The 36th Annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards ceremony was Monday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Coronet Theatre, located at 366 N. LaCienega Blvd., West Hollywood. For tickets, call 818/754-4785.
Co-hosts for the event were three-time Tony Award nominee Harry Groener (Oklahoma!, Cats, Crazy for You) and Back Stage West critic Wenzel Jones. Awards presenters included Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney (Reefer Madness), Marty Maguire (A Night in November), Bill Brochtrup (Theatre District), Michele Mais (Menopause the Musical) Marilyn Fox (Artistic Director, Pacific Resident Theatre) and Terry Evans (actor/producer, Andak Stage Company).
Our early award recipients included playwrights Mart Crowley (Boys in the Band) and John Guare (House of Blue Leaves); actors Maggie Smith (The Three Sisters) and Hume Cronyn (The Caine Mutiny Court Martial); costumer Cecil Beaton (Coco); directors Harold Prince and Michael Bennett (Follies); and Stephen Sondheim (Company).
Over the years, we have added special awards to our presentations. For example, the recipients of the Ted Schmitt Award for world premiere of an outstanding play have included Tony Kushner (Angels in America) and Margaret Edson (Wit), as well as Donald Margulies (Collected Stories), scripts that later won Tony Awards and Pulizter Prizes.
Currently our members vote on awards in the following categories:
Production
Direction
Musical Direction
Writing
Score
Lead PerformanceFeatured Performance
Scenic Design
Lighting Design
Costume Design
Sound Design
Choreography
We also vote on the following special awards:
THE MARGARET HARFORD AWARD for sustained excellence in theater. Funded by Pacific Resident Theatre.
THE TED SCHMITT AWARD for world premiere of an outstanding new play. Funded by Z. Clark Branson.
THE BOB Z AWARD for lifetime achievement in set design. Funded by the Fountain Theatre.
THE ANGSTROM AWARD for lifetime achievement in lighting design.
Funded by Angstrom Lighting.
THE NATALIE SCHAFER AWARD for an emerging comic actress. Funded by the Natalie Schafer Trust.
THE POLLY WARFIELD AWARD for an excellent season in a small to mid-size theater. Funded by contributions from the Los Angeles theatre community.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD