SCR Wins 6 L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards : Theater: The troupe’s ‘Heartbreak House’ wins Outstanding Production and Outstanding Direction honors for 1991.

South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa won six of the 30 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards announced today for 1991, including Outstanding Production and Outstanding Direction honors for George Bernard Shaw’s “Heartbreak House.”

Outstanding production and direction awards also went to “The Most Happy Fella” at the Doolittle Theatre and “Avenue A” at the Cast-at-the-Circle Theatre, both in Hollywood.

“Fella” and “Avenue A” took four awards each, while “Heartbreak House” received three, as did the Pasadena Playhouse production of “Forever Plaid,” now playing at the Canon Theatre in Beverly Hills. South Coast Repertory’s total of six awards--the same number it received last year, and two more than it received in 1990--placed it second to the Los Angeles’ Center Theatre Group, which received eight.

SCR’s other awards included one for outstanding lead performance (Richard Frank in “Kiss of the Spider Woman”) and two for costume design (Ann Bruice for “You Can’t Take It With You” and Shigeru Yaji for “Happy End”).

Two touring productions that stopped at the Orange County Performing Arts Center also were honored, “City of Angels” for best costume and scenic designs and “Grand Hotel” for choreography.

The 23-year-old LADCC Awards, voted on by 19 critics in Los Angeles and Orange counties, generally are considered the most prestigious for theater in the area. This year, 17 plays garnered awards in 14 categories, not counting four special awards announced last week.

The awards, to be presented during a luncheon ceremony April 5 in Studio City, include:

* Production: “Avenue A,” produced by Diana Gibson for the Cast Theatre and AA Productions, at the Cast-at-the-Circle Theatre; “Heartbreak House,” produced by South Coast Repertory, David Emmes, producing artistic director, Martin Benson, artistic director; “The Most Happy Fella,” the Goodspeed Opera House production, produced by Michael P. Price, presented by Center Theatre Group, Gordon Davidson producing director, at the Doolittle Theatre.

* Direction: Martin Benson, “Heartbreak House”; Gerald Gutierrez, “The Most Happy Fella”; Jim Holmes, “Avenue A.”

* Writing: David Henry Hwang, “M. Butterfly,” Wilshire Theatre.

* Lead Performance: Eileen Atkins, “A Room of One’s Own,” Westwood Playhouse; Jeff Doucette, “Rage!,” Alliance Repertory Company; Richard Frank, “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” South Coast Repertory; Jane Krakowski, “Henceforward . . . ,” Mark Taper Forum; Robert Morse, “Tru,” Henry Fonda Theatre.

* Featured Performance: Loretta Devine, “The Rabbit Foot,” Los Angeles Theatre Center; David Steen, “Avenue A.”

* Ensemble Performance: Stan Chandler, David Engel, Larry Raben and Guy Stroman, “Forever Plaid,” Pasadena Playhouse.

* Scenic Design: John Iacovelli, “Heartbreak House”; Robin Wagner, “City of Angels,” Shubert Theatre and Orange County Performing Arts Center.

* Lighting Design: James F. Ingalls, “Jelly’s Last Jam,” Mark Taper Forum.

* Costume Design: Ann Bruice, “You Can’t Take It With You,” South Coast Repertory; Florence Klotz, “City of Angels”; Shigeru Yaji, “Happy End,” South Coast Repertory.

* Sound Design: Jon Gottlieb, “Henceforward . . . “

* Hair and Makeup Design: Kevin Haney, “Tru.”

* Musical Direction: Steven Freeman, “Forever Plaid”; Tim Stella, “The Most Happy Fella”; Linda Twine “Jelly’s Last Jam.”

* Musical Arrangement/Orchestration: Robert Page and Frank Loesser, “The Most Happy Fella”; James Raitt, “Forever Plaid.”

* Choreography: Tommy Tune, “Grand Hotel”; Gregory Scott Young, “Club Indigo,” Golden Theatre.

Times staff writer Jan Herman contributed to this report.