Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Announces Nominations for Theatrical Excellence in 2022

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle is proud to announce its 2022 nominees for theatrical excellence. This year, in lieu of the Circle’s annual live event ceremony, the award recipients will once again be announced online at a future date. The LADCC has also named the following special award honorees.

The TED SCHMITT Award for the World Premiere of an Outstanding New Play will be awarded to two groundbreaking plays, Tambo & Bones by Dave Harris, and Clean/Espejos by Christine Quintana. Both award winners will receive a cash prize from our Schmitt Award sponsor, The Black List.

The MARGARET HARFORD Award for Sustained Excellence in Theatre will be awarded to Center Theatre Group.

The MILTON KATSELAS Award for Career or Special Achievement in Direction will be awarded to Julia Rodriguez-Elliott. This year’s award winner will receive a cash prize from our Katselas Award sponsor, the Nederlander Organization/Broadway in Hollywood.

The GORDON DAVIDSON Award for distinguished contribution to the Los Angeles theatrical community goes to the SB1116 California Coalition led by Martha Demson (Open Fist Theatre Company), Beatrice Casagran (Ophelia’s Jump Productions), Vanessa Stewart (writer, producer, actor), Emmanuel Deleage (Casa0101), Teri Ball (Center Stage Theater), and Leo Marks (actor, activist). Their efforts resulted in the 2022 passage and signing of the California law (authored and carried by Senator Anthony Portantino) which establishes the Equitable Payroll Fund, a grant program that supports small nonprofit performing arts organizations by providing substantial reimbursements of payroll expenses.

Congratulations to all the nominees and special award winners!

The nominees for theatrical excellence in 2022 are:

Production

  • Freestyle Love Supreme, Pasadena Playhouse
  • On the Other Hand, We’re Happy, Rogue Machine
  • Power of Sail, Geffen Playhouse
  • The Inheritance, Geffen Playhouse
  • The Lehman Trilogy, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Uncle Vanya, Pasadena Playhouse

McCulloh Award for Revival

  • Animal Farm, A Noise Within
  • Metamorphoses, A Noise Within
  • Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Geffen Playhouse

Lead Performance

  • Bryan Cranston, Power of Sail, Geffen Playhouse
  • Ilan Eskenazi, Trayf, Geffen Playhouse
  • Adam Kantor, The Inheritance, Geffen Playhouse
  • Nija Okoro, Blues for an Alabama Sky, CTG/Mark Taper Forum
  • Zachary Quinto, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Geffen Playhouse

Featured Performance

  • Greg Alverez Reid, Blues for an Alabama Sky, CTG/Mark Taper Forum
  • Bill Brochtrup, The Inheritance, Geffen Playhouse
  • Aimee Carrero, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Geffen Playhouse
  • Nicolette Ellis, A Doll’s House, Part 2, International City Theatre
  • Samantha Klein, If I Forget, The Fountain Theatre
  • Alex Morris, Radio Golf, A Noise Within
  • Seth Numrich, Power of Sail, Geffen Playhouse
  • Valerie Perri, If I Forget, The Fountain Theatre
  • Scott Roberts, A Doll’s House, Part 2, International City Theatre
  • Eileen T’Kaye, A Doll’s House, Part 2, International City Theatre
  • Peter Van Norden, Hamlet, Antaeus Theatre Company
  • Tuc Watkins, The Inheritance, Geffen Playhouse

Ensemble Performance

  • Animal Farm, A Noise Within
  • Freestyle Love Supreme, Pasadena Playhouse
  • Hadestown, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Lavender Men, Skylight Theatre/Playwrights’ Arena
  • Man of God, Geffen Playhouse
  • Metamorphoses, A Noise Within
  • On the Other Hand, We’re Happy, Rogue Machine
  • Power of Sail, Geffen Playhouse
  • The Inheritance, Geffen Playhouse
  • The Lehman Trilogy, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Trayf, Geffen Playhouse
  • Uncle Vanya, Pasadena Playhouse
  • Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Geffen Playhouse

