Awards Raise Curtain on Area’s Smaller Stages

John Rubinstein took home two theater awards Monday night--and neither had anything to do with his role in “Ragtime.”

Rubinstein’s two Artistic Director Achievement Awards--given by the Valley Theatre League--were for direction and musical direction of “Into the Woods” at the small Interact Theatre in North Hollywood. The Tony-award winner (for “Children of a Lesser God” in 1980) lost the award for best actor in a musical, though, to Matthew Ashford, another member of the “Into the Woods” cast.

This is the fourth year that the ADA awards were given by the Valley Theatre League, reflecting the growth of the local theater scene, especially in the North Hollywood area. The ADAs are specifically for small Equity-contract and community theaters in the San Fernando and adjacent valleys, in contrast to the Ovations, which honor both large and small theaters in the entire Los Angeles area. ADA winners are chosen by the artistic directors of all member groups.

Accepting his directing award, Rubinstein noted the striking difference between working at the 1,800-seat Shubert Theatre and the 56-seat Interact. At the Shubert, every light is operated by its own computer. In small theater, he said, you do everything yourself.

Looking out onto the crowd of about 600 who attended the awards at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, Rubinstein said, “I congratulate all of you for getting anything done.”

Another big winner during the ceremony was “An American Romance,” one of the few shows still running. The play, at The Road Theatre Company, won five ADAs, including best original comedy production, best writing and best direction.

The year-old company Theatre Unlimited picked up four awards for its show “Move Over, Mrs. Markham,” for best comedy revival production, direction, ensemble cast and stage managing.

Betty Garrett--known to TV viewers as Edna Babish on “Laverne & Shirley” and Irene Lorenzo on “All in the Family”--was given the Juanin Clay Lifetime Achievement Award. “I really am pleased,” Garrett said, “But I hope you realize I’m not finished with it yet!” Garrett is a co-founder of Theatre West and has worked with that company for about 35 years.

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A List of Artistic Director Achievement Award Winners

Production/original drama (tie): “Cracks in a Sidewalk,” American Renegade Theatre Company,and “Box 27,” Actors Forum Theatre.

Production/original comedy: “An American Romance,” The Road Theatre Company.

Production/revival drama: “My Life,” Synthaxis Theatre Company.

Production/revival comedy: “Move Over, Mrs. Markham,” Theatre Unlimited.

Production/musical: “Into the Woods,” Interact Theatre Company.

Production/one-person play: “It’s Me, Dad!” Fritz Coleman at the Actors Forum Theatre.

Production/evening of one-act plays (tie): “Finalist’s Festival of One-Acts,” Actor’s Workout Studio, and “Three Short Plays,” Raven Playhouse.

Production/children’s show: “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Serendipity Theatre Company.

Lead actor/drama: Joseph Dean Vachon, “Companion Piece,” Chandler Studio.

Lead actor/comedy: Seth Isler, “The Godfather Workout,” Theatre East.

Lead actress/drama: Nancy Barker, “Veronica’s Room” at the Stage Door Theatre.

Lead actress/comedy (tie): Marsha Hunt, “On Golden Pond,” Santa Susana Repertory Company, and Betty Garrett, “Tom-Tom on a Rooftop” at Theatre West.

Lead actor/musical: Matthew Ashford, “Into the Woods,” Interact Theatre Company.

Lead actress/musical: Ginger Pauley, “Calamity Jane,” Woodland Hills Theatre.

Supporting actor/drama: Darcy Belsher, “Far From the Tree,” Actors Alley.

Supporting actress/drama: Mimi Cozzens, “Only the Dead Know Burbank,” Actors Alley.

Supporting actor/comedy: Dan Wingard, “Serial,” Bitter Truth Theatre.

Supporting actress/comedy: Bethany Carpenter, “Crappie Talk,” Group Repertory Theatre.

Supporting actor/musical: Michael Jay Aronovitz, “Calamity Jane,” Woodland Hills Theatre.

Supporting actress/musical: Stormie Ingram, “The Finish Line,” Alliance Repertory Company.

Actor/children’s show: Tony Sanders, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Serendipity Theatre Company.

Actress/children’s show: Sarah Lilly, “The Little Mermaid,” Serendipity Theatre Company.

Ensemble cast/original play: “An American Romance,” The Road Theatre Company.

Ensemble cast/revival drama: “I Stand Before You Naked,” American Renegade Theatre Company.

Ensemble cast/revival comedy: “Move Over, Mrs. Markham,” Theatre Unlimited.

Director/original drama: John Slade, “Crockett, By Himself,” Two Roads Theatre.

Director/original comedy: John Lawler, “An American Romance,” The Road Theatre Company.

Director/revival drama (tie): David A. Cox, “I Stand Before You Naked,” American Renegade Theatre Company, and Roy Hammond, “Veronica’s Room,” Stage Door Theatre.

Director/revival comedy: Pamela Hall, “Move Over, Mrs. Markham,” Theatre Unlimited.

Director/musical: John Rubinstein, “Into the Woods,” Interact Theatre Company.

Director/children’s show: Angela Wayne Randazzo, “The Tiger Turned Pink,” Bitter Truth Theatre.

Musical director: John Rubinstein, “Into the Woods,” Interact Theatre Company.

Choreography: Dyanne DiRosario, “The Finish Line,” Alliance Repertory Company.

Author of an original drama: Michael Norman Mann, “Box 27,” Actors Forum Theatre.

Author of an original comedy (tie): Lisa Soland, “Happy Birthday, Baby!” Fellowship Theatre, and Mark Lee, “An American Romance,” The Road Theatre Company.

Author of an original children’s play: Mary Mann, “Maria and the Comet,” Synthaxis Theatre Company.

Book, music and lyrics for a children’s musical: Lloyd J. Schwartz, David Wechter and Phil Orem for “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” Theatre West.

Set design: Wes McBride, “An American Romance,” The Road Theatre Company.

Light design: Peter Strauss, “Only the Dead Know Burbank,” Actors Alley.

Costume design: Don Nelson, “Calamity Jane,” Woodland Hills Theatre.

Sound design: Lisa Soland, “Happy Birthday, Baby!” Fellowship Theatre.

Stage manager: April Sayegh, “Move Over, Mrs. Markham,” Theatre Unlimited.