Laurie Metcalf, Kirk Douglas et al. Honored with L.A. Drama Critics Circle Nominations

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle has announced its nominations 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 will take place on Monday, March 22 at the Colony Theatre, thanks to the generous donation of the Colony's management. The theatre is located at 555 N. Third Street, in Burbank.

The show will be hosted by L.A. theatre favorite Jason Graae (recipient of the 2007 Joel Hirschhorn Award for outstanding achievement in musical theatre) who will be joined by everyone's favorite LADCC Awards co-host, critic Wenzel Jones. Performing at the event, in addition to Mr. Graae, will be the cast of Life Could Be A Dream (3 nominations, including production). Additional performers and presenters will be announced at a later date.

Awards will be given in twenty categories, honoring excellence in theatre over the past year. Eight special awards will also be 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 Camelot Artists. The LADCC is grateful to the organizations who have graciously agreed to sponsor some of our special awards this year.

The 2009 special award recipients are as follows:

The Ted Schmitt Award for the world premiere of an outstanding new play will be awarded to Julie Marie Myatt for The Happy Ones. The award is 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 will be awarded to Celebration Theatre. The award is accompanied by a $500 check, funded by the Nederlander Organization.

The Bob Z award for career achievement in set design will be awarded to Sybil Wickersheimer.

The Angstrom Award for career achievement in lighting design will be awarded to Luke Moyer. The award is accompanied by a $1000 check, funded by Angstrom Lighting.

The Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater will be awarded to the Rubicon Theatre Company. The award is accompanied by a $500 check, funded by Disney Theatricals.

The Joel Hirschhorn Award for outstanding achievement in musical theatre will be awarded to Jason Robert Brown. The award is accompanied by a $500 check, funded by David Elzer/Demand PR.

The Milton Katselas Award for career or special achievement in direction will be awarded to Richard Israel. The award is accompanied by a $1000 check, funded by Camelot Artists.

A special award for lifetime contribution to Los Angeles Theatre will be awarded to Kirk Douglas.

Tickets are $40; and can be reserved in advance from the LADCC's website, at www.ladramacriticscircle.com. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a catered reception (with no-host bar) and silent auction. The show commences at 7:30 p.m.

The nominees for the 2009 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards for theatrical excellence are as follows:

Production
-Life Could Be a Dream, David Elzer, Peter Schneider & Crooning Crabcakes, LLC, Hudson        Mainstage
-Munched, Buzzworks Theater Company, El Centro Theatre
-No Man's Land, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, Odyssey Theatre
-Parade, Center Theatre Group and the Donmar Warehouse, Mark Taper Forum
-Stick Fly, The Matrix Theatre Company, Matrix Theatre
-The Happy Ones, South Coast Repertory, South Coast Repertory
-The Pain and the Itch, The Theatre @ Boston Court and Furious Theatre Company, Theatre @  Boston Court

McCulloh Award for Revival (shows between 1920 and 1980)
-Equus, The Production Company, Chandler Studio Theatre
-Hair, Chance Theater, Chance Theater
-The Browning Version, Pacific Resident Theatre, Pacific Resident Theatre

Direction
-Sean T. Cawelti, Gogol Project, Rogue Artists Ensemble in association with Bootleg Theater at    Bootleg Theater
-Duane Daniels, Munched, Buzzworks Theater Company at the El Centro Theatre
-Shirley Jo Finney, Stick Fly, The Matrix Theatre
-Marilyn Fox, The Browning Version, Pacific Resident Theatre
-Oanh Nguyen, Hair, Chance Theater

Writing
-Julie Hébert, Tree, Ensemble Studio Theatre-LA at [Inside] the Ford
-Bruce Norris, The Pain and the Itch, The Theatre @ Boston Court and Furious Theatre Company at  the Theatre @ Boston Court
-Kim Porter, Munched, Buzzworks Theater Company at the El Centro Theatre
-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
-Meryl Friedman, The Wasps, Stinger Productions at The Lost Studio

Music Direction
-Brent Crayon, Songs for a New World, International City Theatre
-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
-Bill Strongin, Hair, Chance Theatre

Choreography
 -Matthew Bourne, Stephen Mear, and Geoffrey Garratt, Mary Poppins, Disney and Cameron -  Mackintosh at the Ahmanson Theatre
-Ameenah Kaplan, Altar Boyz, Celebration Theatre
-Kelly Todd, Hair, Chance Theater

Musical Score
-Susan Birkenhead and Charles Strouse, Minsky's, Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre
-Anthony Bollas, Stranger, Bootleg Theater
-Erin Kamler, Divorce! The Musical, Hudson Mainstage

Lead Performance
-Sam Anderson, The Bird and Mr. Banks, The Road Theatre Company at the Lankershim Arts  Center
-Johnny Clark, Blackbird, VS. Theatre Company at the Elephant Studio Space
-Jade Dornfeld, Blackbird, VS. Theatre Company at the Elephant Studio Space
-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
-William Dennis Hurley, Shining City, The Fountain Theatre
-Michael Kostroff, The Producers, Musical Theatre West at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center
-Alan Mandell, No Man's Land, Odyssey Theatre
-Laurie Metcalf, Voice Lessons, Zephyr Theater
-Darin Singleton, The Unseen, The Road Theatre Company at the Lankershim Arts Center
-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
-Chuma Gault, Tree, Ensemble Studio Theatre-LA at [Inside] the Ford
-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
-Heather Lee, No Way to Treat a Lady, Colony Theatre
-Sally Smythe, The Browning Version, Pacific Resident Theatre
-Greg Watanabe, The Happy Ones, South Coast Repertory
-Jacqueline Wright, Tree, Ensemble Studio Theatre-LA at [Inside] the Ford

Ensemble Performance
-Hair, Chance Theater
-Hunter Gatherers, Furious Theatre Company at the Carrie Hamilton Theatre
-Life Could Be a Dream, Hudson Mainstage
-Our Mother's Brief Affair, South Coast Repertory
-Stick Fly, The Matrix Theatre
-The Pain and the Itch, The Theatre @ Boston Court and Furious Theatre Company at the Theatre @ Boston Court

Set Design
-John Iacovelli, Stick Fly, The Matrix Theater
-Jeff McLaughlin, A Skull in Connemara, Theatre Tribe
-Stephanie Kerley Schwartz, Treefall, Rogue Machine at Theatre/Theater

Lighting Design
-Lap-Chi Chu, Our Mother's Brief Affair, South Coast Repertory
-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
-Dan Weingarten, Stranger, Bootleg Theater

Costume Design
-Gregg Barnes, Minsky's, Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre
-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
-Shigeru Yaji, Peace, The Getty Villa

Sound Design
-Ron Klier, Blackbird, Elephant Theatre Lab
-John Nobori, Gogol Project, Rogue Artists Ensemble in association with Bootleg Theater at Bootleg  Theater
-Ken Sawyer, Dracula, Noho Arts Center

CGI/Video
-John MacDonald, Hair, Chance Theater
-BrIan White, Gogol Project, Rogue Artists Ensemble in association with Bootleg Theater at Bootleg Theater

Fight Choreography
-Brian Danner, Macbeth, Theater Banshee
-Victor Warren, Stranger, Bootleg Theater

Awards will also be given in the following categories:

Solo Performance
-Danny Hoch, Taking Over, Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre

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

Puppet 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

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.

Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski