‘A Man’s a Man’ Heads List of Nominees for Awards From Stage Critics

The La Jolla Playhouse edged out the Old Globe Theatre in nominations Saturday for the second San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Awards.

Together, the two professional regional theaters took 41 of 65 nominations, with the Playhouse’s production of Bertolt Brecht’s play, “A Man’s a Man,” earning eight nominations, more than any other production. Solana Beach’s tiny North Coast Repertory Theatre garnered a surprising two out of five nominations for best actress in a leading role. Local women outpolled visiting actresses in the categories of leading and supporting actress, taking six of 10 nominations.

The awards will be announced Oct. 27.

Twelve members of the Critics Circle selected nominees in 14 categories for outstanding achievement in theater. With the exception of a separate category for achievement by a touring show, the voting was based on productions originating in San Diego County between Sept. 1, 1984 and Aug. 31, 1985.

For its 12 regular season plays the Old Globe garnered 19 nominations. The Playhouse, earned 22 for its four productions. The San Diego Repertory Theatre and the Gaslamp Quarter Theatre followed with five and three nominations respectively.

After “A Man’s a Man,” the productions most often cited were: Anton Chekov’s “The Seagull,” currently at the La Jolla Playhouse, with six nominations, and the Globe’s currently playing “Richard III,” San Diego Repertory’s “Cloud 9,” the Playhouse’s “Ghost on Fire” and “Merrily We Roll Along,” four nominations each.

Members of the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle are George Weinberg-Harter, the Oceanside Blade-Tribune; Larry Steckling, Dramalogue; Eileen Sondak, Heritage Press; Gerry Davis, Israel Today; Christopher Schneider, La Jolla Light; Jonathan Saville and Jeff Smith, The Reader; Hilliard Harper, Los Angeles Times; Frances Bardacke, San Diego Magazine; Welton Jones, San Diego Union; Bill Fark, Times-Advocate; Don Braunagel, The Tribune.

A complete list of best of category nominees follows:

- DIRECTOR: James Lapine, “Merrily We Roll Along,” La Jolla Playhouse; Des McAnuff, “The Seagull,” La Jolla Playhouse; Timothy Near, “Ghost on Fire,” La Jolla Playhouse; Craig Noel, “London Assurance,” Old Globe; Robert Woodruff, “A Man’s a Man,” La Jolla Playhouse.

- LEADING ACTRESS: Darla Cash, “Extremities,” San Diego Repertory Theatre; Robyn Hunt, “Hedda Gabler,” San Diego Public Theatre; Ellen Thompson, “Agnes of God,” North Coast Repertory Theatre; Irene Tedrow, “Foxfire,” Old Globe; Lynette Winter, “Alphabetical Order,” North Coast Repertory Theatre.

- SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Helena Carroll, “Fallen Angels,” Old Globe; Holly Hunter, “Ghost on Fire,” La Jolla Playhouse; Katherine McGrath, “London Assurance,” Old Globe; Barbara Murray, “Cloud 9,” San Diego Repertory Theatre; Rebecca Nachison, “Candida,” Gaslamp Quarter Theatre.

- LEADING ACTOR: Larry Drake, “Greater Tuna” and “Of Mice and Men,” Old Globe; Bill Irwin, “A Man’s a Man,” La Jolla Playhouse; Douglas Roberts, “Lone Star,” Bowery Theatre; Paxton Whitehead, “Richard III,” Old Globe.

- SUPPORTING ACTOR: Roger C. Carmel, “Season’s Greetings,” Old Globe; Jeffrey Combs, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Old Globe; Thom Murray, “Cloud 9,” San Diego Repertory Theatre; Luke Theodore Morrison “The Maids,” Center for Theater Science and Research; John Vickery, “The Seagull,” La Jolla Playhouse.

- CHOREOGRAPHY: Sara-Jo Berman, “Ocnoceni,” Poyesis Genetica; Pepper Clyde, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” Starlight; Kenneth Green, “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” Southeast Community Theatre; Larry Hyman, “Pajama Game,” Lawrence Welk Village Theater; Dom Solinaro, “Where’s Charley?” Starlight.

- SCENIC DESIGN: John Arnone, “The Seagull;” Kent Dorsey, “Season’s Greetings;” Douglas W. Schmidt, “Fallen Angels” and “Richard III;” Doug Stein, “A Man’s a Man.”

- COSTUMES: Lewis Brown, “Fallen Angels” and “Greater Tuna;” Joseph Dana, “Candida;” Susan Denison, “A Man’s a Man;” Patricia McGourty, “The Seagull.”

- LIGHTING: Kent Dorsey, “Ghost on Fire” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream;” Beverly Emmons, “Merrily We Roll Along;” Richard Riddell, “The Seagull;” Greg Sullivan, “Richard III.”

- SOUND DESIGN: Burnham Joiner, “Cloud 9;” Peter J. Still, “Hedda Gabler;” David Thayer, “Two Gentleman of Verona,” Lamb’s Players Theatre; Victor Zupanc, “Heat,” UC San Diego Theatre; Victor Zupanc, “A Man’s a Man.”

- NEW MUSICAL SCORE: Conrad Susa, “Richard III;” Conrad Susa, “London Assurance;” Michael S. Roth, “The Seagull;” Victor Zupanc, “A Man’s a Man;” Stephen Sondheim, “Merrily We Roll Along.”

- NEW PLAY: John Herschel, “The Goat,” UCSD Theatre; Michael Weller, “Ghost on Fire;” Janet Schechter, “The Third Party;” Gaslamp Quarter Theatre; David McFadzean, “A Proud Look, a Lying Tongue,” Lamb’s Players; Lisa Wolpe, “Parzival,” Impulse Theatre.

- PRODUCTION: “Cloud 9; “A Man’s a Man;” “Merrily We Roll Along;” “The Seagull;” “Vikings,” Old Globe.

- TOURING SHOW: “Drinking in America,” Eric Bogosian; “Corridos,” El Teatro Campesino; “Crusoe” and “The Insomniacs,” Theatre Grottesco; “Simming to Cambodia,” Spalding Gray; “The Trojan Women,” Suzuki Company of Toga.