ROB KENDT
Editor, Back Stage West
PRODUCTION: Design for Living at A Noise Within. DIRECTION: Sabin Epstein, Design for Living. ADAPTATION: Tracy Young, Candude, or the Optimistic Civil Servant, Cornerstone Theatre Co. at the L.A. Central Library. MUSIC DIRECTION: Laurence O'Keefe, Putting It Together at the Colony Studio Theatre. PERFORMANCES: Karen Bankhead, The Importance of Being Earnest at the 24th Street Theatre; Molly Bryant, Plastica Fantastica at the Actors' Gang Theatre; Doug Carfrae, Putting It Together; Dale Dickey, Daddy's Dyin', Who's Got the Will at Theatre/Theater; Laura Eason, Arabian Nights, the Lookingglass Theatre Co. at the Actors' Gang Theatre; Jason Graae, Ragtime, Livent Inc. at the Shubert Theatre; Doug Hara, Arabian Nights; Jodi Harris, Company at West Coast Ensemble; Gregory Itzin, Dangerous Corner at the Matrix Theatre; Dan Manning, Three Songs at the Fremont Center Theatre; Blake McIver Ewing, Ragtime; Barbara Passolt, Putting It Together; Laila Robins, Skylight at the Mark Taper Forum; Patrick Towne, Drums in the Night at the Spanish Kitchen Studios; Danielle Wiener, Ragtime, and Jim Wise, Days of Wine and Groundlings at the Groundling Theatre.
J. BRENNA GUTHRIE
Managing Editor, Back Stage West
PRODUCTION: Master Class at the UCLA/James A. Doolittle Theatre, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, New Crime at the Evidence Room, and Great Expectations at A Noise Within. DIRECTION: Steve Pink, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, and Julia Rodriguez Elliott and Geoff Elliott, Great Expectations. CHOREOGRAPHY: Adam Schankman, Promises, Promises at the Freud Playhouse. SET DESIGN: Cliff Faulkner, How the Other Half Loves at South Coast Repertory. COSTUME DESIGN: Lez Brotherston, Swan Lake at the Ahmanson Theatre. SOUND DESIGN: Carla Azar and Eugine Goreshter, Accidental Death of an Anarchist. PERFORMANCES: Johh Billingsley, Great Expectations; L. Scott Caldwell, Proposals at the Ahmanson Theatre; Donald Sage Mackay, Great Expectations; Gregory Sporlender, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, and Deborah Strang, Great Expectations.
JAMIE PAINTER
Senior Staff Writer,
Back Stage West
WRITING: Roger Kumble, d girl, Hedonism Inc. at the Century City Playhouse, and Lynn Manning, Private Battle at the Actors' Gang Theatre. CHOREOGRAPHY: Luke Cresswell, Stomp! at the Veteran Wadsworth Theatre. LIGHTING DESIGN: T.J. Gerckens, Arabian Nights at the Actors' Gang Theatre. PEFORMANCES: Nora Dunn, Small Prey at the Powerhouse Theatre; Deven May, Bat Boy: The Musical at the Actors' Gang Theatre; Michael Preston, Room Service at the Mark Taper Forum, and Derek Smith, Sylvia at the Coronet Theatre.
SCOTT PROUDFIT
Staff Writer, Back Stage West
WRITING: Stephen Falk, the one-act The Coldest War in I Sight, Copperview Theatre Company at the Complex. DIRECTION: Nigel Triffitt, Tap Dogs! (design/direction) at the Veteran Wadsworth Theatre; Michael Schlitt, Little Man in the Box at the Actors' Gang Theatre, and Eric Waddell, Go Aks Alice at the Celebration Theatre. CHOREOGRAPHY: Dein Perry, Tap Dogs! at the Veteran Wadsworth Theatre. SET DESIGN: Ben Anderson, The Inspector at the Gascon Center Theatre, and David "Bill" Sutton, What Remains of a Whore, Theatre Revelation at Dorie Theatre. LIGHTING DESIGN: Ellen Lundquist, Little Man in the Box. COSTUME DESIGN: A. Jeffrey Schoenberg, The Wandering Whore at Playwrights' Arena. MUSIC: Mr. Dan & Matt Goldman, Go Aks Alice. PERFORMANCES: Samantha Bennett, Titanic, Taboo Theater at the Los Angeles Playhouse; John Copeland, Go Aks Alice; Jesse Dienstag, ManCard at Theatre/Theater; Joseph Grimm, Little Man in the Box; Kirk Pynchon, ManCard; Michele Specht, Chameleon in the Mirror, Zeitgeist Theater Company at the Wooden-O Theater; Bob Sutton, Chameleon in the Mirror; Joseph Dean Vachon, Escape!, Action/Reaction Theatre Company at the Chandler Studio; Ron West, Titanic, and Max Wright, The General & The Archbishop at the Victory Theatre. ENSEMBLE: The cast of I Sight, and the cast of Go Aks Alice.
PAUL BIRCHALL
L.A. Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION: A Knight Out in Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Theatre Center; Two at the Too, Mark Taper Forum Asian Theatre Workshop at the Taper, Too, and The Wandering Whore at Playwrights' Arena. DIRECTION: Chris Beach, The Firebugs at the Powerhouse Theatre; Robert Ellenstein, Back to Methusaleh at the Evidence Room; Michael Evan Haney, Scotland Road at the Pacific Resident Theatre; Bernard C. Kosminski, You Shall Give Me Grandsons at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute; Rick Pagano, Mobile Hymn, Santa Monica Playhouse at the Other Space; Stephanie Shroyer and Sarah Zinsser, The Cave Dwellers at the 24th Street Theatre; John Steppling, Cold White Virgin Snow at Glaxa Studios; Charlie Stratton, Ghost Stories, the Wilton Project at Glaxa Studios; Michael Uppendahl, The Dismantling of Lemuel Pitkin at the Actors' Gang Theatre; Chay Yew, Two at the Too, and Tracy Young, Vox at the Actors' Gang Theatre. MUSIC DIRECTION: Philip Littell, The Wandering Whore. SET DESIGN: Kris Sandheinrich, The Dismantling of Lemuel Pitkin. COSTUME DESIGN: Meike Urban, You Shall Give Me Grandsons. SOUND DESIGN: Michael Hooker and Julie Ader, Vox. PERFORMANCES: Hugh Adair, The Dismantling of Lemuel Pitkin; Khandi Alexander, The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun at the Coast Playhouse; Allyce Beasley, Morticians in Love at the Celebration Theatre; Randy Brown, Diary of a Scoundrel at Theater in the Park, Culver City; Rachel Davies, The Yiddish Trojan Women at Theatre 40; Gibson Frazier, The Firebugs; Shannon Holt, Cold White Virgin Snow at Glaxa Studios; Dorothy James, The Yiddish Trojan Women; Alison Lister, Diary of a Scoundrel; Sandra Tsing Loh, Two at the Too; Alec Mapa, Two at the Too; Marian Mercer, The Cave Dwellers at the 24th Street Theatre; Tracy Middendorf, Mobile Hymn; Diedre O'Connell, Mobile Hymn; Jason Reed, The Firebugs; Uri Ryder, Mobile Hymn, and Scott Utley, Morticians in Love. ENSEMBLES: The cast of Back to Methusaleh, and the cast of 92 Days, Atomic Theatre Company at the Powerhouse Theatre.
DANI DODGE
Ashland Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION: As You Like It and Death of a Salesman at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. DIRECTION: Tazewell Thompson, As You Like It, and Penny Metropulos, Death of a Salesman. PERFORMANCE: Robin Goodrin Nordli, As You Like It.
DAVID-EDWARD HUGHES
Seattle Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION: Blues for an Alabama Sky at A Contemporary Theatre; Guys and Dolls at the Village Theatre; The Old Settler at the Intiman Theatre; The Shaughraun at Seattle Repertory Theatre; Son of Ham for the Holidays at the Theatre Off Jackson; Stellaluna at Seattle Children's Theatre, and Still Life With Iris at Seattle Children's Theatre. PERFORMANCES: Mary Alice, The Old Settler; Mark Anders, Old Wicked Songs at A Contemporary Theatre; David Austin, Pippin at Puget Sound Musical Theatre; Laurence Ballard, A Doll's House at Seattle Repertory Theatre; Jason Collins, Little Shop of Horrors at the Village Theatre; Burton Curtis, Wuthering! Heights! The! Musical! at the Empty Space; Barbara Dirickson, Private Lives at the Intiman Theatre; Lisa Estridge-Gray, Tapestry at Center Stage; Trauma Flintstone, Dirty Little Showtunes at the Re-bar and Cable Car Theatre (San Francisco); Gloria Foster, Going to St. Ives at A Contemporary Theatre; Sam Gregory, A Doll's House; Cynthia Jones, Blues for an Alabama Sky at A Contemporary Theatre; Kevin Kent, Sister Windy at Re-bar; Frances Leah King, Fiddler on the Roof at the Village Theatre; Lisa Koch, Son of Ham for the Holidays; Leslie Law, Closer Than Ever at the Stage Right Cafe; Liz McCarthy, Private Lives; Timothy McCuen-Piggee, Blues for an Alabama Sky at A Contemporary Theatre; Mari Nelson, Going to St. Ives; Patrick O'Connor, Private Lives; Dexter Parke, The Old Settler; Peggy Platt, Son of Ham for the Holidays; Sandra Singler, Guys and Dolls; Karen Skrindy, Mame at Seattle Civic Light Opera, and Lauren Weedman, Wuthering! Heights! The! Musical!. ENSEMBLES: The cast of Blues for an Alabama Sky at A Contemporary Theatre; the cast of The Glory Booty Club at the Annex Theatre, and the cast of Stellaluna. DIRECTION: Ed Hawkins, The Glory Booty Club; Eddie Levi Lee, Wuthering! Heights! The! Musical!; Jacqueline Moscou, Blues for an Alabama Sky at A Contemporary Theatre; Sharon Ott, A Doll's House; Warner Shook, Private Lives; Steve Tomkins, Tapestry, and Oliver Woodall, A Grand Night for Singing at Seattle Civic Light Opera. MUSICAL SCORE AND/OR BOOK: David Austin and Anthony Curry, Rapunzel at the Youth Theatre Northwest, and Chris Jeffries, The Glory Booty Club. LYRICS (PARODY): Tom Orr, Dirty Little Showtunes. IN MEMORIAM: Mary Levine, veteran musical director at Seattle Civic Light Opera and many other area venues.
SALLY JOHNSON
L.A. Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION: Police Officers' Wives, presented by Frank Ashmore and Shannon Monahan at the Ventura Court Theatre. DIRECTION: John DiFusco, Police Officers' Wives. SET DESIGN: Richard Foreman, Pearls Before Pigs at UCLA Performing Arts Center; Christopher Pickart, Mother & Child at the Coast Playhouse, and David Wisniewski, Funny Money at International City Theatre. COSTUME DESIGN: Michael Pacciorini, Little Women at Candlefish Theatre Company, and Ken Roht & Keith Mitchell, The Birds at Theatre of NOTE. PEFORMANCES: Richard Chaves, Police Officers' Wives; Tom Clyde, The Collection at City Garage; Nathan Dana, The Collection, and Beth Hogan, Bremen Freedom at the Odyssey Theatre.
WENZEL JONES
L.A. Freelance Critic
CHOREOGRAPHY: Janet Miller, Olympus on My Mind and Private Eyes at the Odyssey Theatre. PERFORMANCES: Susan Angelo, As You Like It at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum; Kathy Buckley, Don't Buck With Me! at the Tamarind Theatre; Melora Marshall, As You Like It; Bennett Schneider, Project: Alice at Highways Performance Space; Skip Stellrecht, Rockets & Blue Lights at the Hudson Theatre, and Rhae Ann Theriault, Olympus on My Mind. ENSEMBLE: The cast of The Importance of Being Earnest at Glaxa Studios and the Evidence Room.
JEREMY KEMP
Portland Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION. Amazing Grace, Artists Repertory Theatre, and Rough Crossing at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. DIRECTION: Allen Nause, Amazing Grace. SET DESIGN: Ming Cho Lee, Death of a Salesman at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. COSTUME DESIGN: Yslan Hicks, Tuna Christmas, Portland Center Stage. SOUND DESIGN: Kahlil Aisha and Katie Grieser, Ginger's Green at the Imago Theatre. PERFORMANCES: Tobias Andersen, Amazing Grace; Mark Chambers, Tuna Christmas; Dan Donohue, Rough Crossing; Caren Graham, Amazing Grace; JoAnne Johnson, The Sea, Artists Repertory Theatre; Susannah Mars, Chaps!, Artists Repertory Theatre; Vana O'Brien, The Sea, and Terry Sneed, Tuna Christmas.
