Though the Center Theatre Group, which operates the Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum took home the greatest number of Los Angeles Drama Critics Association Awards March 17, the most prestigious awards, for Outstanding Production, were shared by three smaller resident theatres, West Coast Ensemble, the Blank Theatre Company and A Noise Within.
The most-honored production was Lee Blessing's Eleemosynary at West Coast, which won for Outstanding Direction, Writing and Lead Performance, as well as Outstanding Production.
Hosted by Lynn Redgrave at the Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City, the 28th annual event saluted Jack Lemmon for Lifetime Achievement. Multiple awards were given in most categories. The name of the hosting theatre appears here only the first time it is mentioned in connection with a specific production.
Here are the winners:
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION: Breaking the Code at the Blank Theatre Co.; Eleemosynary at West Coast Ensemble; Great Expectations at A Noise Within OUTSTANDING DIRECTION: Peter Grego of Eleemosynary; Mark Rucker, The Taming of the Shrew at South Coast Repertory
OUSTANDING WRITING: Lee Blessing, Eleemosynary; Donald Margulies, Collected Stories, South Coast Repertory
OUTSTANDING WRITING-ADAPTATION: Barbara Field for Great Expectations
OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE: Meredith Bishop in Eleemosynary ; Kandis Chappell in Collected Stories; Dennis Christopher in Breaking the Code ; Cherry Jones in The Heiress at the Ahmanson; Donald Sage Mackay in Great Expectations; Julia Sweeney in God Said, "Ha!" at Coronet Theatre
OUTSTANDING FEATURED PERFORMANCE: Ellia English in Dinah Was at Coast Playhouse; Tom Hillmann in She Loves Me at Actors Co-op; Deborah Strang in Great Expectations; Tamara Zook in Homefries at The Road Theatre Co.
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE: Cast of Mad Forest at Matrix Theatre Co.
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN: John Arnone for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at the Pantages Theatre and OCPA; Yael Pardess for Blade to the Heat at the Mark Taper Forum
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN: Rick Fisher for An Inspector Calls at the Ahmanson
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN: Jane Greenwood for The Heiress; Martin Pakledinaz for Changes of Heart at the Mark Taper Forum; Shigeru Yaji for The Taming of the Shrew
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN: Jon Gottlieb for Blade to the Heat
OUTSTANDING MUSICAL DIRECTION: Kevin Farrell for Carousel at The Ahmanson; Perry Hart for The All Night Strut at Tiffany Theatre
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY : Kenneth Macmillan for Carousel; Chris Salmon for She Loves Me
THE BOB Z AWARD (for set design): Deborah Raymond and Dorian Vernacchio
ANGSTROM LIGHTING AWARD (for lifetime achievement in lighting): Martin Aronstein
THE NATALIE SCHAFER AWARD (given to an emerging comic actress of exceptional promise): Laurel Green
THE MARGARET HARFORD AWARD (for sustained achievement among smaller-theaters): Actors Co-op
THE TED SCHMITT AWARD (for a new play that world-premiered in Los Angeles): Donald Margulies, Collected Stories
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Jack Lemmon
-- By Robert Viagas