The Los Angeles Drama Critic Circle (LADCC) is proud to announce its 2023 awards nominees for Theatrical Excellence.
This year, because of extenuating COVID concerns, instead of a live event, the Circle awards recipients will once again be announced online – but in a brand-new format.
The LADCC is thrilled to introduce a “first” for its awards ceremony. We invite you to join us for an online streaming presentation of the awards on Monday, April 8, 2024, at 8 pm (Pacific), when winners in each category will be announced during a LIVE simulcast on both Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ladramacritics/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ladramacritics).
Viewing is FREE to everyone for the online stream and audiences everywhere will be able to follow along by smartphone, computer, or other web-connected devices that can access the social media channels. *An account with at least one of the channels, Facebook or Instagram, may be required.
The Circle also invites nominees to share (starting today) photos, short videos, speeches, and other celebratory comments, before, during, and after the awards presentation, by tagging our Instagram and/or Facebook accounts: @LADramaCritics. The LADCC will share them on our channels.
This year’s stream is being produced by LADCC Awards Chair Tracey Paleo and in collaboration with the LADCC President Jonas Schwartz-Owen and LADCC Website and Social Media Co-Chairs, Patrick Chavis and Socks Whitmore.
Also, the LADCC is pleased to announce that for the first time in its 54-year history, that the Circle has awarded more than 90 nominations to the collective theatrical categories.
More information will be forthcoming about the stream via social media. For now, please follow our accounts for updates and other news as we celebrate the Los Angeles theater community.
We will also be hosting a dedicated 2023 Awards page this year on the LADCC website (https://ladramacriticscircle.com/). The page will include a list of our Sponsors and the 2023 LADCC Awards Show program, which will also be available for download on the day of the Awards stream. Sponsor and Donor information will also be available on the page.
We thank our two Special Awards Sponsors: The Black List (https://blcklst.com/) and Kinetic Lighting (https://kineticlighting.com/), as well as our generous Sponsors and Donors of this year’s streaming awards presentation: Linda Toliver and Gary Guidinger; Los Angeles Female Playwrights Initiative (LAFPI) (https://lafpi.com/); Matt Kamimura Video, Editing & Photography (https://mattkamimura.com/); Benjamin South at Public Transit (https://www.publictransitla.com/); Storycrafting (http://www.storycrafting.biz/index.html); Sandra Kuker PR (https://www.sandrakukerpr.com/); Cruise Guys Beverly Hills (https://www.cruiseguysbh.com/); and the LADCC’s official publicist, David Elzer at DEMAND PR.
*Circle members gathered this year for the first time since the COVID-19 quarantine to vote in person at The Broadwater Second Stage Theater (https://www.thebroadwaterla.com/) courtesy of Padraic Duffy, Bruno Oliver, and Rebecca Schoenberg.
The LADCC has named the following Special Award Honorees:
The POLLY WARFIELD AWARD for Best Season by a Small to Midsized Theater is given to Rogue Machine: John Perrin Flynn (Producing Artistic Director), Guillermo Cienfuegos (Artistic Director), Elina de Santos (Co-Artistic Director), and Justin Okin (Producing Director).
The GORDON DAVIDSON AWARD for Distinguished Contributions to the Los Angeles Theatrical Community is presented to Joseph Stern.
The JOEL HIRSCHHORN AWARD for Outstanding Achievement in Musical Theatre is presented to Pasadena Playhouse for The Sondheim Celebration.
The MILTON KATSELAS AWARD for Career or Special Achievement in Direction is presented to Michael Michetti.
The KINETIC LIGHTING AWARD for distinguished achievement in theatrical design goes to Pablo Santiago who will receive a cash prize from Kinetic Lighting (https://kineticlighting.com/).
The TED SCHMITT AWARD for the World Premiere of an Outstanding New Play is awarded to Ashley Rose Wellman for Kill Shelter (Theatre of Note). Ms. Wellman will also receive a cash prize from our Schmitt Award sponsor, The Black List (https://blcklst.com/).
The MARGARET HARFORD AWARD for Excellence in Theatre is given to Echo Theatre Company, Chris Fields, Founding Artistic Director.
Congratulations to all the Special Awards Winners!
