Marquee Theater Journalists Association Announces 2026 Norbay Theater Awards Nominees

The Marquee Theater Journalists Association has announced the nominees for their 2026 MTJA Norbay Theater Awards for the 2025/2026 seson.

The Association was originally formed by a group of Sonoma County-based theater journalists in 2015 with the intent of developing a critically-based awards program to acknowledge outstanding work done by the local theater community. It held Awards ceremonies from 2016 though 2020, then went dormant during the COVID pandemic. It was revived in 2025 in collaboration with the North Bay Bohemian and held its renamed MTJA Norbay Theater Awards ceremony in September of 2025.

There are a total of 18 categories of awards for technical craft, performance, and production. The MTJA was the first awards program in California to eliminate gender distinction in the performance categories and will continue to recognize outstanding supporting and lead performances in three genres - comedy, drama, and musical. The Association also recognizes the work of the Stage Director and Stage Manager in its Outstanding Production categories.

Changes to the program this year include the addition of an Outstanding Ensemble category and an Outstanding Specialty Production category that will be inclusive of productions 'outside the box' of the three standard play divisions.

Sonoma and Napa County productions in the 2025-2026 season attended by members Harry Duke, Cari Lynn Pace, Caitlin Strom-Martin, Beulah Vega, and Barry Willis qualified for Award consideration. Nominations and recipients are determined by ranked-choice voting of the membership.

This year's Awards will be presented at a gathering of the theater community on Sunday, October 18, at The California in Santa Rosa from 6:00pm - 8:00 pm. Admission is free and all supporters of local theater are invited.

Here are the nominees for the 2026 MTJA Norbay Theater Awards:

Outstanding Costume Design

Donnie Frank, My Fair Lady, Cinnabar Theater
Donnie Frank, Into the Woods, Spreckels Theatre Company
Adriana Gutierrez, It's a Wonderful Life, Spreckels Theatre Company
Mae Heagerty-Matos, Bad Seed, 6th Street Playhouse
Barbara McFadden, Peter & Alice, Lucky Penny Productions

Outstanding Lighting Design

Robin DeLuca, A Night with Janis Joplin, Sonoma Arts Live
April George, The Secret Garden, Cinnabar Theater
Eddy Hansen, Into the Woods, Spreckels Theatre Company
Noah Hewitt, Marjorie Prime, 6th Street Playhouse
Missy Weaver, Woody Guthrie's American Song, Mercury Theater

Outstanding Scenic Design

Peter Crompton, The Secret Garden, Cinnabar Theater
Eddy Hansen, Into the Woods, Spreckels Theatre Company
Eddy Hansen, It's a Wonderful Life, Spreckels Theatre Company
Bruce Lackovic, Bad Seed, 6th Street Playhouse
Barry Martin, Peter & Alice, Lucky Penny Productions

Outstanding Sound Design

Rob Broadhurst, Revenge of the Rebobs!, Lucky Penny Productions
Jessica Johnson, Featherbaby, Spreckels Theatre Company
Jessica Johnson, Into the Woods, Spreckels Theatre Company
Thomas Leukens, A Night with Janis Joplin, Sonoma Arts Live
Marisa Whitmore, My Children! My Africa!, The 222

Outstanding Musical Direction

Rob Broadhurst, Revenge of the Rebobs!, Lucky Penny Productions
Craig Burdette, The Drowsy Chaperone, Lucky Penny Productions
Aja Gianola, A Night with Janis Joplin, Sonoma Arts Live
Lucas Sherman, Into the Woods, Spreckels Theatre Company
Brett Strader, My Fair Lady, Cinnabar Theater

Outstanding Choreography

Malia Abayon, A Christmas Story, 6th Street Playhouse
Christian Arteaga, My Fair Lady, Cinnabar Theater
Alex Gomez, The Drowsy Chaperone, Lucky Penny Productions
Alex Gomez, Godspell, Lucky Penny Productions
Karen Miles, Into the Woods, Spreckels Theatre Company

Outstanding Collegiate Production

The Comedy of Hamlet, Santa Rosa Junior College
Directed by Reed Martin / Stage Management by Kai Clark

Hello, Dolly!, Santa Rosa Junior College
Directed by Gina Alvarado / Stage Management by Dianne Harrison

Into The Woods, Napa Valley College
Directed by Tia Madison

Ride the Cyclone, Santa Rosa Junior College
Directed by Sarah Wintermeyer / Stage Management by Marsh Jackson

Outstanding Specialty Production

All in Favor, Montgomery High School Student Production
Directed by Chris Schloemp / Stage Management by Ethan Magers

La rondine, Mercury Theater Opera
Directed by Ellie Lichenstein / Stage Management by Ingrid Emming