Solo Performance

  • Mike Birbiglia, The Old Man and the Pool, CTG/Mark Taper Forum
  • Leo Marks, This Wonderful Life, Rogue Machine
  • Ben Moroski, Dog, Hollywood Fringe Festival
  • Holland Taylor, Ann, Pasadena Playhouse

Writing

  • Bernardo Cubría, The Play You Want, The Road Theatre Company
  • Jessica Goldberg, Babe, Echo Theater Company
  • Lindsay Joelle, Trayf, Geffen Playhouse
  • Steven Levenson, If I Forget, The Fountain Theatre
  • Matthew López, The Inheritance, Geffen Playhouse
  • Ben Moroski, Dog, Hollywood Fringe Festival

Writing Adaptation

  • Margaret Atwood, Penelopiad, City Garage
  • Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Everybody, Antaeus Theatre Company
  • Anaïs Mitchell, Hadestown, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Ben Power, The Lehman Trilogy, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre

Musical Score

  • Dan Gillespie Sells/Tom MacRae, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Sean Kantrowitz, How We Got On, Sacred Fools at the Broadwater
  • Anaïs Mitchell, Hadestown, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Matthew Sklar/Chad Beguelin, The Prom, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre

Music Direction

  • Rod Bagheri, Animal Farm, A Noise Within
  • Andy Collopy, Oklahoma!, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Nathan Koci, Hadestown, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Marc Macalintal, Assassins, East West Players
  • Andrew Graham, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre

Choreography

  • David Neumann, Hadestown, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Casey Nicholaw, The Prom, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre

Direction

  • Mike Donahue, The Inheritance, Geffen Playhouse
  • Daniel Fish, Oklahoma!, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Gordon Greenberg, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Geffen Playhouse
  • Sam Mendes, The Lehman Trilogy, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre

Set Design

  • Angela Balogh Calin, Animal Farm, A Noise Within
  • Ann Beyersdorfer, Afterglow, Midnight Theatricals/Hudson Theatre
  • Wilson Chin, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Geffen Playhouse
  • Es Devlin, The Lehman Trilogy, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Anna Fleischle, 2:22 – A Ghost Story, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • John Iacovelli, Blues for an Alabama Sky, CTG/Mark Taper Forum
  • Derek McLane, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre
  • Rachel Myers, Power of Sail, Geffen Playhouse
  • Se Oh, Man of God, Geffen Playhouse

Lighting Design

  • Ken Booth, Animal Farm, A Noise Within
  • Ken Booth, Metamorphoses, A Noise Within
  • Jon Clark, The Lehman Trilogy, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Bradley King, Hadestown, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Justin Townsend, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre

Costume Design

  • Angela Balogh Calin, Animal Farm, A Noise Within
  • Wendell C. Carmichael, Blues for an Alabama Sky, CTG/Mark Taper Forum
  • Wendell C. Carmichael, Lavender Men, Skylight Theatre/Playwrights’ Arena
  • Catherine Zuber, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre

Sound Design

  • Ian Dickinson, 2:22 – A Ghost Story, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Peter Hylenski, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre
  • John Nobori, Sanctuary City, Pasadena Playhouse
  • Robert Oriol, Metamorphoses, A Noise Within
  • Nick Powell, The Lehman Trilogy, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Nevin Steinberg & Jessica Paz, Hadestown, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
  • Kate Wecker, Animal Farm, A Noise Within

CGI/Video (WINNER)

  • Luke Halls, The Lehman Trilogy, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre

Specialty (WINNER)

  • Wig & Make-up, Tony Valdés, Animal Farm, A Noise Within

Every effort has been made to ascertain proper credits for our nominees. We regret any errors or omissions. Any that come to our attention will be corrected on our LADCC website and (when applicable) on a recipient’s award plaque.

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.

The current officers are as follows: Jonas Schwartz-Owen, President; Dana Martin, Vice President; Hoyt Hilsman, Treasurer; Terry Morgan, Secretary; Ellen Dostal, Web Content Editor

The 2022 LADCC membership consisted of:
Lara J. Altunian, Stage Raw, L.A. Dance Chronicle
Katie Buenneke, Stage Raw, Theater Digest
Peter Debruge, Variety
Ellen Dostal, BroadwayWorld, Musicals in LA
Margaret Gray, Los Angeles Times
Hoyt Hilsman, Huffington Post
Harker Jones, BroadwayWorld
Deborah Klugman, Stage Raw
Dany Margolies, ArtsInLA.com, Southern California News Group
Dana Martin, Stage Raw
Myron Meisel, Stage Raw
Terry Morgan, ArtsBeatLA.com, Stage Raw
Steven Leigh Morris, Stage Raw
Tracey Paleo, BroadwayWorld, Gia On The Move
Melinda Schupmann, Showmag.com, ArtsInLA.com
Jonas Schwartz-Owen, Theatermania.com, BroadwayWorld
Don Shirley, Angeles Stage
Rob Stevens, haineshisway.com

CITATIONS BY PRODUCTION:
Animal Farm; A Noise Within; 8 Nominations
The Lehman Trilogy; CTG/Ahmanson Theatre; 8 Nominations
Hadestown; CTG/Ahmanson Theatre; 7 Nominations
Moulin Rouge! The Musical; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; 6 Nominations
The Inheritance; Geffen Playhouse; 6 Nominations
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Geffen Playhouse; 6 Nominations
Power of Sail; Geffen Playhouse; 5 Nominations
Blues for an Alabama Sky; CTG/Mark Taper Forum; 4 Nominations
Metamorphoses; A Noise Within; 4 Nominations
A Doll’s House, Part 2; International City Theatre; 3 Nominations
Freestyle Love Supreme; Pasadena Playhouse; 2 Nominations
If I Forget; The Fountain Theatre; 3 Nominations
Trayf; Geffen Playhouse; 3 Nominations
2:22 – A Ghost Story; CTG/Ahmanson Theatre; 2 Nominations
Dog; Hollywood Fringe Festival; 2 Nominations
Lavender Men; Skylight Theatre/Playwrights’ Arena; 2 Nominations
Man of God; Geffen Playhouse; 2 Nominations
Oklahoma!; CTG/Ahmanson Theatre; 2 Nominations
On the Other Hand, We’re Happy; Rogue Machine; 2 Nominations
The Prom; CTG/Ahmanson Theatre; 2 Nominations
Uncle Vanya; Pasadena Playhouse; 2 Nominations
Afterglow; Midnight Theatricals/The Hudson Theatre; 1 Nomination
Ann; Pasadena Playhouse; 1 Nomination
Assassins; East West Players; 1 Nomination
Babe; Echo Theater Company; 1 Nomination
Everybody; Antaeus Theatre Company; 1 Nomination
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie; CTG/Ahmanson Theatre; 1 Nomination
Hamlet; Antaeus Theatre Company; 1 Nomination
How We Got On; Sacred Fools at the Broadwater; 1 Nomination
Penelopiad; City Garage; 1 Nomination
Radio Golf; A Noise Within; 1 Nomination
Sanctuary City; Pasadena Playhouse; 1 Nomination
The Old Man and the Pool; CTG/Mark Taper Forum; 1 Nomination
The Play You Want; The Road Theatre Company; 1 Nomination
This Wonderful Life; Rogue Machine; 1 Nomination

CITATIONS BY COMPANY:
Center Theatre Group; 27 Nominations
Geffen Playhouse; 23 Nominations
A Noise Within; 13 Nominations
Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; 6 Nominations
Pasadena Playhouse; 6 Nominations
International City Theatre; 3 Nominations
Rogue Machine; 3 Nominations
The Fountain Theatre; 3 Nominations
Antaeus Theatre Company; 2 Nominations
Hollywood Fringe Festival; 2 Nominations
Skylight Theatre/Playwrights’ Arena; 2 Nominations
City Garage; 1 Nomination
East West Players; 1 Nomination
Echo Theater Company; 1 Nomination
Midnight Theatricals/Hudson Theatre; 1 Nomination
Sacred Fools at the Broadwater; 1 Nomination
The Road Theatre Company; 1 Nomination