JOHN LONGENBAUGH
Seattle Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION: The Big Slam at A Contemporary Theater; Djinn, co-produced by House of Dames and Annex Theater; A Doll's House at Seattle Repertory Theatre; A Huey P. Newton Story by Roger Guenveur Smith at On the Boards; The Master and Margarita by Theater Simple at the Brown Bag Theater; Room Service at A Contemporary Theater, and Virtual Solitaire at AHA! Theater.
KRISTINA MANNION
Orange County Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION: I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change at the Laguna Playhouse. WRITING: Amy Freed, Freedomland at South Coast Repertory. DIRECTION: David Chambers, Old Times at South Coast Rep. CHOREOGRAPHY: Lee Martino, Eleanor--A Love Story, Musical Theatre West at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. COSTUME DESIGN: Martin Pakledinaz, Golden Child at South Coast Rep. PERFORMANCE: Ron Boussom, BAFO at South Coast Rep; Gail Godown, Don't Dress for Dinner at the Laguna Playhouse; Peter Michael Goetz, Freedomland; Jon Tenney, Three Days of Rain at South Coast Rep, and Matt Walker, Accomplice, McCoy/ Rigby Entertainment at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.
DARYL H. MILLER
L.A. Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION: A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Stella Adler Theatre. WRITING: Mark Lee, An American Romance at the Road Theatre, and Jon Marans, Old Wicked Songs at the Geffen Playhouse. DIRECTION: Michael Michetti, A Midsummer Night's Dream. CHOREOGRAPHY: Matthew Bourne, Swan Lake at the Ahmanson Theatre. SET DESIGN: Daniel Ostling, Arabian Nights at the Actors' Gang Theatre. PERFORMANCES: Nancy Boykin, Juno and the Paycock at the Interact Theatre; Brian Cox, Skylight at the Mark Taper Forum; Geoff Elliott, Richard III at A Noise Within; Kathleen Garrett, Ardele at Pacific Resident Theatre; David Holcomb, An American Romance; Robert Lee Jacobs, Ardele; Ann Marie Lee, Design for Living at A Noise Within; Brian McGovern, Richard III at A Noise Within; Leon Russom, Juno and the Paycock; Stephanie Zimbalist, Sylvia at the Coronet Theatre, and Karen Kandel, Mabou Mines' Peter and Wendy at the Geffen Playhouse.
JEFF NIESEL
San Diego Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION: Demonology at the Sledgehammer Theatre. DIRECTION: Loretta Greco, Having Our Say at the La Jolla Playhouse. CHOREOGRAPHY: Javier Velasco, Buddy The Buddy Holly Story at San Diego Repertory. SET DESIGN: Mark Wendland for The School for Wives at the La Jolla Playhouse. LIGHTING DESIGN: Trevor Norton, Buddy The Buddy Holly Story. MUSIC: Daniel Valdez, Zoot Suit at San Diego Repertory. SOUND DESIGN: Jeff Ladman, Buddy The Buddy Holly Story. PERFORMANCES: Robert Foxworth in Below the Belt at the Old Globe Theatre; Jorge Galvan in Zoot Suit; Micki Grant in Having Our Say; Lizan Mitchell in Having Our Say; Kim Murphy, Miracles at the Old Globe Theatre, and Paxton Whitehead, The Mask of Moriarity at the Old Globe Theatre.
