatre) will be bestowed upon A Noise Within. And the Lifetime Achievement Award will honor Center Theatre Group artistic director Gordon Davidson.
The 2003 nominees for Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards are:
PRODUCTION
Agnes of God International City Theatre, The Center Theater Jesus’ Kid Brother TriOmino Productions with Elephant Stageworks, The Hudson Theatres Orpheus Descending Choppy Guillotte, Dana Dewes, Joanna Daniels, Ursula Brooks and Tania Getty, Pacific Resident Theatre Raisin International City Theatre, The Center Theatre The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World The Powerhouse Theatre Company, [Inside] the Ford Toys in the Attic The Colony Theatre Company, The Colony Theatre The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife Sharyn Lane, The Zephyr Theatre DIRECTION
Jules Aaron, Jesus’ Kid Brother Martin Benson, The Drawer Boy South Coast Repertory Elina de Santos, Orpheus Descending MUSICAL DIRECTION
Darryl Archibald, Anyone Can Whistle The Matrix Theatre David O, The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World Gerald Sternbach, She Loves Me! Reprise! Broadway’s Best WRITING
Michael Healey, The Drawer Boy Geraldine Hughes, Belfast Blues The Black Dahlia Theatre August Wilson, Gem of the Ocean Center Theatre Group, The Mark Taper Forum ADAPTATION
Bradley Rand Smith, Dalton Trumbo’s Johnny Got His Gun Arye Gross and Don Boughton, Stages Theatre Center Tom Szentgyorgyi, Among the Thugs The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, The Odyssey Theatre MUSICAL SCORE
Brian and Mark Karmelich Jesus’ Kid Brother Gunnar Madsen (Music) and Joy Gregory (Lyrics), The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World Stephen Sondheim, Passion East West Players, David Henry Hwang Theatre at the Union Center for the Arts LEAD PERFORMANCE
Jack Axelrod, Visiting Mr. Green International City Theatre, The Long Beach Performing Arts Center Hedy Burress, The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World Connie Champagne, Judy’s Scary Little Christmas David Church, The Court Theatre Seamus Dever, Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange Greenway Arts Alliance, Greenway Court Theatre Madison Dunaway, Agnes of God Linda Emond, Homebody/Kabul Center Theatre Group, The Mark Taper Forum Marilyn Fox, Orpheus Descending Beth Grant, The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife William Dennis Hurley, Among the Thugs Jacqueline Kim, Passion Hal Landon Jr., The Drawer Boy Phylicia Rashad, Gem of the Ocean FEATURED PERFORMANCE
John Apicella, The Big Knife MustardSeed Productions with Farrell Hirsch and Dan Harper, The Lillian Theatre John Berczeller, The Big Knife Nancy Linehan Charles, Toys in the Attic James Farentino, Boy Gets Girl Geffen Playhouse David Holladay, Guys and Dolls Interact Theatre Company Kecia Lewis, Raisin ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
The cast of Among the Thugs The cast of As It Is In Heaven Actors Co-op, The Crossley Theatre The cast of Chavez Ravine Center Theatre Group, The Mark Taper Forum SCENIC DESIGN
Nephelie Andonyadis, Relatively Speaking South Coast Repertory Tom Buderwitz, Agnes of God Tom Buderwitz, Toys in the Attic David Gallo, Gem of the Ocean Victoria Petrovich, Passion LIGHTING DESIGN
Leigh Allen, Dalton Trumbo’s Johnny Got His Gun Derrick McDaniel, Among the Thugs Rand Ryan, Agnes of God COSTUME DESIGN
Ann Closs-Farley, Sneaux!, The Matrix Theatre Elizabeth Huffman, The Big Knife Shon LeBlanc, The Women, Theatre Neo with Hudson Theatricals/The Hudson Theatres SOUND DESIGN
Erik Bleuer, Among the Thugs Paul Fabre, Agnes of God Rick Sparks, Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange CHOREOGRAPHY
Brian Paul Mendoza, Jesus’ Kid Brother Larry Sousa, Anyone Can Whistle Susan Stroman, The Producers, The Pantages Theatre HAIR, WIGS AND MAKEUP DESIGN
Diane Martinous, The Women Sugano, Anyone Can Whistle VIDEO PRODUCTION DESIGN
Belfast Blues The LADCC, founded in 1969, is dedicated to excellence in theatrical criticism, and to the encouragement and improvement of theatre in Greater Los Angeles. 21 critics reviewed theatre for different websites, radio stations, and newspapers and magazines for the year 2003. For more information, visit www.ladramacriticscircle.com.
