New York has the Village Voice and the Obies; Los Angeles has LA Weekly and the LA Weekly Awards. These citations, to be given out on April 23, 2001, honor productions in theatres seating 99 or less and have opened between Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2000.
Top nominees in 2000 include the Ovation-winning Deaf West A Streetcar Named Desire and Forbidden Broadway: Y2K L.A.!, as well as the Evidence Room's The Berlin Circle, Buffalo Nights Theater Company's The Apollo of Bellac, West Coast Ensemble' Merrily We Roll Along, Southern Baptist Sissies and the latest from Fabulous Monsters, Speed-Hedda.
A hundred years old and still going strong is director Martin Magner, winner of the 2000 Career Achievement citation. The Queen of Angels Award goes to public relations maven Kim Garfield. The first was given last year to Back Stage West senior critic Polly Warfield, for whom the honor was created.
The complete nominations follow:
Production of the Year The Akhmatova Project, Critical Mass, at the Actors' Gang Theater
The Berlin Circle, Evidence Room
The Darker Face of the Earth, Fountain Theater/BAND, at the American Renegade Theater
In Flagrante Gothicto, Circle X Theater Company, at the McCadden Place Theater
The Master and Margarita, Zoo District, at ArtShare/Hudson Backstage
Pudd'nhead Wilson, Falcon Theater
The Seagull, Actors Co-op
Revival Production of the Year (of a 20th Century Work)
The Apollo of Bellac, Buffalo Nights Theater Company, at the Powerhouse Theater
The Man Who Had All the Luck, Antaeus Company, at the Ivy Substation
Night and Her Stars, Alliance Repertory Company
Saved, Evidence Room
Musical of the Year
bare, God Help! Productions, at the Hudson Mainstage Theater
Forbidden Broadway: Y2K L.A.!, Tiffany Theater
Godspell, Actors Co-op
Merrily We Roll Along, West Coast Ensemble
Leading Female Performance
Lesley Fera, Lady Chatterley's Lover, Pacific Resident Theater
Megan Mullally, The Berlin Circle, Evidence Room
Priscilla Pointer, The Road to Mecca, Fountain Theater
Suanne Spoke, A Streetcar Named Desire, Deaf West Theater Company
Leading Male Performance
Paul Gutrecht, The Man Who Had All the Luck, Antaeus Company, at the Ivy Substation
Travis Michael Holder, Nasty Little Secrets, Theatre/Theater
Troy M. Kotsur, A Streetcar Named Desire, Deaf West Theater Company
Stephen Van Dorn, The Hasty Heart, Actors Co-op
Supporting Female Performance
Christine Deaver, Path* X, Zoo District, at the Lillian Theater
Lisa Jeffrey, Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery, Stella Adler Theater
Lisa Picotte, Merrily We Roll Along, West Coast Ensemble
Marianne Savell, The Seagull, Actors Co-op
Aloma Wright, Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery, Stella Adler Theater
Supporting Male Performance
Joe Colligan, The Fiery Furnace, Eclectic Company Theater
John Fleck, The Berlin Circle, Evidence Room
Robert Symonds, The Road to Mecca, Fountain Theater
Marcelo Tubert, The Man Who Had All the Luck, Antaeus Company, at the Ivy Substation
Comedy Performance
Mark Brey, Speed-Hedda, Fabulous Monsters, at Evidence Room
Leslie Jordan, Southern Baptist Sissies, Delane Productions, at the Zephyr Theater
Kacy Peacock, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, the Elephant Space
One-Act Performance
Donald Agnelli, Poulet Giganticus, Theater of NOTE
Mitchell Gossett, Terminal Hip, Bottom's Dream, at the Ivy Substation
Brad Henson, Two Men Losing Their Minds, Moving Arts, at the Los Angeles Theater Center
Jason Huber, Chet Whell's Economic Subterfuge, Theatre/Theater
Brian Newkirk, Two Men Losing Their Minds, Moving Arts, at the Los Angeles Theater Center
Play Wrighting
Alice Dodd/Jillian Armenante, In Flagrante Gothicto, Circle X Theater Company, at the McCadden Place Theater
Doug Field, Down South, The Complex
Cody Henderson, Carrots for Hare, Ghost Road Company, at the Powerhouse Theater
Alec Holland and Melissa Samuels, Triple Threats, Third Street Theater
Stephen Legawiec, Twilight World, Ziggurat Theater, at the Gascon Center Theater
Del Shores, Southern Baptist Sissies, Delane Productions, at the Zephyr Theater
One Act Play Wrighting
Sheila Callaghan, New Shoes, Moving Arts, at the Los Angeles Theater Center
Dennis Miles, Poulet Giganticus, Theater of NOTE
Direction
Nancy Keystone, The Akhmatova Project, Critical Mass, at the Actors' Gang Theater
Frederique Michel, MedeaText: Los Angeles/Despoiled Shore, City Garage
Jon Lawrence Rivera, Sleepwalk, Playwrights. Arena, at Inside the Ford
Loren Rubin, The Master and Margarita, Zoo District, at ArtShare/Hudson Backstage
David Schweizer, The Berlin Circle, Evidence Room
Diane Venora, The Seagull, Actors Co-op
Short-Play Direction
Victor D'Altorio, The Babysitter, McCadden Theater
J.M. Higgins, The Apollo of Bellac, Buffalo Nights Theater Company, at the Powerhouse Theater
Robert Prior, Speed-Hedda, Fabulous Monsters, at Evidence Room
Comedy Direction
Rik Keller, Dubya 2000, Sacred Fools Theater Company
Steve Rudnick, Triple Threats, Third Street Theater
Del Shores, Southern Baptist Sissies, Delane Productions, at the Zephyr Theater
Rick Sparks, Down South, The Complex
Ensemble
The Akhmatova Project, Critical Mass, at Actors' Gang Theater
The Babysitter, McCadden Theater
The Berlin Circle, Evidence Room
Lady Chatterley's Lover, Pacific Resident Theater
The Master and Margarita, Zoo District, at ArtShare/Hudson Backstage
Pudd'nhead Wilson, Falcon Theater
Waiting for Godot, Matrix Theater
Comedy Ensemble
The Apollo of Bellac, Buffalo Nights Theater Company, at the Powerhouse Theater
In Flagrante Gothicto, Circle X Theater Company, at the McCadden Place Theater
Speed-Hedda, Fabulous Monsters, at Evidence Room
Triple Threats, Third Street Theater
Solo Performance, Male
Ric Borelli, Best Dope in Town, Screamin' Chicken Productions, at the Tamarind Theater
Art Metrano, Metrano's Accidental Comedy, Fine & Dandy Productions, at the Odyssey Theater
Michael O'Connor, The Berkshire Village Idiot, Ensemble Studio Theater, at the Gascon Center Theater
Solo Performance, Female
Rose Abdoo, Get to the Part About Me, The Complex
Arlene Malinowski, The Bully, Blue Sphere Alliance, at the Lex
Ifeoma Maree, Eggs and Fleas, Blue Sphere Alliance, at the Lex<
Sun St. Pierre, Sacrifice, Blue Sphere Alliance, at the Lex
Production Design
Dubya 2000, Sacred Fools Theater Company
The Master and Margarita, Zoo District, at ArtShare/Hudson Backstage
Path* X, Zoo District, at the Lillian Theater
Saved, Evidence Room
Speed-Hedda, Fabulous Monsters, at Evidence Room
Costume Design
Cathy Crane-McCoy, Three Sisters, El Portal Center/Circle Theater
Paule Doss, Down South, The Complex
M.E. Dunn, In Flagrante Gothicto, Circle X Theater Company, at the McCadden Place Theater
Kara Feely, Path* X, Zoo District, at the Lillian Theater
Mario Parian/Sofi Khachmanyan, The Master and Margarita, Zoo District at ArtShare/Hudson Backstage
Lee C. Smith, MedeaText: Los Angeles/Despoiled Shore, City Garage
Lighting Deisgn
Robert Fromer, Sleepwalk, Playwrights' Arena, at Inside the Ford
David F. Hahn, How To Steal an Election, Actors' Gang
Craig Pierce, The Apollo of Bellac, Buffalo Nights Theater Company, at the Powerhouse Theater
Rand Ryan, The Babysitter, McCadden Theater
Set Design
Jason Adams/Alicia Hoge, The Berlin Circle, Evidence Room
John H. Binkley, Sleepwalk, Playwrights' Arena, at Inside the Ford
Charles A. Duncombe Jr., MedeaText: Los Angeles/Despoiled Shore, City Garage
Gary Lee Reed, The Seagull, Actors Co-op
Gary Smoot, In Flagrante Gothicto, Circle X Theater Company, at the McCadden Place Theater
Robert Steinberg, A Streetcar Named Desire, Deaf West Theater Company
Juliana von Haubrich, Ghosts in the Cottonwoods, 24th Street Theater
Sound Design
Jason Duplissea, The Apollo of Bellac, Buffalo Nights Theater Company, at the Powerhouse Theater
Frank Fitzpatrick/Bili Redd Thedford, Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery, Stella Adler Theater
John Zalewski, Sleepwalk, Playwrights' Arena, at Inside the Ford
Career Achievment
Martin Magner
Musical/Vocal Direction
Eric Anderson, bare, God Help! Productions, at the Hudson Mainstage Theater
Darryl Archibald/Brian Murphy, Merrily We Roll Along, West Coast Ensemble
Dana Bisignano, Godspell, Actors Co-op
Original Music
Jef Bek, The Master and Margarita, Zoo District, at ArtShare/Hudson Backstage
Queen of the Angels Award
Kim Garfield
Adaptation
Victor D'Altorio/Henrietta Pearsall, The Babysitter, McCadden Theater
Charles A. Duncomb Jr., MedeaText: Los Angeles/Despoiled Shore, City Garage
Brian Foyster, A Separate Peace, Hudson Guild Theater
Meryl Friedman, PuddÕnhead Wilson, Falcon Theater
Richard Helweg and Michael Franco, The Master and Margarita, Zoo District, at ArtShare/Hudson Backstage
Choreography
Kate Caplin, Godspell, Actors Co-op
Nancy Keystone, The Akhmatova Project, Critical Mass, at the Actors' Gang Theater
Larry Sousa, Merrily We Roll Along, West Coast Ensemble
Videography
Chris Bell/Larry Basso, How To Steal an Election, Actors' Gang
Michael Rainey, Dubya 2000, Sacred Fools Theater Company
Rush Riddle/Marvin Solomon, Speed-Hedda, Fabulous Monsters, at Evidence Room
Prop Design
John Alteri/Joe Seely/Joe Fria, Path* X, Zoo District, at the Lillian Theater
Bradley Thordarson, Dubya 2000, Sacred Fools Theater Company
Mask Design
Paule Lemasson, Path* X, Zoo District, at the Lillian Theater
Jami Rudofsky/Dick Maganti, The Apollo of Bellac, Buffalo Nights, at the Powerhouse Theater
In order for a production to qualify for the LA Weekly Awards, it must have opened between Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2000. $5 tickets are available to the awards show by calling (323) 993-3693. Robert Prior and the Fabulous Monsters will host the event.
— By Christine Ehren