KERRY REID
Northern California Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION: Dybbuk at A Traveling Jewish Theatre; The Forest at Shakespeare Santa Cruz; Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, Theatre on the Square; The Mystery of Irma Vep, Aurora Theatre Company at the Magic Theatre, and Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme at the Viaduct Theatre. DIRECTION: Naomi Gibson, Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme; Cliff Mayotte, My Uncle Sam, Rough and Tumble at 450 Geary; Kenn Watt, Dr. Faustus Lights The Lights and Bake Sale, Fifth Floor Productions, and Danny Scheie and Tom Ross, The Mystery of Irma Vep. SET DESIGN: Richard Olmsted, The Mystery of Irma Vep. LIGHTING DESIGN: Jim Quinn, Dybbuk. PERFORMANCES: Lise Bruneau, Dybbuk; Eli Marienthal, The Cryptogram at the Magic Theatre; Lisa A. Porter, A Midsummer Night's Dream at California Shakespeare Festival; Remi Sandri, Pericles at California Shakespeare Festival; Sharon Lockwood, The Forest, and Howard Swain, The Forest. ENSEMBLES: The cast of Dr. Faustus Lights the Lights; the cast of The Forest; the cast of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, and the cast of My Uncle Sam.
JUDY RICHTER
Northern California Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION: Blues for an Alabama Sky at TheatreWorks; Having Our Say at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre; The Heiress at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and King Lear at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. DIRECTION: Harry J. Elam Jr., Blues for an Alabama Sky at TheatreWorks; Robert Kelley, Kiss of the Spider Woman at TheatreWorks; Timothy Near, Thunder Knocking at the Door at San Josƒ Repertory, and David Wheeler, The Heiress. CHOREOGRAPHY: Bick Goss, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Keith Young, Thunder Knocking on the Door. SET DESIGN: Kate Edmunds, The Heiress; Ralph Funicello, Machinal at American Conservatory Theater, and Edward E. Haynes Jr., Having Our Say at Berkeley Rep. COSTUME DESIGN: Beaver Bauer, The Royal Family at American Conservatory Theater. PERFORMANCES: Jonathan Adams, Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Marco Barricelli, A Streetcar Named Desire at American Conservatory Theater; Eileen DeSandre, The Magic Fire at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; James Edmondson, King Lear at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; J. Michael Flynn, An Almost Holy Picture at Berkeley Rep; Francis Jue, Kiss of the Spider Woman; Michelle Morain, Machinal, and Terri Towns, Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. ENSEMBLES: The cast of Blues for an Alabama Sky at TheatreWorks; the cast of The Magic Fire, and the cast of Travels With My Aunt at the American Conservatory Theater.
TERRI ROBERTS
L.A. Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION: Hedda Gabler at the Hudson Theatre. DIRECTION: Casey Biggs, Hedda Gabler. CHOREOGRAPHY: Stuart Ross, Forever Plaid at the Ca„on Theatre. LIGHTING DESIGN: Plume Buigues, Hedda Gabler. COSTUME DESIGN: Naomi Yoshida Rodriguez, Putting It Together at the Colony Studio Theatre. SOUND DESIGN: Chris Thomas, Suddenly Last Summer at the Colony Studio Theatre. PERFORMANCES: Alyssa Bresnahan, Hedda Gabler; Robert Elliott, Dracula at the Sacramento Theatre Company, and Lori Harmon, The House of Blue Leaves at West Coast Ensemble. ENSEMBLE: Forever Plaid.
STARSHINE ROSHELL
Santa Barbara Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION: The Comedy of Errors at the Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts Theaterfest, and Little Shop of Horrors, Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera at the Granada Theatre. DIRECTION: James Edmondson, The Comedy of Errors, and Michael Bernard, The Who's Tommy at PCPA Theaterfest. LIGHTING DESIGN: Michael A. Peterson, The Who's Tommy. COSTUME: Lonie Panhorst, The Comedy of Errors. SOUND DESIGN: Eric Cronwell, Greater Tuna at PCPA Theaterfest. PERFORMANCE: Eydie Alyson, Little Shop of Horrors; Karen Barbour, The Comedy of Errors; Scott Dreyer, Little Shop of Horrors; Kristi Lynes, Sylvia, Ensemble Theatre Company at the Alhecama Theatre; Sean O'Shea, Smash, Santa Barbara City College Theatre Group, and Rudolph Willrich, A Life in the Theatre, Ensemble Theatre Company at the Alhecama Theatre. ENSEMBLE: The cast of Smash, and the cast of Sweet Charity at the Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera.
