The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle is proud to announce the nominees for theatrical excellence for the years 2020 and 2021. We are combining the past two years as we didn’t give awards in those years due to the pandemic. This year, out of an abundance of caution, we are forgoing our annual event ceremony and will instead post the award recipients online in a future press release in the upcoming weeks.
Congratulations to all of the nominees!
In the meantime, the worthy nominees for 2020 and 2021 are as follows:
Production:
- Lizastrata, Troubadour Theater Company and Getty Public Programs
- Poor Clare, The Echo Theater Company
- The Father, Pasadena Playhouse
- UnRavelled, Global Brain Health Institute, based at the University of California, San Francisco; and Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Ireland
- What the Constitution Means to Me, Center Theatre Group
McCulloh Award for Revival
- My Fair Lady, Dolby Theatre
- She Loves Me, South Coast Repertory
- The Serpent, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
Lead Performance
- Shereen Ahmed, My Fair Lady, Dolby Theatre
- Lucy Davenport, UnRavelled, Global Brain Health Institute, based at the University of California, San Francisco; and Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Ireland
- Maria Dizzia, What the Constitution Means to Me, Center Theatre Group
- Matthew Hancock, An Octoroon, The Fountain Theatre
- Jordan Hull, Poor Clare, The Echo Theater Company
- Alfred Molina, The Father, Pasadena Playhouse
- Cloie Wyatt Taylor, Lizastrata, Troubadour Theater Company
- Treva Tegtmeier, A Body of Water, Actors Co-op Theatre Company
Featured Performance
- Alaska 5000, Head Over Heels, Pasadena Playhouse
- Ivy Beech, A Body of Water, Actors Co-op Theatre Company
- Sue Cremin, The Father, Pasadena Playhouse
- Rob Nagle, An Octoroon, The Fountain Theatre
- Ann Noble, Poor Clare, The Echo Theater Company
- Michael Sturgis, Poor Clare, The Echo Theater Company
Ensemble Performance
- Earthquakes in London, Rogue Machine Theatre
- Lizastrata, Troubadour Theater Company
- Poor Clare, The Echo Theater Company
- Reykjavík, The Road Theatre Company
- The Band’s Visit, Dolby Theatre
- The Children, The Fountain Theatre
- The Father, Pasadena Playhouse
- UnRavelled, Global Brain Health Institute, based at the University of California, San Francisco; and Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Ireland
Solo Performance
- Javon Johnson, Still, Pasadena Playhouse
- Dael Orlandersmith, Until the Flood, Center Theatre Group
- Jim Ortlieb, Stand Up If You’re Here Tonight, VS. Theatre Company & Circle X Theatre Co.
Writing
- Chiara Atik, Poor Clare, The Echo Theater Company
- Jake Broder, UnRavelled, Global Brain Health Institute, based at the University of California, San Francisco; and Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Ireland
- Javon Johnson, Still, Pasadena Playhouse
- John Kolvenbach, Stand Up If You’re Here Tonight, VS. Theatre Company & Circle X Theatre Co.
- Florian Zeller (translation by Christopher Hampton), The Father, Pasadena Playhouse
Writing Adaptation
- Rick Batalla and Matt Walker, The ODDyssey, Troubadour Theater Company
- Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, An Octoroon, The Fountain Theatre
- Matt Walker, Lizastrata, Troubadour Theater Company
Musical Score
- Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Frozen, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
- Eli Bolin, Found, IAMA Theatre Company
- David Yazbek, The Band’s Visit, Dolby Theatre
Music Direction
- John Bell, My Fair Lady, Dolby Theatre
- Benet Braun, Kinky Boots, 3-D Theatricals
- Andre Cerullo, Hamilton, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
- Adrian Ries, The Band’s Visit, Dolby Theatre
- Faith Seetoo, Frozen, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
- Matt Walker, The ODDyssey, Troubadour Theater Company
- Ryan Whyman, Lizastrata, Troubadour Theatre Company
Choreography
- Jess Coffman, Suzanne Jolie, L.T. Martinez, Matt Walker, Lizastrata, Troubadour Theater Company
- Kate Coleman, The Serpent, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
- Christopher Gatelli, My Fair Lady, Dolby Theatre
- Linda Love Simmons, Kinky Boots, 3-D Theatricals
Direction
- Oliver Butler, What the Constitution Means to Me, Center Theatre Group
- Alana Dietze, Poor Clare, The Echo Theater Company
- Jessica Kubzansky, The Father, Pasadena Playhouse
- Nan McNamara, A Body of Water, Actors Co-op Theatre Company
- Matt Walker, Lizastrata, Troubadour Theater Company
Set Design
- David Meyer, The Father, Pasadena Playhouse
- Frederica Nascimento, An Octoroon, The Fountain Theatre
- Christopher Oram, Frozen, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
- Michael Yeargan, My Fair Lady, Dolby Theatre
Lighting Design
- Ken Booth, Alice in Wonderland, A Noise Within
- Elizabeth Harper, The Father, Pasadena Playhouse
- Natasha Katz, Frozen, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
- Azra King-Abadi, Poor Clare, The Echo Theater Company
- Tyler Micoleau, The Band’s Visit, Dolby Theatre
- Matt Richter, Earthquakes in London, Rogue Machine Theatre
Costume Design
- Naila Aladdin-Sanders, An Octoroon, The Fountain Theatre
