Jason Graae and critic Wenzel Jones co-hosted the event that presented awards in 20 categories. Other notable winners for the evening included Laurie Metcalf and Minsky's songwriters Susan Birkenhead and Charles Strouse.

The nominees for the 2009 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards for theatrical excellence follow (winners are in bold with an asterisk):

 
Production

*Life Could Be a Dream, David Elzer, Peter Schneider & Crooning Crabcakes, LLC, Hudson Mainstage
Munched, Buzzworks Theater Company, El Centro Theatre
No Man's Land, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, Odyssey Theatre
*Parade, Center Theatre Group and the Donmar Warehouse, Mark Taper Forum
*Stick Fly, The Matrix Theatre Company, Matrix Theatre
The Happy Ones, South Coast Repertory, South Coast Repertory
The Pain and the Itch, The Theatre @ Boston Court and Furious Theatre Company, Theatre @ Boston Court

McCulloh Award for Revival (shows between 1920 and 1980)

*Equus, The Production Company, Chandler Studio Theatre
Hair, Chance Theater, Chance Theater
The Browning Version, Pacific Resident Theatre, Pacific Resident Theatre

Direction

Sean T. Cawelti, Gogol Project, Rogue Artists Ensemble in association with Bootleg Theater at Bootleg Theater
Duane Daniels, Munched, Buzzworks Theater Company at the El Centro Theatre
*Shirley Jo Finney, Stick Fly, The Matrix Theatre
*Marilyn Fox, The Browning Version, Pacific Resident Theatre
Oanh Nguyen, Hair, Chance Theater

Writing

Julie Hébert, Tree, Ensemble Studio Theatre—LA at [Inside] the Ford
Bruce Norris, The Pain and the Itch, The Theatre @ Boston Court and Furious Theatre Company at the Theatre @ Boston Court
Kim Porter, Munched, Buzzworks Theater Company at the El Centro Theatre
*Brian Christopher Williams, Anita Bryant Died for Your Sins, West Coast Ensemble at the El Centro Theatre

Writing (Adaptation)

*Kitty Felde, Gogol Project, Rogue Artists Ensemble in association with Bootleg Theater at Bootleg Theater
Meryl Friedman, The Wasps, Stinger Productions at The Lost Studio

Music Direction

Brent Crayon, Songs for a New World, International City Theatre
*David O, The Wasps, The Lost Studio
*Michael Paternostro, Life Could Be a Dream, Hudson Mainstage
*Phil Reno, Minsky's, Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre
Bill Strongin, Hair, Chance Theatre

Choreography

*Matthew Bourne, Stephen Mear, and Geoffrey Garratt, Mary Poppins, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh at the Ahmanson Theatre
Ameenah Kaplan, Altar Boyz, Celebration Theatre

Kelly Todd, Hair, Chance Theater

Musical Score

	Susan Birkenhead and Charles Strouse
	photo by Joan Marcus

Lead Performance

*Sam Anderson, The Bird and Mr. Banks, The Road Theatre Company at the Lankershim Arts Center
Johnny Clark, Blackbird, VS. Theatre Company at the Elephant Studio Space
Jade Dornfeld, Blackbird, VS. Theatre Company at the Elephant Studio Space
*Bruce French, The Browning Version, Pacific Resident Theatre
*Jim Hanna, Equus, The Production Company at The Chandler Studio Theatre
Deidrie Henry, Coming Home, The Fountain Theatre
William Dennis Hurley, Shining City, The Fountain Theatre
Michael Kostroff, The Producers, Musical Theatre West at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center
Alan Mandell, No Man's Land, Odyssey Theatre
*Laurie Metcalf, Voice Lessons, Zephyr Theater
Darin Singleton, The Unseen, The Road Theatre Company at the Lankershim Arts Center
*Samantha Sloyan, Munched, Buzzworks Theater Company at the El Centro Theatre

Featured Performance

*Hugo Armstrong, Land of the Tigers, The Sacred Fools Theater Company & Burglars of Hamm in association with Frantic Redhead Productions at Sacred Fools Theater
Chuma Gault, Tree, Ensemble Studio Theatre—LA at [Inside] the Ford
*P.J. Griffith, Setup & Punch, The Blank Theatre Company at the 2nd Stage Theatre
*Andrea Hutchman, Munched, Buzzworks Theater Company at the El Centro Theatre
Heather Lee, No Way to Treat a Lady, Colony Theatre
*Sally Smythe, The Browning Version, Pacific Resident Theatre
Greg Watanabe, The Happy Ones, South Coast Repertory
Jacqueline Wright, Tree, Ensemble Studio Theatre—LA at [Inside] the Ford

Ensemble Performance

Hair, Chance Theater
*Hunter Gatherers, Furious Theatre Company at the Carrie Hamilton Theatre
*Life Could Be a Dream, Hudson Mainstage
Our Mother's Brief Affair, South Coast Repertory
*Stick Fly, The Matrix Theatre
The Pain and the Itch, The Theatre @ Boston Court and Furious Theatre Company at the Theatre @ Boston Court

Set Design

John Iacovelli, Stick Fly, The Matrix Theater

*Jeff McLaughlin, A Skull in Connemara, Theatre Tribe 

Stephanie Kerley Schwartz, Treefall, Rogue Machine at Theatre/Theater

Lighting Design

Lap-Chi Chu, Our Mother's Brief Affair, South Coast Repertory 

*Haylee Freeman, Gogol Project, Rogue Artists Ensemble in association with Bootleg Theater at Bootleg Theate

*David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre

Dan Weingarten, Stranger, Bootleg Theater

Costume Design

*Gregg Barnes, Minsky's, Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre
Ann Closs-Farley, Land of the Tigers, The Sacred Fools Theater Company & Burglars of Hamm in association with Frantic Redhead Productions at Sacred Fools Theater
Shigeru Yaji, Peace, The Getty Villa

Sound Design

*Ron Klier, Blackbird, Elephant Theatre Lab
John Nobori, Gogol Project, Rogue Artists Ensemble in association with Bootleg Theater at Bootleg Theater
Ken Sawyer, Dracula, Noho Arts Center

CGI/Video

John MacDonald, Hair, Chance Theater
*Brian White, Gogol Project, Rogue Artists Ensemble in association with Bootleg Theater at Bootleg Theater

Fight Choreography

Brian Danner, Macbeth, Theater Banshee
*Victor Warren, Stranger, Bootleg Theater

*

The previously announced 2009 Award recipients are:

Solo Performance
Danny Hoch, Taking Over, Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre

Makeup Design
Ann Closs-Farley, Land of the Tigers, The Sacred Fools Theater Company & Burglars of Hamm in association with Frantic Redhead Productions at Sacred Fools Theater

Puppet Design
Wes Crain, Lena Garcia, Lynn Jeffries, Elizabeth Luce, and Brian White, Gogol Project, Rogue Artists Ensemble in association with Bootleg Theater at Bootleg Theater

The Ted Schmitt Award for the world premiere of an outstanding new play was awarded to Julie Marie Myatt for The Happy Ones. The award is accompanied by an offer to publish and a $1,000 check funded by Samuel French, Inc.

The Polly Warfield Award for an excellent season in a small to mid-size theatre was awarded to Celebration Theatre.The award is accompanied by a $500 check, funded by the Nederlander Organization.

The Bob Z Award for career achievement in set design was awarded to Sybil Wickersheimer.

The Angstrom Award for career achievement in lighting design was awarded to Luke Moyer. The award is accompanied by a $1,000 check, funded by Angstrom Lighting.

The Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater was awarded to the Rubicon Theatre Company. The award is accompanied by a $500 check, funded by Disney Theatricals.

The Joel Hirschhorn Award for outstanding achievement in musical theatre was awarded to Jason Robert Brown. The award is accompanied by a $500 check, funded by David Elzer/Demand PR.

The Milton Katselas Award for career or special achievement in direction was  awarded to Richard Israel. The award is accompanied by a $1,000 check, funded by Camelot Artists.

A Special Award for Lifetime Contribution to Los Angeles Theatre was awarded to Kirk Douglas

*

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle was founded in 1969. It is dedicated to excellence in theatrical criticism, and to the encouragement and improvement of theatre in Greater Los Angeles.

Visit www.ladramacriticscircle.com.