JEAN SCHIFFMAN
Northern California Correspondent
PRODUCTION: Civil Sex at the Marsh; Cloud Tectonics at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and Widowers' Houses, Aurora Theatre Company at the Berkeley City Club. WORLD PREMIERE WRITING: Brian Freeman, Civil Sex. DIRECTION: Brian Freeman, Civil Sex; Barbara Oliver, Widowers' Houses, and Tony Taccone, Cloud Tectonics. PERFORMANCES: Linda Ayres-Frederick, Laughing Wild, the Sea Theatre Company; Brian Freeman, Civil Sex; Dean Goodman, Park Your Car in Harvard Yard, the Network Theatre Company; Dan Hiatt, Picasso at the Lapin Agile at Theatre on the Square; John Leguizamo, Freak at Theatre on the Square; Greta Sanchez Ramirez, Fur, Campo Santo at Intersection for the Arts; Danny Scheie, The Mystery of Irma Vep, Aurora Theatre Co. at the Magic Theatre and The Last Hairdresser at Theatre Rhinoceros. ENSEMBLE: Every production done by Word for Word.
BRAD SCHREIBER
L.A. Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION: The Dumb Waiter, the Bread and Rose Theatre Co. at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. WRITING: Michael Solomon, Adam and Eva Marie at the Actors' Art Theatre. DIRECTION: Martha McFarland, City, Circle X Theatre Company at the Hollywood Court Theatre, and Virginia Morris, Adam and Eva Marie. SET DESIGN: Brian Alan Reed, One Shoe Off at the Gascon Center Theatre. LIGHTING DESIGN: Jason Berliner, Almost Blue at the Evidence Room. COSTUME DESIGN: Christine Tschirgi, The Cat's Meow at the Coast Playhouse. PERFORMANCES: Jolene Adams, Adam and Eva Marie; Julie Briggs, Happy Fun Family at Moving Arts; Kathryn Bundy, Dummies in America at Theatre of NOTE; Marc Gillis, The Dumb Waiter, and Jimmie F. Skaggs, Adam and Eva Marie.
MADELEINE SHANER
L.A. Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION: Bamberwood at the Met Theatre; Fighting Over Beverley at the Fountain Theatre; Measure for Measure, L.A. Women's Shakespeare Festival at the Gascon Theatre Center; Of Mice and Men, the Grace Players at the Egyptian Arena Theatre; Three Days of Rain at South Coast Repertory, and Who Lives? at the 24th Street Theatre. WRITING: Kristen Dahl, Bamberwood; Richard Greenberg, Three Days of Rain; Christopher Meeks, Who Lives?, and Scott Organ, City, Circle X at the Hollywood Court Theatre. DIRECTION: Hope Alexander-Willis, Fighting Over Beverly; Orson Bean, The Quick-Change Room at Pacific Resident Theatre; Robert Beltran, Hamlet at the Actors' Gang Theatre; Robert Egan, Arcadia at the Mark Taper Forum; Daniel Henning, Loot, the Blank Theatre Co. at the 2nd Stage; Tina Packer, Measure for Measure, and Robin Strand, Terra Nova at Actors' Co-op. SET DESIGN: Alex Grayman, Loot; Richard Mahaney, Denial at Actors' Alley, and Scott Russell Cheek, Of Mice and Men. LIGHTING DESIGN: Daniel Holder, Three Days of Rain, and J. Kent Inasy, Dangerous Corner at the Matrix Theatre. COSTUME DESIGN: Marianna Elliott, Arcadia; Markas Henry, Old Wicked Songs at the Geffen Playhouse, and Robinette L. Lloyd, The Octette Bridge Club at Actors' Co-op. MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: Linda Lang, The Octette Bridge Club. SOUND DESIGN: Red Ramona, Old Wicked Songs and Stanley Bender/Joshua Natural Sound, Spirit Awakening at the Stella Adler Theatre. PERFORMANCES: Robert Beltran, Hamlet; Tsai Chin, Golden Child at South Coast Repertory; Bari Hochwald, Bamberwood; Travis Michael Holder, Of Mice and Men; Bruce Ladd, Terra Nova; Priscilla Pointer, Fighting Over Beverley; Paula Prentiss, Angel's Share at the Tiffany Theatre; Bobs Watson, Of Mice and Men, and Lisa Wolpe, Measure for Measure. ENSEMBLES: The cast of Move Over, Mrs. Markham at Theatre Unlimited, and the cast of The Octette Bridge Club.
