The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle is proud to announce the award recipients for 2022. On the Other Hand, We’re Happy (Rogue Machine), The Inheritance (Geffen Playhouse), The Lehman Trilogy (CTG/Ahmanson Theatre), and Uncle Vanya (Pasadena Playhouse) received the prestigious Production award, with additional honorees named in 17 other categories. In total, 18 different productions were honored, celebrating a wide range of Los Angeles theater. A Noise Within’s Animal Farm received the most awards for a single production.
As announced during the Nominations process, The Los Angles Drama Critics Circle has also named the following special award honorees:
The TED SCHMITT Award for the World Premiere of an Outstanding New Play is 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 is awarded to Center Theatre Group.
The MILTON KATSELAS Award for Career or Special Achievement in Direction is 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 (Casa 0101), 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 Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund, a grant program that supports small nonprofit performing arts organizations by providing substantial reimbursements of payroll expenses.
This year, out of an abundance of caution, the LADCC will once again forgo its annual event ceremony and will instead send the plaques to the honorees. Congratulations to all of the award recipients!
The complete list of award recipients for 2022 is as follows:
Production
• On the Other Hand, We’re Happy, Rogue Machine
• The Inheritance, Geffen Playhouse
• The Lehman Trilogy, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
• Uncle Vanya, Pasadena Playhouse
McCulloh Award for Revival
• Animal Farm, A Noise Within
• Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Geffen Playhouse
Lead Performance
• Bryan Cranston, Power of Sail, Geffen Playhouse
• Nija Okoro, Blues for an Alabama Sky, CTG/Mark Taper Forum
Featured Performance
• Bill Brochtrup, The Inheritance, Geffen Playhouse
• Samantha Klein, If I Forget, The Fountain Theatre
Ensemble Performance
• Animal Farm, A Noise Within
Solo Performance
• Ben Moroski, Dog, Hollywood Fringe Festival
Writing
• Jessica Goldberg, Babe, Echo Theater Company
• Matthew López, The Inheritance, Geffen Playhouse
Writing Adaptation
• Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad, City Garage
• Ben Power, The Lehman Trilogy, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
Musical Score
• Anaïs Mitchell, Hadestown, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
Music Direction
• Rod Bagheri, Animal Farm, A Noise Within
• Nathan Koci, Hadestown, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
• Marc Macalintal, Assassins, East West Players
Choreography
• David Neumann, Hadestown, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
• Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre
Direction
• Mike Donahue, The Inheritance, Geffen Playhouse
• Sam Mendes, The Lehman Trilogy, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
Set Design
• Ann Beyersdorfer, Afterglow, Midnight Theatricals/Hudson Theatre
• Es Devlin, The Lehman Trilogy, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
• Rachel Myers, Power of Sail, Geffen Playhouse
Lighting Design
• Ken Booth, Animal Farm, A Noise Within
• Ken Booth, Metamorphoses, A Noise Within
• Bradley King, Hadestown, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
Costume Design
• Angela Balogh Calin, Animal Farm, A Noise Within
Sound Design
• John Nobori, Sanctuary City, Pasadena Playhouse
• Robert Oriol, Metamorphoses, A Noise Within
• Kate Wecker, Animal Farm, A Noise Within
CGI/Video
• Luke Halls, The Lehman Trilogy, CTG/Ahmanson Theatre
Specialty
• Wig & Make-up, Tony Valdés, Animal Farm, A Noise Within
Every effort has been made to ascertain proper credits for our award recipients. 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 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, Cultural Daily, Pasadena Now, Riot Material
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