Nominations by Award Category
PRODUCTION
A Midsummer Night’s Dream; A Noise Within
Appropriate; South Coast Repertory
Blood at the Root; Open Fist Theatre Company
For The Love of a Glove; Center For Inquiry West
Heroes of the Fourth Turning; Rogue Machine
Kill Shelter; Theatre of NOTE
Life Sucks; Interact Theatre Company
Much Ado About Nothing; A Noise Within
Quixote Nuevo; South Coast Repertory
MCCULLOH AWARD FOR BEST REVIVAL
A Little Night Music; Pasadena Playhouse
A View from the Bridge; Ruskin Group Theatre
Into The Woods; Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson
Twilight: Los Angeles 1992; Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum
DIRECTION
David Lee; A Little Night Music; Pasadena Playhouse
Julia Rodriguez-Elliott & Geoff Elliott; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; A Noise Within
Michael A. Shepperd; Blood at the Root; Open Fist Theatre Company
Shaina Rosenthal; Kill Shelter; Theatre of NOTE
Guillermo Cienfuegos; Much Ado About Nothing; A Noise Within
WRITING-ORIGINAL
Charlie Oh; Coleman ’72; South Coast Repertory
Bernardo Cubria; Crabs in a Bucket; Echo Theater Company
Julien Nitzberg; For The Love of a Glove; Center for Inquiry West
Dominique Morisseau; Pipeline; Harold Clurman Theater
Rosie Narasaki; Unrivaled; Playwrights’ Arena and Boston Court Pasadena.
WRITING-ADAPTATION
Aaron Posner; Life Sucks; Interact Theatre Company
Tina Fey; Mean Girls; Hollywood Pantages Theatre
Octavio Solis; Quixote Nuevo; South Coast Repertory
MUSIC DIRECTION
Alby Potts; A Little Night Music; Pasadena Playhouse
Michelle Do; Come Get Maggie; Rogue Machine
Jan Roper; Starmites; Open Fist Theatre Company
Myrna Conn; The Lonely Few; Geffen Playhouse
CHOREOGRAPHY
Casey Nicholaw; Mean Girls; Hollywood Pantages Theatre
Joyce Guy; Much Ado About Nothing; A Noise Within
Marissa Herrera; Quixote Nuevo; South Coast Repertory
Jeremy Lucas; The Wild Party; Jaxx Theatricals
MUSIC & LYRICS
Susan Justin (music/Lyrics) & Diane Frolov (Lyrics); Come Get Maggie; Rogue Machine
Michael Shaw Fisher; Exorcistic: The Rock Musical; Orgasmico Theatre Company
Jeff Richmond & Nell Benjamin; Mean Girls; Hollywood Pantages Theatre
David R. Molina & Octavio Solis; Quixote Nuevo; South Coast Repertory
LEAD PERFORMANCE
Merle Dandridge; A Little Night Music; Pasadena Playhouse
Kasey Mahaffy; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; A Noise Within
Ray Abruzzo; A View from the Bridge; Ruskin Group Theatre
Edwin Lee Gibson; Fetch Clay, Make Man; Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas
Eric B. Anthony; For the Love of a Glove; Center For Inquiry West
Stephanie J Block; Into the Woods; Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson
Ashley Romans; Kill Shelter; Theatre of NOTE
Nadia Marina; Kill Shelter; Theatre of NOTE
Joshua Bitton; Much Ado About Nothing; A Noise Within
Nate Memba; Pipeline; Harold Clurman Theater
Camille Ariana Spirlin; SHE; Antaeus Theatre Company
Faline England; The Realistic Joneses; Rubicon Theatre Company & Laguna Playhouse
Chris Butler; The Tempest: An Immersive Experience; The Shakespeare Center LA & After Hours Theatre Company
FEATURED PERFORMANCE
Aurora Leonard; A View from the Bridge; Ruskin Group Theatre
Casey Smith; Do You Feel Anger?; Circle X Theatre Company
Tasha Ames; Do You Feel Anger?; Circle X Theatre Company
Gavin Creel; Into the Woods; Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson
Erin Pineda; Life Sucks; Interact Theatre Company
Olivia Castanho; Life Sucks; Interact Theatre Company
Lorenz Arnell; SHE; Antaeus Theatre Company
Frederick Stuart; The Book of Will; A Noise Within
ENSEMBLE
Life Sucks; Interact Theatre Company
Radical or, are you gonna miss me?; IAMA Theatre Company
Ride the Cyclone; Chance Theater
SCENIC DESIGN
Frederica Nascimento; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; A Noise Within
Evan Bartoletti; Life Sucks; Interact Theatre Company
Angela Balogh Calin; Much Ado About Nothing; A Noise Within
Efren Delgadillo, Jr.; Quixote Nuevo; South Coast Repertory
Alexander Dodge; The Engagement Party; Geffen Playhouse
Leah Ramillano; The Tempest: An Immersive Experience; The Shakespeare Center LA and After Hours Theatre Company
LIGHTING DESIGN
Ken Booth; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; A Noise Within
Ken Booth; Much Ado About Nothing; A Noise Within
Carol Doehring; Life Sucks; Interact Theatre Company
Dan Weingarten; The Tempest: An Immersive Experience; The Shakespeare Center LA and After Hours Theatre Company
COSTUME DESIGN
Kate Bergh; A Little Night Music; Pasadena Playhouse
Angela Balogh Calin; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; A Noise Within
Lou Cranch; Crabs in a Bucket; Echo Theater Company
Lena Sands; Menstruation: A Period Piece; Big Little Theater Company & Los Angeles LGBT Center
Christine Cover Ferro; Much Ado About Nothing; A Noise Within
Bradley Allen Lock; Ride the Cyclone; Chance Theater
SOUND DESIGN
Robert Oriol; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; A Noise Within
David R. Molina; Quixote Nuevo; South Coast Repertory
Austin Quan & Cricket Myers; The Tempest: An Immersive Experience; The Shakespeare Center LA and After Hours Theatre Company
Alyssa Ishii; Unrivaled; Playwrights’ Arena and Boston Court Pasadena.
SOLO PERFORMANCE
Daniel K. Isaac; Every Brilliant Thing; Geffen Playhouse
Kristina Wong; Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord; Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas & East West Players
PROJECTION / ANIMATION DESIGN
Adam Jesse Burns; Garden of Alla: The Alla Nazimova Story; Theatre West
Scott Peterman; Starmites; Open Fist Theatre Company
Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh; Tacos La Brooklyn; Latino Theater Company & East West Players
Yee Eun Nam; The Mountaintop; Geffen Playhouse
Yee Eun Nam; Twilight: Los Angeles 1992; Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum
PUPPET DESIGN
James Ortiz; Into the Woods; Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson
Emory Royston; Kill Shelter; Theatre of NOTE
Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle (LADCC) Info:
The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle current officers consist of President Jonas Schwartz-Owen (TheaterMania, BroadwayWorld), Vice President Dana Martin (Stage Raw), Treasurer Hoyt Hilsman (Cultural Daily), Co-Secretaries Martίn Hernández (Stage Raw) and Philip Brandes (Stage Raw, LA Times, Santa Barbara Independent), Website/Social Media Co-Chairs Socks Whitmore (Stage Raw) and Patrick Chavis (LA Theatre Bites, The Orange Curtain Review) and Awards Chair Tracey Paleo (Gia On The Move, BroadwayWorld).
The current 2024 membership of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle (in alphabetical order): Lara J. Altunian (Stage Raw, L.A. Dance Chronicle), Philip Brandes (Stage Raw, LA Times, Santa Barbara Independent), Katie Buenneke (Stage Raw, TheaterDigest.substack.com), Patrick Chavis (LA Theatre Bites, The Orange Curtain Review), F. Kathleen Foley (Stage Raw), Anita W. Harris (LATheatrix.com), Martίn Hernández (Stage Raw), Hoyt Hilsman (Cultural Daily), Travis Michael Holder (TicketHoldersLA.com), Deborah Klugman (Stage Raw), Harker Jones (BroadwayWorld/LA), Dana Martin (Stage Raw), Myron Meisel (Stage Raw), Terry Morgan (Stage Raw, ArtsBeatLA.com), Honorary Member Steven Leigh Morris (Stage Raw), Tracey Paleo (GiaOnTheMove.com/ BroadwayWorld/LA), Melinda Schupmann (ShowMag.com, ArtsInLA.com), Jonas Schwartz-Owen (Theatermania, BroadwayWorld/LA), Don Shirley (Angeles Stage on Substack), and Socks Whitmore (Stage Raw).
