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 2009. The 41st Annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards ceremony took place Monday, March 22 at the Colony Theatre in Burbank.
Awards were given in twenty categories, honoring excellence in theatre over the past year. Eight special awards were given, including an award honoring Kirk Douglas for his lifetime contribution to Los Angeles theatre; and the new Milton Katselas Award for career or special achievement in direction, sponsored by Katselas Theatre Company.
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 award recipients for the 2009 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards are as follows:
Production
- Life Could Be a Dream, David Elzer, Peter Schneider & Roger Bean, Hudson Mainstage
- Parade, Center Theatre Group and the Donmar Warehouse, Mark Taper Forum
- Stick Fly, The Matrix Theatre Company, Matrix Theatre
McCulloh Award for Revival
(For Shows between 1920 and 1980)
- Equus, The Production Company
Direction
- Shirley Jo Finney, Stick Fly, The Matrix Theatre
- Marilyn Fox, The Browning Version, Pacific Resident Theatre
Writing
- Brian Christopher Williams, Anita Bryant Died for Your Sins, West Coast Ensemble at the El Centro Theatre
Writing (Adaptation)
- Kitty Felde, Gogol Project, Rogue Artists Ensemble in association with Bootleg Theater at Bootleg Theater
Music Direction
- David O, The Wasps, The Lost Studio
- Michael Paternostro, Life Could Be a Dream, Hudson Mainstage
- Phil Reno, Minsky's, Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre
Choreography
- Matthew Bourne, Stephen Mear, and Geoffrey Garratt, Mary Poppins, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh at the Ahmanson Theatre
Musical Score
- Susan Birkenhead and Charles Strouse, Minsky's, Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre
Lead Performance
- Sam Anderson, The Bird and Mr. Banks, The Road Theatre Company at the Lankershim Arts Center
- Bruce French, The Browning Version, Pacific Resident Theatre
- Jim Hanna, Equus, The Production Company at The Chandler Studio Theatre
- Deidrie Henry, Coming Home, The Fountain Theatre
- Laurie Metcalf, Voice Lessons, Zephyr Theater
- Samantha Sloyan, Munched, Buzzworks Theater Company at the El Centro Theatre
Featured Performance
- Hugo Armstrong, Land of the Tigers, The Sacred Fools Theater Company & Burglars of Hamm in association with Frantic Redhead Productions at Sacred Fools Theater
- P.J. Griffith, Setup & Punch, The Blank Theatre Company at the 2nd Stage Theatre
- Andrea Hutchman, Munched, Buzzworks Theater Company at the El Centro Theatre
- Sally Smythe, The Browning Version, Pacific Resident Theatre
Ensemble Performance
- Hunter Gatherers, Furious Theatre Company at the Carrie Hamilton Theatre
- Life Could Be a Dream, Hudson Mainstage
- Stick Fly, The Matrix Theatre
Set Design
- Jeff McLaughlin, A Skull in Connemara, Theatre Tribe
Lighting Design
- Haylee Freeman, Gogol Project, Rogue Artists Ensemble in association with Bootleg Theater at Bootleg Theater
- David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre
Costume Design
- Gregg Barnes, Minsky's, Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre
Sound Design
- Ron Klier, Blackbird, VS. Theatre Company at the Elephant Studio Space
Solo Performance
- Danny Hoch, Taking Over, Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre
CGI/Video
- Brian White, Gogol Project, Rogue Artists Ensemble in association with Bootleg Theater at Bootleg Theater
Puppet and Mask Design
- Wes Crain, Lena Garcia, Lynn Jeffries, Elizabeth Luce, and Brian White, Gogol Project, Rogue Artists Ensemble in association with Bootleg Theater at Bootleg Theater
Makeup Design
- Ann Closs-Farley, Land of the Tigers, The Sacred Fools Theater Company & Burglars of Hamm in association with Frantic Redhead Productions at Sacred Fools Theater
Fight Choreography
- Victor Warren, Stranger, Bootleg Theater
Special Awards
- The Ted Schmitt Award for the world premiere of an outstanding new play was awarded to Julie Marie Myatt for The Happy Ones. The award was 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 was awarded to Celebration Theatre. The award was accompanied by a $500 check, funded by the Nederlander Organization.
- The Bob Z award for career achievement in set design was awarded to Sibyl Wickersheimer. The award was accompanied by a $500 check, funded by contributions from the theatrical community.
- The Angstrom Award for career achievement in lighting design was awarded to Luke Moyer. The award was accompanied by a $1000 check, funded by Angstrom Lighting.
- The Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater was awarded to the Rubicon Theatre Company. The award was accompanied by a $500 check, funded by Disney Theatricals.
- The Joel Hirschhorn Award for outstanding achievement in musical theatre was awarded to Jason Robert Brown. The award was accompanied by a $500 check, funded by David Elzer/Demand PR.
- The Milton Katselas Award for career or special achievement in direction was awarded to Richard Israel. The award was accompanied by a $1000 check, funded by Katselas Theatre Company.
- A special award for lifetime contribution to Los Angeles Theatre was awarded to Kirk Douglas.