The theme of this year's awards is "Salute to Black Theatre," which "celebrates the evolution of the portrayal of African Americans in theatre, from unrealistic, stereotypical caricatures to a more balanced and honest reflection of the Black experience as a whole."

Nominees for the 18th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards follow:

Lead Male
Michael A. Sheppard – Master Harold… and the boys
Robert Manning, Jr. – Defiance
Cedric Sanders – A Matter of Honor
Michael McFall – The Tempest
Gerald C. Rivers – The Tempest

Supporting Female
LaToya London – The Color Purple
Stephanie St. James – The Color Purple
Earnestine Phillips – The Tempest

Supporting Male
Thomas Silcott – Master Harold…and the boys
Stu James – The Color Purple
Rufus Bonds, Jr. – The Color Purple
Dexter Hamlet – The Tempest
Steve Matt – The Tempest

Ensemble Cast
Ray Charles Live! A New Musical
Sister Act
Cuttin’ Up
Whatever She Wants

Director
Sheldon Epps – Ray Charles Live! A New Musical
Andrew J. Robinson – Defiance
Scott Schwartz – A Matter of Honor
David Rose – Master Harold…and the Boys
Michael Pressman – Come Back, Little Sheba

Music Director
Rahn Coleman – Ray Charles Live! A New Musical
Sheila Walker – The Color Purple
Brent-Alan Huffman – Sister Act
Marcus Bryant – Whatever She Wants

Choreography
Kenneth L. Roberson – Ray Charles Live! A New Musical
Donald Byrd – The Color Purple
Marguerite Derricks – Sister Act
Lonnie L. Henderson – NEVAEH: Prince of Black Angels

Costumes
Paul Tazewell – The Color Purple
Garry Lennon – Sister Act
A. Jeffrey Schoenberg – Master Harold… and the boys
Charlotte Kruse – The Tempest
Lonnie L. Henderson – NEVAEH: Prince of Black Angels

Lighting
Brian MacDevitt – The Color Purple
Donald Holder – Sister Act
Paulie Jenkins – Defiance
Donald Holder – A Matter of Honor
Jane Cox – Come Back, Little Sheba

Set Design
Victoria Profit – Master Harold…and the boys
James Noone – Come Back, Little Sheba
Michael Carnahan – Cuttin’ Up
Keith Jackson – Having Our Say: The Delaney Sisters’ First 100 Years

Sound
Carl Casella – Ray Charles Live! A new Musical
Jon Weston – The Color Purple
Cricket Myers – Master Harold…and the boys
Mark Bennett – A Matter of Honor

Playwright
Suzan-Lori Parks – Ray Charles Live! A New Musical
John Patrick Shanley – Defiance
Charles Randolph-Wright – Cuttin’ Up
Michael Chepiga – A Matter of Honor
William Inge – Come Back, Little Sheba

Producer
Pasadena Playhouse – Ray Charles Live! A New Musical
Pasadena Playhouse – Sister Act
Pasadena Playhouse – A matter of Honor
The Colony Theatre – Master Harold
…and the boys
Center Theatre Group – Come Back, Little Sheba

6 – 2007 Local Nominees

Lead Female
Ursaline Bryant – A Melody of One Act Plays
Dael Orlandersmith – The Gimmick
Nia Orms – Please Take A Number
Tiffany Cousin – A Raisin In The Sun
Baadja Lynne – A Lesson Before Dying

Lead Male
Malcolm-Jamal Warner – Love & Other Social Issues
Don Reed – East 14th: True Tales of a Reluctant Player
DeObia Oparei – Gilgamesh
Dominic Hoffman – Last Fare
Mailk-El-Amin – A Lesson Before Dying
Jarreth Merz – Drums in the Night

Supporting Female
Fran Bennett – As You Like It
Erica Hubbard – What Would Jesus Do?
Petal Walker– A Raisin In The Sun
Wynter Daggs – Meet Me At The Oak
Nadege August – Desire Under The Elms

Supporting Male
Ken Sagoes – George Washington’s Boy
David Batiste – Desire Under The Elms
Antwan Herron – A Raisin In The Sun
Jeff Branion – Drums in the Night
Richard Rayas – Fallujah

Ensemble Cast
City Kid
Jitney
Butterflies of Uganda: Memories of a Child Soldier
The Bow Wow Club
The Edgeucation Presents: History of the Black Man
The Divorce

Director
Steve Tomkins – City Kid
Claude Purdy – Jitney
Darin Dahms – Butterflies of Uganda: Memories of a Child Soldier
Ted Lange – George Washington’s Boy
Teresa Dowell-Vest – Flyin’ West

Director of a Musical
Denise Dowes – Love & Other Social Issues
Ara Dabandjian –Love’s Labor’s Lost
John Lathan – Flirting with Morty

Music Director
Patrick Gandy – City Kid
Paul Wong – Do Lord Remember Me
Ron Hasley – What’s Going On, The Musical
Christian Nesmith – Hair
Christy Crowl – Hotel C’est l’Amour

Choreography
Bradley Rapier – City Kid
Tamica Washington-Miller – Gilgamesh
Simon Abkarian - Love’s Labor’s Lost
Monika Davenport and Channing Cook Holmes - What’s Going On, The Musical
Bo Crowell – Hair

Costumes
Nancy Martin – Jitney
Naila Aladdin Sanders – Butterflies of Uganda: Memories of a Child Soldier
Mylette Nora – George Washington’s Boy
Sherry Coon and Ann Gesling – Flyin’ West
Christina Wright – As you like It

Lighting
Alex Berry – City Kid
Joel Daavid – Jitney
Fritz Davis – Butterflies of Uganda: Memories of a Child Soldier
Jeremy Pivnick – Gilgamesh
Jenny Bloom – Drums in the Night

Set Design
Joel Daavid – Jitney
Melissa Ficociello – Gilgamesh
Charles Erven – Desire Under the Elms
Victoria Profit – George Washington’s Boy
Ellen Sandor – The Bow Wow Club

Sound
Eric Snodgrass – City Kid
Vince Wong – Love & other Social Issues
Ellen Juhlin & Kari Rae Seekins – Gilgamesh
Michael Flowers – Night of the Living Dead
Audesah Thomas & Anthony Ford – Sacrificing Simone

Playwright
Diarra Oni Kilpatrick – The Devil is Beating His Wife
Darin Dahns and Soenke C. Weiss – Butterflies of Uganda: Memories of a Child Soldier
Don Reed – East 14th: True Tales of a Reluctant Player
Ted Lange – George Washington’s Boy
Terryl Daluz & Mann Alfonso – Masks

Producer
Penny L. Moore – A Lesson Before Dying
The Theatre @ Boston Court – Gilgamesh
Paula Mitchell Manning and Greenway Arts Alliance – Butterflies of Uganda: Memories of a Child Soldier
Larry Farrow and Yvonne Farrow – What Would Jesus Do?
Stage 52 in association with Ms. Thing Productions, Thomas Duckett and Ella Joyce – A Rose Among Thorns

For tickets to the awards visit www.kodaktheatre.com. For more information about the 18th Annual Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Theatre Awards, go to www.bhwdnaacptheatreawards.com.