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SAN DIEGO (Feb. 4, 2013) ---- A modern
interpretation of a classic text swept its
nominated categories to receive five Craig
Noel Awards tonight. Moxie Theatre parlayed
three strong 2012 productions to take home
the Braunagel Award for outstanding
contribution to the San Diego arts scene by
a small-budget theatre.
A total of 22
productions from nine theater companies were
honored at the awards ceremony and
reception, held Feb. 4 at the Museum of
Contemporary Art, San Diego, in La Jolla.
Leading the way was the La Jolla
Playhouse/Berkeley Repertory Theatre
production of “An Iliad,” with five awards.
Other multiple-award productions were Cygnet
Theatre’s production of the musical,
“Parade,” The Old Globe’s musical,
“Allegiance,” and that company’s
co-production, with the American
Conservatory Theatre, of “The Scottsboro
Boys” with three awards each; and two of
Moxie Theatre’s productions – “A Raisin in
the Sun” and “Hickorydickory” – and Ion
Theatre’s “The Little Flower of East Orange”
with two awards each.
“An Iliad” swept the
three categories in which it was nominated:
Outstanding Dramatic Production (an award
also given to “A Raisin in the Sun”),
Outstanding Lighting Design (Scott
Zielinski), and Outstanding Sound Design
(Mark Bennett, an award also presented to
Shahrokh Yadegari’s design for “Blood and
Gifts,” another La Jolla Playhouse
production). Also, the two performers in “An
Iliad,” Henry Woronicz and Brian Ellingsen,
received special awards for Outstanding Solo
Performance and Outstanding Featured Musical
Performance in a Play, respectively.
Moxie Theatre was
honored for outstanding work on three of its
2012 productions: “A Raisin in the Sun,”
which received eight nominations for Craig
Noel Awards and received awards for
Outstanding Dramatic Production and for
Outstanding Ensemble; “The Trestle at Pope
Lick Creek;” and “Hickorydickory,” which
received Craig Noel Awards for Samantha
Ginn’s featured performance and Jennifer
Brawn Gittings’ scenic design. The cash
award honors the memory of longtime San
Diego theatre critic, Don Braunagel.
“Parade” and “The
Scottsboro Boys” both received the
Outstanding Resident Musical honor, while
“Allegiance” received the award for
Outstanding New Musical. “Parade” was also
honored for Sandy Campbell’s outstanding
lead performance; “Allegiance” received
awards for Lynne Shankel’s outstanding
orchestrations and for Michael K. Lee’s
featured performance; and Susan Stroman,
“The Scottsboro Boys” director and
choreographer, received awards for her work
in both categories. Gaby Altar and Itmar
Moses received the Outstanding New Score
award for their musical, “Nobody Loves You,”
which was produced by The Old Globe.
Mark Christopher
Lawrence was named Actor of the Year for
outstanding performances in two productions:
Moxie Theatre’s “A Raisin in the Sun,” and
Ion Theatre’s “Topdog/Underdog.” The La
Jolla Playhouse’s site-specific production
of Moving Arts’ “The Car Plays” was honored
as the outstanding special event. Dylan
Hoffinger, 17, was named Outstanding Young
Artist for a body of 2012 work that included
roles in “Parade" and Diversionary Theatre’s
musical, “Harmony, Kansas." Hoffinger also received the Sandra
Ellis-Troy scholarship to assist his further
development as a theater artist.
In other musical
acting categories, the outstanding male
leading performance in a musical was
presented to Sean Murray for his portrayal
of Don Quixote in Cygnet Theatre’s
production of “Man of La Mancha.” The
outstanding female featured performance in a
musical was presented to Eileen Bowman for
her portrayal of Miss Adelaide in Lamb’s
Players Theatre’s revival of “Guys and
Dolls.”
In the dramatic acting
categories, both of the lead performance
awards, and one of the featured performance
awards, went to ion theatre productions. The
outstanding female leading performance in a
play award was presented to Catalina Maynard
for playing the title character in “Julia,”
while the outstanding male leading
performance in a play went to Jeffrey Jones
for his portrayal of a recovering alcoholic
struggling with family issues in “The Little
Flower of East Orange.” In the featured
acting category, Ion’s Executive Artistic
Director, Claudio Raygoza, received the
award for his portrayal of a hospital
orderly in the same production, and Phil
Johnson’s rendering of the title character
in the Coronado Playhouse production of “The
Man Who Came to Dinner” was also honored.
Moxie Theatre’s
artistic director, Delicia Turner
Sonnenberg, received a Craig Noel Award for
her direction of “Topdog/Underdog,” at ion
theatre. Jonathan Caren’s “The
Recommendation,” which was produced by The
Old Globe, received the award for
Outstanding New Play.
In the technical
categories, Deidre Clancy and Shirley
Pierson each received a costume design
award. Clancy was recognized for her
designs for The Old Globe’s production of
“Inherit the Wind,” while Pierson was
recognized for “Parade.”
Ian Wallace received
the Outstanding Projection Design award for
his work on the San Diego Repertory Theatre
production of “Tortilla Curtain.” The La
Jolla Playhouse production of “Yoshimi
Battles the Pink Robots” received a special
award for Outstanding Technical
Achievement. The award honored the entire
creative team of puppeteer Basil Twist,
scenic designer Robert Brill, costumer Paul
Tazewell, lighting designer Michael Walton,
sound designer Steve Canyon Kennedy and
projections designer Sean Nieuwenhuis.
Elan McMahan was
presented with the award for Outstanding
Musical Direction for a body of 2012 work
that included nominations for three
productions: “Fiddler on the Roof” and
“Sweeney Todd,” both for Moonlight Stage
Productions, and “As You Like It” at The Old
Globe.
Critics Circle
President Pam Kragen commented that she was
pleased that half of the nominated
productions received at least one award. “I
was also pleased that Moxie, a company that
honors and promotes work by women theater
artists, was honored for its best year yet.”
The award ceremony was
held at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San
Diego, before an audience of more than 450
people. A full listing of the awards may be
found below and at
www.sdcriticscircle.org.
Recipients of
the 2012 Craig Noel Awards:
Outstanding
Resident Musical
“Parade,” Cygnet
Theatre
“The Scottsboro Boys,”
The Old Globe
Outstanding New
Musical
“Allegiance,” The Old
Globe
Outstanding Lead
Performance in a Musical, Female
Sandy Campbell,
“Parade,” Cygnet Theatre
Outstanding Lead
Performance in a Musical, Male
Sean Murray, “Man of La
Mancha,” Cygnet Theatre
Outstanding
Featured Performance in a Musical, Male
Michael K. Lee,
“Allegiance,” The Old Globe
Outstanding
Featured Performance in a Musical, Female
Eileen Bowman, “Guys
and Dolls,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Outstanding
Direction of a Musical
Susan Stroman, “The
Scottsboro Boys,” The Old Globe
Outstanding
Musical Direction
Elan McMahan, for a
body of work that included “As You Like It,”
The Old Globe, “Fiddler on the Roof,”
Moonlight Stage Productions, and “Sweeney
Todd,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Outstanding
Choreography
Susan Stroman, “The
Scottsboro Boys,” The Old Globe
Outstanding New
Score
“Nobody Loves You,”
music by Gaby Alter; lyrics by Itamar Moses
and Gaby Alter, The Old Globe
Outstanding
Dramatic Production
“An Iliad,” La Jolla
Playhouse
“A Raisin in the Sun,”
Moxie Theatre
Outstanding
Ensemble
“A Raisin in the Sun,”
Moxie Theatre
Outstanding Lead
Performance in a Play, Male
Jeffrey Jones, “The
Little Flower of East Orange,” Ion Theatre
Outstanding
Lead Performance in a Play, Female
Catalina Maynard,
“Julia,” Ion Theatre
Outstanding
Featured Performance in a Play, Female
Samantha Ginn, “Hickorydickory,”
Moxie Theatre
Outstanding
Featured Performance in a Play, Male
Phil Johnson, “The Man
Who Came to Dinner,” Coronado Playhouse
Claudio Raygoza, “The
Little Flower of East Orange,” Ion Theatre
Outstanding New
Play
“The Recommendation,”
Jonathan Caren, The Old Globe
Outstanding
Direction of a Play
Delicia Turner
Sonnenberg, “Topdog/Underdog,” Ion Theatre
Outstanding
Sound Design
Mark Bennett, “An
Iliad,” La Jolla Playhouse
Shahrokh Yadegari,
“Blood and Gifts,” La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding
Costume Design
Deirdre Clancy,
“Inherit the Wind,” The Old Globe
Shirley Pierson,
“Parade,” Cygnet Theatre
Outstanding
Lighting Design
Scott Zielinski, “An
Iliad,” La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding
Scenic Design
Jennifer Brawn Gittings,
“Hickorydickory,” Moxie Theatre
Outstanding
Projection Design
Ian Wallace, “Tortilla
Curtain,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Actor of the
Year
Mark Christopher
Lawrence, for his outstanding performances
in both “A Raisin in the Sun,” Moxie
Theatre, and “Topdog/Underdog,” Ion Theatre
Don Braunagel
Award for Outstanding Work by a Small
Theater Company
Moxie Theatre for its
2012 productions of “A Raisin in the Sun,”
“The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek,” and
“Hickorydickory”
Outstanding Young
Artist/Sandra Ellis-Troy Scholarship
Dylan Hoffinger, for a
body of 2012 work that included roles in
“Parade,” Cygnet Theatre; “Harmony, Kansas,”
Diversionary Theatre; and “Zoot Suit,” San
Diego Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Solo
Performance
Henry Woronicz, “An
Iliad,” La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding
Featured Musical Performance in a Play
Brian Ellingsen, “An
Iliad,” La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding
Technical Achievement
“Yoshimi Battles the
Pink Robots,” La Jolla Playhouse. Team:
Robert Brill, scenic design; Basil Twist,
puppetry; Paul Tazewell, costumes; Michael
Walton, lighting; Steve Canyon Kennedy,
sound design; Sean Nieuwenhuis, projections
Outstanding
Orchestrations
Lynne Shankel,
“Allegiance,” The Old Globe
Outstanding
Special Event
“The Car Plays,” La
Jolla Playhouse, Without Walls series |