Shirley Valentine, Sonoma Arts Live Solo Production
Directed by Sharon Winegar / Stage Management by Loryn Hatten

X, SRJC Theater Student Production
Directed by Jaden 'Moose' Frank / Stage Management by Marsh Jackson

Outstanding Ensemble

The Christians, Cinnabar Theater
The Homecoming, Roustabout Theater
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Mercury Theater
Ride the Cyclone, Santa Rosa Junior College
We are proud to present..., Left Edge Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Performance / Drama

John Craven, Bad Seed, 6th Street Playhouse
Rosie Frater, It's a Wonderful Life, Spreckels Theatre Company
Jonathan Graham, The Outgoing Tide, Cloverdale Performing Arts Center
Mary Gannon Graham, Bad Seed, 6th Street Playhouse
Tanya Marie, Laundry and Bourbon, The 222

Outstanding Lead Performance / Drama

Isiah Carter, We Are Proud to Present..., Left Edge Theatre
Tamar Cohn, Marjorie Prime, 6th Street Playhouse
Sandra Ish, Bad Seed, 6th Street Playhouse
Nic Moore, It's a Wonderful Life, Spreckels Theatre Company
Andrew Patton, The Christians, Cinnabar Theater

Outstanding Drama Production

Bad Seed, 6th Street Playhouse
Directed by David Lear / Stage Management by April George

The Christians, Cinnabar Theater
Directed by Nathan Cummings / Stage Management by Elise Clark

The Lifespan of a Fact, 6th Street Playhouse
Directed by Libby Oberlin / Stage Management by Areya Rowan

Marjorie Prime, 6th Street Playhouse
Directed by John Browning / Stage Management by Kasey Vannoy

My Children! My Africa!, The 222
Directed by Robert Parsons / Stage Management by Sheila Devitt

Outstanding Supporting Performance / Comedy

Dana Hunt, Bootycandy, Left Edge Theatre
Lexus Fletcher, Bootycandy, Left Edge Theatre
Sheila Licherie, Home, I'm Darling, Sonoma Arts Live
Mercedes Murphy, Featherbaby, Spreckels Theatre Company
Tim Setzer, Sherwood, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Cinnabar Theater

Outstanding Lead Performance / Comedy

Gina Alvarado/Matt Cadigan, Featherbaby, Spreckels Theatre Company
Chelsea Jennings Bell, Eureka Day, Raven Players
Jonathen Blue, Bootycandy, Left Edge Theatre
Kevin Bordi, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Mercury Theater
David Yen, Sherwood, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Cinnabar Theater

Outstanding Comedy Production

Bootycandy, Left Edge Theatre
Directed by Serena Elize Flores / Stage Management by Lindsay John

Eureka Day, Raven Players
Directed by Steven David Martin / Stage Management by Jenna Vera Dolcini

Featherbaby, Spreckels Theatre Company
Directed by Skylar Evans / Stage Management by Cecelia Hamilton-Lee

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Mercury Theater
Directed by Keith Baker / Stage Management by Cecelia Hamilton-Lee

We are proud to present..., Left Edge Theatre
Directed by Skylar Evans / Stage Management by Shanay Howell

Outstanding Supporting Performance / Musical

Sam Coughlin, Into the Woods, Spreckels Theatre Company
HarriettePearl Fugitt, A Christmas Story, 6th Street Playhouse
Beckett Hepp, The Secret Garden, Cinnabar Theater
Nora Summers, A Christmas Story, 6th Street Playhouse
Tim Setzer, My Fair Lady, Cinnabar Theater

Outstanding Lead Performance / Musical

Daniela Innocenti Beem, Into the Woods, Spreckels Theatre Company
Serena Elize Flores, Hands on a Hardbody, Spreckels Theatre Company
Libby Oberlin, A Night with Janis Joplin, Sonoma Arts Live
DC Scarpelli, The Drowsy Chaperone, Lucky Penny Productions
Violet Spears, The Secret Garden, Cinnabar Theater

Outstanding Musical Production

The Drowsy Chaperone, Lucky Penny Productions
Directed by Daren A.C. Carollo / Stage Management by Jeff Arriaga

Into the Woods, Spreckels Theatre Company
Directed by Sheri Lee Miller / Stage Management by Maggie Davis

A Night with Janis Joplin, Sonoma Arts Live
Directed by Carl Jordan / Stage Management by Loryn Hatten

Revenge of the Rebobs!, Lucky Penny Productions
Directed by Barry Martin / Stage Management by Jeff Arriaga

The Secret Garden, Cinnabar Theater
Directed by Jane Erwin / Stage Management by Elise Clark

This Association looks forward to giving the community an opportunity to gather and celebrate all the hard work done by North Bay theatre artists in the 2025/2026 season at their event in October.

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