- Dianne K. Graebner, Poor Clare, The Echo Theater Company
- Christopher Oram, Frozen, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
- Halei Parker, Lizastrata, Troubadour Theater Company
- Catherine Zuber, My Fair Lady, Dolby Theatre
Sound Design
- Jeff Gardner, Seven Guitars, A Noise Within
- Peter Hylenski, Frozen, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
- Margaret Koldinger, Daniel Tator and Getty A/V (Chris Jeong, Marvin Jones), Lizastrata, Troubadour Theater Company
- John Zalewski, The Father, Pasadena Playhouse
CGI/Video
- Rick Batalla, Mike Faulkner, Benjamin Rapoport, The ODDyssey, Troubadour Theater Company
- Mike Bradecich, Dave Mickey, Daisy, International City Theatre
- Kaitlyn Pietras, Jason H. Thompson, Revenge Song, Geffen Playhouse
- Finn Ross, Frozen, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
Streaming Design
- Rick Batalla, Benjamin Rapoport, Matt Walker, The ODDyssey, Troubadour Theater Company
- Mike Bradecich, Daisy, International City Theatre
- Corwin Evans, Bree Pavey, UnRavelled, Global Brain Health Institute, based at the University of California, San Francisco; and Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Ireland
- Isaac Katzanek, Frank Marshall, The Future, Geffen Playhouse
- Eric Pargac, An Iliad, A Noise Within
- Andrew Schmedake, The Ballad of Emmett Till, The Fountain Theatre
Specialty
- Jen Albert, Fight Direction, An Octoroon, The Fountain Theatre
- Michael Allen Angel, Prop Design, An Octoroon, The Fountain Theatre
- Lily Bartenstein, Prop Design, Lizastrata, Troubadour Theater Company
- Tim Brown, Maggie MacDonald, Fight Choreography, Revenge Song, Geffen Playhouse
- Jeremy Chernick, Visual Effects, Frozen, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
- Helder Guimarães, Illusions, The Future, Geffen Playhouse
- Suzanne Jolie, Wig/Makeup Design, Lizastrata, Troubadour Theater Company
- Joe Seely, Puppet Design, The ODDyssey, Troubadour Theater Company
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 2020-2021 membership consisted of:
Lara J. Altunian, Stage Raw, L.A. Dance Chronicle
Katie Buenneke, Stage Raw, Theater Digest
Erin Conley, On Stage & Screen
Peter DeBruge, Variety
Ellen Dostal, BroadwayWorld, Musicals in LA
Lovell Estell III, Stage Raw, ArtsInLA.com
Margaret Gray, Los Angeles Times
Hoyt Hilsman, Cultural Daily, Pasadena Now, Riot Material
Harker Jones, BroadwayWorld, ArtsInLA.com
Deborah Klugman, Stage Raw, Capital and Main, Gia On The Move
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
Melinda Schupmann, Showmag.com, ArtsInLA.com
Jonas Schwartz-Owen, Theatermania.com, BroadwayWorld, ArtsInLA.com
Don Shirley, Angeles Stage
Rob Stevens, haineshisway.com
Citations by production:
Lizastrata (Troubadour Theater Company and Getty Public Programs): 11 Nominations
The Father (Pasadena Playhouse): 9 Nominations
Poor Clare (The Echo Theater Company): 9 Nominations
Frozen (Hollywood Pantages Theatre): 8 Nominations
An Octoroon (The Fountain Theatre): 7 Nominations
My Fair Lady (Dolby Theatre): 6 Nominations
The ODDyssey (Troubadour Theater Company): 5 Nominations
UnRavelled (Global Brain Health Institute, based at the University of California, San Francisco; and Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Ireland): 5 Nominations
The Band’s Visit (Dolby Theatre): 4 Nominations
A Body of Water (Actors Co-op Theatre Company): 3 Nominations
What the Constitution Means to Me (Center Theatre Group): 3 Nominations
Daisy (International City Theatre): 2 Nominations
Earthquakes in London (Rogue Machine Theatre): 2 Nominations
Kinky Boots (3-D Theatricals): 2 Nominations
Revenge Song (Geffen Playhouse): 2 Nominations
Stand Up If You’re Here Tonight (VS. Theatre Company & Circle X Theatre Co.): 2 Nominations
Still (Pasadena Playhouse): 2 Nominations
The Future (Geffen Playhouse): 2 Nominations
Alice in Wonderland (A Noise Within): 1 Nomination
An Iliad (A Noise Within): 1 Nomination
Found (IAMA Theatre Company): 1 Nomination
Hamilton (Hollywood Pantages Theatre): 1 Nomination
Head Over Heels (Pasadena Playhouse): 1 Nomination
Reykjavík (The Road Theatre Company): 1 Nomination
Seven Guitars (A Noise Within): 1 Nomination
She Loves Me (South Coast Repertory): 1 Nomination
The Ballad of Emmett Till (The Fountain Theatre): 1 Nomination
The Children (The Fountain Theatre): 1 Nomination
The Serpent (Odyssey Theatre Ensemble): 1 Nomination(Center Theatre Group): 1 Nomination
Citations by company:
Troubadour Theater Company: 16 Nominations
Pasadena Playhouse: 12 Nominations
Dolby Theatre: 10 Nominations
The Echo Theater Company: 9 Nominations
Hollywood Pantages Theatre: 9 Nominations
The Fountain Theatre: 9 Nominations
Global Brain Health Institute, based at the University of California, San Francisco; and Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Ireland: 5 Nominations
Center Theatre Group: 4 Nominations
Geffen Playhouse: 4 Nominations
Actors Co-op Theatre Company: 3 Nominations
A Noise Within: 3 Nominations
3-D Theatricals: 2 Nominations
VS. Theatre Company & Circle X Theatre Co.: 2 Nominations
International City Theatre: 2 Nominations
Rogue Machine Theatre: 2 Nominations
IAMA Theatre Company: 1 Nomination
Odyssey Theatre Ensemble: 1 Nomination