LES SPINDLE
L.A. Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION: Harmony at the La Jolla Playhouse; ManCard at Theatre/Theater; Morphic Resonance at the Eclectic Theatre; Rent at the La Jolla Playhouse and the Ahmanson Theatre; Situation Tragedy at the Globe Playhouse, and Sweet Nothing in My Ear at the Fountain Theatre. WRITING: Katharine Burger, Morphic Resonance; Richard Christian, Homebound at the Hudson Theatre; Pamela Forrest, Valsetz at the Celebration Theatre; Stephen Sachs, Sweet Nothing in My Ear. MUSICAL SCORE: Jeremiah Ginsberg, Mendel and Moses at the Century City Playhouse; Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, Harmony, and Andrew Lloyd Webber and Alan Ayckbourn, By Jeeves at the Geffen Playhouse. DIRECTION: Leo Geter, Morphic Resonance; Michael Greif, Rent; Olivia Honneger, The Crackwalker at the Met Theatre; Jessica Kubzansky, The House of Blue Leaves at West Coast Ensemble; Steve Muscarella, David's Mother at Company of Angels; Judith Novgrod, Hello and Goodbye at the Attic Theatre; Stephen Sachs, Sweet Nothing in My Ear, and David Warren, Harmony. CHOREOGRAPHY: Kay Cole, Lullaby of Broadway at the Tiffany Theatre; Charles Moulton, Harmony, and Marlies Yearby, Rent. SET DESIGN: Paul Clay, Rent; Alex Grayman, Morning Star at the Colony Studio Theatre; Robert Israel, Shlemiel the First at the Geffen Playhouse; Derek McLane, Harmony, and Laurence Miller, Black Box at the Odyssey Theatre. LIGHTING DESIGN: Blake Burba, Rent; Dana Kilgore, Morphic Resonance, and Rand Ryan, The House of Blue Leaves. COSTUME DESIGN: Sharon McGunigle, The Matchmaker at the Colony Studio Theatre; Mark Wendland, Harmony, and Shigeru Yaji, Peter Pan at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. SOUND DESIGN: Alan Falkner and Alan Johnson, Voice of the Prairie at Actors' Co-op; Mark Heyes, Seven Out at the Globe Playhouse, and Adam Phillips, Bat Boy: The Musical at the Actors' Gang Theatre. PERFORMANCES: Jeff Alan-Lee, Hello and Goodbye; Tony Frankel, The Normal Heart at the Hudson Theatre; Wendy Johnson, The Crackwalker; Kerry Muir, Hello and Goodbye; Patrica Place, Valsetz; Mitch Poulos, Homebound; Louise Sorel, Lovely! at the Santa Monica Playhouse; Eric Szmanda, Black Box; Terrylene, Sweet Nothing in My Ear; Jeff Trachta, 3 Guys Naked From the Waist Down at the Tamarind Theatre; Alma Wright, From the Mississippi Delta at the Fountain Theatre, and Dalene Young, The House of Blue Leaves.
MATTHEW SURRENCE
Northern California Freelance Critic
PRODUCTION: Me and My Girl, American Musical Theatre of San Josƒ, and Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde at Theatre on the Square. WRITING: Heather McDonald, An Almost Holy Picture at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and Danny Hoch, Evolution of a Homeboy at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. DIRECTION: Tony Parise, Me and My Girl. PERFORMANCES: Jenny Lord and Jamie Torcellini, Me and My Girl. ENSEMBLE: Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde.
ZACH UDKO
L.A. Freelance Critic
DIRECTION: Lisa Peterson, Mules at the Mark Taper Forum and Paul Warner, The Wedding Dress at Theatre 40. CHOREOGRAPHY: Joey McKneely, Smokey Joe's Cafƒ at the Wilshire Theatre. SET DESIGN: Karen Teneyck, The Triumph of Love at South Coast Repertory. COSTUME DESIGN: Zale Morris, Terra Nova at Actor's Co-op. SOUND DESIGN: Tom McCleister, Rhinoceros at the Odyssey Theatre. PERFORMANCES: Laura Becker, The Voice of the Prairie at Actors' Co-op; Bob Devin Jones, Baldwin + 2 at Glaxa Studios, and Jeremy Lawrence, The Lesson at Stages Theatre Center. ENSEMBLE The cast of Mules at the Mark Taper Forum.