Arts & Events
Press Release: Critics Circle Announces Awards
On April 4, 2011, the SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Awards presented their 35th Annual Awards Ceremony, celebrating outstanding achievement in Bay Area theatre during 2010, at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre Lobby. [The complete list of award winners may be found at the end of this press release.]
Representing the print and electronic media, 28 members of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle announced the winners of 36 Drama awards and 38 Musical awards from 400+ nominated actors, designers, productions, and more reviewed in 2010. Over 400 productions were seen in 2010 by Circle critics reviewing theatre from San Jose to Santa Rosa, San Francisco to Concord.
Actors' Equity Association was the proud sponsor of the SFBATCC Awards again this year. Actors' Equity, which represents over 1000 professional stage actors and stage managers in the Bay Area, shares with the Critics Circle a common goal to support professional Equity theatres in order to improve the livelihood of the artists who work in those theatres.
The Critics Circle uses a three-part separation of award categories between Theatres with (1) 99 Seats or Less; (2) 100-300 Seats; and (3) Over 300 Seats. As such, theatre companies of similar sizes compete and receive recognition for their outstanding work. An award is also presented for an outstanding Touring show.
Touring Productions -- West Side Story, produced by SHN’s Best of Broadway, won the critics’ nod among 5 nominations.
99 Seats or Less -- In Drama, The Cutting Ball Theater led with 3 awards for …and Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi, including Ensemble and Entire Production. Becoming Julia Morgan, produced by The Julia Morgan Project shared the Ensemble award. In the Musicals category, Ray of Light Theatre’s Baby: A Musicalwon 6 awards, including Ensemble and Entire Production. And Carl Jordan won the Specialties Award for his choreography in Pirates of Penzance, produced by Novato Theater Company.
Between 100-300 Seats -- In Drama, Aurora Theatre Company received 7 awards for its production of Trouble in Mind, including Ensemble and Entire Production, as well as 1 award each for Palomino(David Cale for Solo Performer) and The First Grade(Joel Drake Johnson for Original Script). Marin Theatre Company and New Conservatory Theatre Center each won 2 awards. In the Musicals category, 11 awards went to Center Repertory Company with 7 for She Loves Me(including Entire Production), 3 awards for A Marvelous Party(including Ensemble) and 1 for Becoming Britney. And 42nd Street Moon won 2 musical awards.
Over 300 Seats -- In Drama, TheatreWorks’ Opusreceived 4 awards, including Entire Production. San Jose Repertory Theatre also won 4 awards, with Black Pearl Sings!taking 3, and The Secret Order(Ensemble). Berkeley Repertory Theatre collected a total of 4 awards, 2 each for Compulsionand Lemony Snicket’s The Composer Is Dead. In the Musicals category, American Conservatory Theater led with 4 awards for The Tosca Project, including Ensemble (tied with Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s Girlfriend) and Entire Production. Contra Costa Musical Theatre took 3 awards for A Chorus Lineand 1 for Oklahoma. And TheatreWorks received 3 awards for The Light in the Piazzaand 1 for A Christmas Memory.
SF BAY AREA THEATRE CRITICS CIRCLE
2010
AWARD WINNERS
* denotes AEA membership (designated by AEA)
TOURING
West Side Story---SHN’s Best of Broadway*
THEATRES UNDER 99 SEATS
DRAMA
ENSEMBLE
…and Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi---The Cutting Ball Theater
Becoming Julia Morgan---The Julia Morgan Project
SOLO PERFORMANCE
Marga Gomez---Marga Gomez Is Proud and Bothered---New Conservatory Theatre Center
ORIGINAL SCRIPT
Ann Randolph---Loveland---The Marsh
Jason Grote---1001---Just Theater
SPECIALTIES
Bert van Aalsburg (Set Design)---How the Other Half Loves---Off Broadway West Theatre Company
DIRECTOR
Terry McGovern---Humble Boy---Ken Bacon and Marin Actors’ Workshop
PERFORMANCE, MALE
*Aldo Billingslea---…and Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi---The Cutting Ball Theater
PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
*Dawn Scott---Intimate Apparel---AlterTheater
ENTIRE PRODUCTION
…and Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi---The Cutting Ball Theater
MUSICALS
ENSEMBLE
Baby: A Musical---Ray of Light Theatre
SPECIALTIES
Carl Jordan (Choreography)---Pirates of Penzance---Novato Theater Company
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Rona Siddiqui---Baby: A Musical---Ray of Light Theatre
DIRECTOR
Dyan McBride---Baby: A Musical---Ray of Light Theatre
PERFORMANCE, MALE
Andrew Willis-Woodward---Baby: A Musical---Ray of Light Theatre
PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
Sarah Kathleen Farrell---Baby: A Musical---Ray of Light Theatre
ENTIRE PRODUCTION
Baby: A Musical---Ray of Light Theatre
THEATRES 100 – 300 SEATS
DRAMA
ENSEMBLE
*Trouble in Mind---Aurora Theatre Company*
SOLO PERFORMANCE
David Cale---Palomino---Aurora Theatre Company*
ORIGINAL SCRIPT
Joel Drake Johnson---The First Grade---Aurora Theatre Company*
SPECIALTIES
Dave Maier (Fight Choreography)---Oedipus el Rey---Magic Theatre*
COSTUME DESIGN
Callie Floor---Trouble in Mind---Aurora Theatre Company*
LIGHTING DESIGN
York Kennedy---In the Red and Brown Water (The Brother/Sister Plays, Part 1)---Marin Theatre Company*
SOUND DESIGN
Cliff Caruthers---Dracula---Center Repertory Company*
SET DESIGN
Kuo-Hao Lo---The Sugar Witch---New Conservatory Theatre Center
DIRECTOR
Jasson Minadakis---Equivocation---
SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, MALE
*Rhonnie Washington---Trouble in Mind---Aurora Theatre Company*
SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE FEMALE
Marie O’Donnell---Anita Bryant Died for Your Sins---New Conservatory Theatre Center
PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCE, MALE
*Tim Kniffin---Trouble in Mind---Aurora Theatre Company*
PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
*Margo Hall---Trouble in Mind---Aurora Theatre Company*
ENTIRE PRODUCTION
*Trouble in Mind---Aurora Theatre Company*
MUSICALS
ENSEMBLE
A Marvelous Party---Center Repertory Company*
SOLO PERFORMANCE
*Klea Blackhurst---Everything the Traffic Will Allow---42nd Street Moon*
Leanne Borghesi---Divalicious---New Conservatory Theatre Center
ORIGINAL SCRIPT
Molly Bell and Daya Curley---Becoming Britney---Center Repertory Company*
SPECIALTIES
David Maier (Fight Choreography)---The Fantasticks---SF Playhouse*
COSTUME DESIGN
Victoria Livingston-Hall---She Loves Me---Center Repertory Company*
LIGHTING DESIGN
Kurt Landisman---She Loves Me---Center Repertory Company*
SOUND DESIGN
Ted Crimy---Woody Guthrie’s American Song---Marin Theatre Company*
SET DESIGN
Bill Forrester---A Marvelous Party---Center Repertory Company*
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Brandon Adams---She Loves Me---Center Repertory Company*
DIRECTOR
Robert Barry Fleming---She Loves Me---Center Repertory Company*
SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, MALE
*Noel Anthony---She Loves Me---Center Repertory Company*
SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
*Molly Bell---A Marvelous Party---Center Repertory Company*
Rena Wilson---Lady, Be Good!---42nd Street Moon*
PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCE, MALE
*Ryan Drummond---She Loves Me---Center Repertory Company*
PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
*Velina Brown---Posibilidad, or Death of the Worker---San Francisco Mime Troupe*
ENTIRE PRODUCTION
She Loves Me---Center Repertory Company*
THEATRES OVER 300 SEATS
DRAMA
ENSEMBLE
Secret Order---San Jose Repertory Theatre*
SOLO PERFORMANCE
*Geoff Hoyle---Lemony Snicket's The Composer Is Dead---Berkeley Repertory Theatre*
ORIGINAL SCRIPT
Octavio Solis---The Pastures of Heaven---California Shakespeare Theater*
SPECIALTIES
Emily DeCola, Daniel Fay and Eric Wright (Puppeteers)---Compulsion---
Jessica Grindstaff and Erik Sanko aka Phantom Limb (Puppet Design)---Lemony Snicket's The Composer Is Dead---Berkeley Repertory Theatre*
Matt Acheson (Puppet Design)---Compulsion---
COSTUME DESIGN
Beaver Bauer---License to Kiss II: A Sweet Conspiracy---Teatro ZinZanni
LIGHTING DESIGN
Chris Studley---Opus---TheatreWorks*
SOUND DESIGN
Cliff Caruthers---Opus---
SET DESIGN
John Iacovelli---Black Pearl Sings!---San Jose Repertory Theatre*
DIRECTOR
Meredith McDonough---Opus---
SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, MALE
*Jud Williford---Scapin---American Conservatory Theater*
SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
*Margo Hall---Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet (The Brother/Sister Plays, Part 3)---American Conservatory Theater*
PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCE, MALE
*Bill Irwin---Scapin---American Conservatory Theater*
PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
*Jannie Jones---Black Pearl Sings!---San Jose Repertory Theatre*
*Jessica Wortham---Black Pearl Sings!---San Jose Repertory Theatre*
ENTIRE PRODUCTION
Opus---TheatreWorks*
MUSICALS
ENSEMBLE
Girlfriend---Berkeley Repertory Theatre*
The Tosca Project---American Conservatory Theater*
ORIGINAL SCRIPT
Todd Almond---Girlfriend---Berkeley Repertory Theatre*
SPECIALTIES
Jennifer Perry (Choreography)---A Chorus Line---Contra Costa Musical Theatre
COSTUME DESIGN
Fumiko Bielefeldt---The Light in the Piazza---TheatreWorks*
LIGHTING DESIGN
Robert Wierzel---The Tosca Project---American Conservatory Theater*
SOUND DESIGN
Darron L. West---The Tosca Project---American Conservatory Theater*
SET DESIGN
Douglas W. Schmidt---The Tosca Project---American Conservatory Theater*
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
William Liberatore---The Light In the Piazza---TheatreWorks*
DIRECTOR
Jennifer Perry---A Chorus Line---Contra Costa Musical Theatre
SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, MALE
*Constantine Germanacos---The Light in the Piazza---TheatreWorks*
SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
Renee DeWeese---A Chorus Line---Contra Costa Musical Theatre
PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCE, MALE
Gabriel Hoffman---A Christmas Memory---TheatreWorks*
PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
Jessica Knudsen---Oklahoma---Contra Costa Musical Theatre
ENTIRE PRODUCTION
The Tosca Project---American Conservatory Theater*
--
Sally Hogarty
Editor, The Orinda News
Theater Columnist - Contra Costa Times/WC Magazine
Member SFBATCC
Freelance Writer/Performer
925.997.0360 cell
