The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle has announced the winners and special awards for excellence in Los Angeles and Orange County theatre for the year 2008. The 40th Annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards ceremony took place Monday, March 16 at the historic El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, and was co-hosted by Vicki Lewis.
The Circle also announced a new Special Award, the Milton Katselas Award, sponsored by Camelot Artists, to be awarded beginning next year for career or special achievement in Directing.
The award recipients are:
Production
- Anything, Elephant Theatre Company at the Lillian Theatre
- Gem of the Ocean, Fountain Theatre
- Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara, Sacred Fools Theater Company at Sacred Fools and at the Matrix Theatre
McCulloh Award for Revival (shows written between 1920 and 1980)
- Of Mice and Men, Theatre Banshee
Direction
- Jeremy Aldridge, Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara, Sacred Fools Theater Company at Sacred Fools and at the Matrix Theatre
- Ben Bradley, Gem of the Ocean, Fountain Theatre
- David Fofi, Anything, Elephant Theatre Company at the Lillian Theatre
Writing
- Athol Fugard, Victory, the Fountain Theatre
Writing (Adaptation)
- Sean T. Cawelti with Miles Taber and the Rogues, The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch, Rogue Artists Ensemble at Bootleg Theater
Music Direction
- Dennis Kaye, Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara, Sacred Fools Theater Company at Sacred Fools and at the Matrix Theatre
Choreography
- Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5: The Musical, Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre
- Lee Martino, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Havok Theatre Company at Bootleg Theatre
Musical Score
- Michael Friedman, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre
- Dolly Parton, 9 to 5: The Musical, Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre
Lead Performance
- Sean Branney, Of Mice and Men, Theatre Banshee
- Jake Broder, Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara, Sacred Fools Theater Company at Sacred Fools and at the Matrix Theatre
- Ellen Geer, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Theatricum Botanicum
- John Glover, Secrets of the Trade, the Black Dahlia Theatre
- Louis Jacobs, Anything, Elephant Theatre Company at the Lillian Theatre
- Judy Kaye, Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre
Featured Performance
- JD Cullum, Don Juan, A Noise Within
- Beth Kennedy, As U2 Like It, Troubadour Theater Company at the Falcon Theatre
- Sharon Lawrence, Orson’s Shadow, Pasadena Playhouse
- Adolphus Ward, Gem of the Ocean, Fountain Theatre
Ensemble Performance
- Assassins, West Coast Ensemble at The El Centro Theatre
Set Design
- Laura Fine Hawkes, Snake in the Grass, Salem K Theatre Company at The Matrix Theatre
Lighting Design
- Steven Young, Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story, Havok Theatre Company at the Hudson Backstage Theatre
Costume Design
- Shigeru Yaji, An Italian Straw Hat: A Vaudeville, South Coast Repertory
Sound Design
- Ken Rich, The Common Air, SoulArt and Elephant C.A.F.E at Theatre Asylum
Solo Performance
- Nilaja Sun, No Child…, Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre
CGI/Video
- Brian White, The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch, Rogue Artists Ensemble at Bootleg Theater
Puppet and Mask Design
- Joyce Hutter and Patrick Rubio, The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch, Rogue Artists Ensemble at Bootleg Theater
Fight Choreography
- Ned Mochel, On An Average Day, VS. Theatre Company at the Elephant Theatre Lab
Special Awards:
The Ted Schmitt Award for the world premiere of an outstanding new play will be awarded to EM Lewis for Song of Extinction. The award is accompanied by an offer to publish and a $1000 check funded by Samuel French, Inc.
The Polly Warfield Award for an excellent season in a small to mid-size theater will be awarded to Sacred Fools Theater Company. The award is accompanied by a $500 check, funded by the Nederlander Organization.
The Angstrom Award for career achievement in lighting design will be awarded to Lisa D. Katz. The award is accompanied by a $1000 check, funded by Angstrom Lighting.
The Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater will be awarded to the Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company. The award accompanied by a $500 check from Camelot Artists
The Joel Hirschhorn Award for outstanding achievement in musical theatre will be awarded to Nick DeGruccio. The award is accompanied by a $500 check from David Elzer/Demand PR.