Citation Totals by Production
A Midsummer Night’s Dream; A Noise Within; 7 nominations
Life Sucks; Interact Theatre Company; 7 nominations
Much Ado About Nothing; A Noise Within; 7 nominations
Quixote Nuevo; South Coast Repertory; 6 nominations
A Little Night Music; Pasadena Playhouse; 5 nominations
Kill Shelter; Theatre of NOTE; 5 nominations
Into The Woods; Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson; 4 nominations
The Tempest: An Immersive Experience; The Shakespeare Center LA and After Hours Theatre Company; 4 nominations
A View from the Bridge; Ruskin Group Theatre; 3 nominations
For The Love of a Glove; Center For Inquiry West; 3 nominations
Mean Girls; Hollywood Pantages Theatre; 3 nominations
Blood at the Root; Open Fist Theatre Company; 2 nominations
Come Get Maggie; Rogue Machine; 2 nominations
Crabs in a Bucket; Echo Theater Company; 2 nominations
Do You Feel Anger?; Circle X Theatre Company; 2 nominations
Pipeline; Harold Clurman Theater; 2 nominations
Ride the Cyclone; Chance Theater; 2 nominations
SHE; Antaeus Theatre Company; 2 nominations
Starmites; Open Fist Theatre Company; 2 nominations
Twilight: Los Angeles 1992; Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum; 2 nominations
Unrivaled; Playwrights’ Arena and Boston Court; 2 nominations
Appropriate; South Coast Repertory; 1 nomination
Coleman ’72; South Coast Repertory; 1 nomination
Every Brilliant Thing; Geffen Playhouse; 1 nomination
Exorcistic: The Rock Musical; Orgasmico Theatre Company; 1 nomination
Fetch Clay, Make Man; Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas; 1 nomination
Garden of Alla: The Alla Nazimova Story; Theatre West; 1 nomination
Heroes of the Fourth Turning; Rogue Machine; 1 nomination
Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord; Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas
& East West Players; 1 nomination
Menstruation: A Period Piece; Big Little Theater Company
& Los Angeles LGBT Center; 1 nomination
Radical or, are you gonna miss me?; IAMA Theatre Company; 1 nomination
Tacos La Brooklyn; Latino Theater Company & East West Players; 1 nomination
The Book of Will; A Noise Within; 1 nomination
The Engagement Party; Geffen Playhouse; 1 nomination
The Lonely Few; Geffen Playhouse; 1 nomination
The Mountaintop; Geffen Playhouse; 1 nomination
The Realistic Joneses; Rubicon Theatre Company & Laguna Playhouse; 1 nomination
The Wild Party; Jaxx Theatricals; 1 nomination
Citation Totals by Company
A Noise Within; 15 nominations
Center Theatre Group; 8 nominations
South Coast Repertory; 8 nominations
Interact Theatre Company; 7 nominations
Pasadena Playhouse; 5 nominations
Theatre of NOTE; 5 nominations
Geffen Playhouse; 4 nominations
Open Fist Theatre Company; 4 nominations
Shakespeare LA; 4 nominations
Center For Inquiry West; 3 nominations
Hollywood Pantages Theatre; 3 nominations
Rogue Machine; 3 nominations
Ruskin Group Theatre; 3 nominations
Antaeus Theatre Company; 2 nominations
Chance Theater; 2 nominations
Circle X Theatre Company; 2 nominations
Echo Theater Company; 2 nominations
Harold Clurman Theater; 2 nominations
Playwrights’ Arena and Boston Court Pasadena.; 2 nominations
Rubicon Theatre Company & Laguna Playhouse; 1 nomination
Big Little Theater Company & Los Angeles LGBT Center; 1 nomination
IAMA Theatre Company; 1 nomination
Jaxx Theatricals; 1 nomination
Latino Theater Company & East West Players; 1 nomination
Orgasmico Theatre Company; 1 nomination
Theatre West; 1 nomination
