2016 Award Nominees

Tasty Little Rabbit @ MOVING ARTS

Tasty Little Rabbit @ MOVING ARTS

Deborah Klugman  – Stage Raw "...the play struck me as one of ideas, a reflection on the struggle of art...
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The Staircase @ SOUTH COAST REPERTORY

The Staircase @ SOUTH COAST REPERTORY

Patrick Chavis  – The Orange Curtain Review The Staircase is a thoughtful and contemplative show that rewards the patient. Read...
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The Delicate Tears of the Waning Moon @ LATINO THEATRE COMPANY

The Delicate Tears of the Waning Moon @ LATINO THEATRE COMPANY

Edward Hong – The Nerds Of Color It is only fitting that the opening night of The Delicate Tears of...
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The Violin Maker @ INTERNATIONAL CITY THEATRE

The Violin Maker @ INTERNATIONAL CITY THEATRE

Anita W. Harris – LA Theatrix The actions of a single person can ripple outward to affect many — sometimes...
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The Winter’s Tale @ SKYLIGHT THEATRE

The Winter’s Tale @ SKYLIGHT THEATRE

F. Kathleen Foley – Stage Raw Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, now at the Skylight Theatre, commences at Christmastime in the court...
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Penn plays: pop this ‘Cork…’, payne’s lane

Penn plays: pop this ‘Cork…’, payne’s lane

Don Shirley – Angeles Stage Corktown '39, The Violin Maker, Furlough's Paradise, You Are Cordially Invited to the End of...
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Furlough’s Paradise @ GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

Furlough’s Paradise @ GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

Anita W. Harris – LA Theatrix Winner of the 2025 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, “Furlough’s Paradise” offers a fresh take...
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Production

  • A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
  • Cloud 9, Antaeus Theatre Company
  • Disgraced, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum
  • Fly, Pasadena Playhouse
  • The Boy from Oz, Celebration Theatre
  • Urinetown the Musical, Coeurage Theatre Company

McCulloh Award for Revival (plays written between 1920 and 1991)

  • Cloud 9, Antaeus Theatre Company
  • Endgame, Center Theatre Group, Kirk Douglas Theatre
  • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum
  • West Side Story, Musical Theatre West, Carpenter Performing Arts Center

Lead Performance

  • Hugo Armstrong in All the Way, South Coast Repertory
  • Andrew Bongiorno in The Boy from Oz, Celebration Theatre
  • Ginna Carter in The Eccentricities of a Nightingale, Pacific Resident Theatre
  • Kate Morgan Chadwick in Bed, The Echo Theater Company
  • Darren Criss in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
  • Hari Dhillon in Disgraced, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum
  • Rebecca Gray in One of the Nice Ones, The Echo Theater Company
  • Connor Kelly-Eiding in Dry Land, The Echo Theater Company
  • Matt Orduña in Bars and Measures, The Theatre @ Boston Court
  • Gedde Watanabe in La Cage aux Folles, East West Players
  • Jacqueline Wright in Blueberry Toast, The Echo Theater Company

Featured Performance

  • JD Cullum in Cloud 9, Antaeus Theatre Company
  • Bo Foxworth in Cloud 9, Antaeus Theatre Company
  • Lena Hall in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
  • Steve Hofvendahl in The Engine of Our Ruin, The Victory Theatre
  • Bess Motta in The Boy from Oz, Celebration Theatre
  • Jessica Pennington in The Boy from Oz, Celebration Theatre
  • Victoria Ortiz in The Super Variety Match Bonus Round!, Rogue Machine Theatre

Ensemble Performance

  • Ameryka, Critical Mass Performance Group, The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles
  • Casa Valentina, Pasadena Playhouse
  • Cloud 9, Antaeus Theatre Company
  • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum
  • The Boy from Oz, Celebration Theatre

 Solo Performance

  • Deborah Puette, Captain of the Bible Quiz Team, Rogue Machine Theatre

Direction

  • Tim Dang, La Cage aux Folles, East West Players
  • Kari Hayter, Urinetown the Musical, Coeurage Theatre Company
  • Ricardo Khan, Fly, Pasadena Playhouse
  • Michael A. Shepperd, The Boy from Oz, Celebration Theatre
  • Casey Stangl, Cloud 9, Antaeus Theatre Company
  • Darko Tresnjak, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre

Writing

  • Ayad Akhtar, Disgraced, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum
  • Idris Goodwin, Bars and Measures, The Theatre @ Boston Court
  • Erik Patterson, One of the Nice Ones, The Echo Theater Company
  • Jason Wells, The Engine of Our Ruin, The Victory Theatre

Musical Score

  • Noah Agruss, Bars and Measures, The Theatre @ Boston Court
  • Steven Lutvak and Robert L. Freedman, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
  • Jason Robert Brown, The Bridges of Madison County, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre

Music Direction

  • Bryan Blaskie, The Boy from Oz, Celebration Theatre
  • Paul Litteral, Louis & Keely: ‘Live’ at the Sahara, Geffen Playhouse
  • Marc Macalintal, La Cage aux Folles, East West Players
  • Gregory Nabours, Urinetown the Musical, Coeurage Theatre Company

Choreography

  • Hope Clarke, Fly, The Pasadena Playhouse
  • Reggie Lee, La Cage aux Folles, East West Players
  • Janet Roston, The Boy from Oz, Celebration Theatre
  • Leslie Stevens, The Full Monty, 3-D Theatricals

Set Design

  • Tom Buderwitz, Casa Valentina, Pasadena Playhouse
  • Alexander Dodge, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre
  • David Gallo, Empire the Musical, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
  • Michael Navarro, My Mañana Comes, The Fountain Theatre

Lighting Design

  • Brandon Baruch, Urinetown the Musical, Coeurage Theatre Company
  • Ken Billington, Dreamgirls, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
  • Rui Rita and Jake DeGroot, Fly, Pasadena Playhouse
  • Tim Swiss, Dream Boy, Celebration Theatre

 Costume Design

  • Kate Bergh, Casa Valentina, Pasadena Playhouse
  • Amy Clark and Mark Koss, The Little Mermaid, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
  • A. Jeffrey Schoenberg, Cloud 9, Antaeus Theatre Company
  • Anthony Tran, La Cage aux Folles, East West Players

Sound Design

  • John Farmanesh-Bocca and Adam Phalen, Tempest Redux, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and New American Theatre
  • John Gromada, Fly, Pasadena Playhouse
  • Rebecca Kessin, Dream Boy, Celebration Theatre
  • Eric Snodgrass, The Boy from Oz, Celebration Theatre

Specialty: Fight Choreography

  • Jen Albert, Punch and Judy, The School of Night, Ruby Theater at the Complex

Specialty: Wigs, Hair and Makeup

  • Rick Geyer, Casa Valentina, Pasadena Playhouse
  • Jessica Mills, Cloud 9, Antaeus Theatre Company