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L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards: LGBT Center’s ‘Hit the Wall’ leads nominations

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The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle announced its annual awards nominations Friday, and the L.A. LGBT Center’s “Hit the Wall” led all contenders with seven citations, followed by “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles” with six and “Tristan & Yseult” with five.

Celebration Theatre at the Lex’s “Bootycandy” and the Goodman Theatre’s production of “Luna Gale” at the Kirk Douglas in Culver City received four nominations each, including best production and ensemble performance. “Trevor,” at Circle X Theatre Co., picked up nominations for Jimmi Simpson for lead performance and Nick Jones for writing.

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Work performed in Los Angeles and Orange counties will be honored in 18 categories when the 47th annual awards are presented March 14 at the Ann and Jerry Moss Theater at New Roads School in Santa Monica. Actor, writer and musician Jake Broder will host.

Deaf West Theater Co. will receive the Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence, one of six special awards to be handed out.

The critics circle consists of 21 people, including Times contributors Margaret Gray and David C. Nichols.

The full list of nominees:

Production

  • “André & Dorine,” Kulunka Teatro at Los Angeles Theatre Center
  • “Bootycandy,” Celebration Theatre at the Lex
  • “Enron,” the Production Company at the Lex
  • “Fences,” International City Theatre
  • “Hit the Wall,” the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center and Sixth Avenue at the Los Angeles LGBT Center
  • “Luna Gale,” Goodman Theatre’s World Premiere Production, Center Theatre Group at Kirk Douglas Theatre
  • “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles,” J. Paul Getty Museum and the Theatre @ Boston Court at Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater at the Getty Villa
  • “The Gospel at Colonus,” Ebony Repertory Theatre at Nate Holden Performing Arts Center

McCulloh Award for Revival (plays written between 1920 and 1980)

  • “Anna Christie,” Odyssey Theatre Ensemble at Odyssey Theatre

Lead performance

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  • Angela Bullock in “Watching O.J.,” Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA at Atwater Village Theatre Complex
  • Jason Dechert in “Picnic,” Antaeus Theatre Co.
  • Mary Beth Fisher in “Luna Gale,” Goodman Theatre’s World Premiere Production, Center Theatre Group at Kirk Douglas Theatre
  • Matthew Hancock in “Hit the Wall,” the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center and Sixth Avenue at the Los Angeles LGBT Center
  • Ted Heyck in “God’s Man in Texas,” A Guest Production at the Blank Theatre’s 2nd Stage
  • Lily Knight in “A Small Fire,” the Echo Theater Co. @ Atwater Village Theatre
  • Troy Kotsur in “American Buffalo,” Cal State L.A. Department of Music, Theatre and Dance and Deaf West Theatre at State Playhouse
  • Emily Lopez in “Carrie the Musical,” Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman, the Transfer Group, Michael T. Cohen/Robin Reinach, Kraige Block and Joe Everett Michaels, in association with La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and the Los Angeles Theatre
  • Zoe Perry in “Anna Christie,” Odyssey Theatre Ensemble at Odyssey Theatre
  • Tiffany Royale in “The Best of Enemies,” the Colony Theatre
  • Michael A. Shepperd in “Fences,” International City Theatre
  • Jimmi Simpson in “Trevor,” Circle X Theatre Co. at Atwater Village Theatre
  • Jeff Skowron in “Into the Woods,” Oregon Shakespeare Festival at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
  • Sabina Zuniga Varela in “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles,” Paul Getty Museum and the Theatre @ Boston Court at Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater at the Getty Villa

Featured performance

  • Richard Fancy in “Awake and Sing!,” Odyssey Theatre Ensemble at Odyssey Theatre
  • Charlotte Gulezian in “Hit the Wall,” the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center and Sixth Avenue at the Los Angeles LGBT Center
  • Charlie Hofheimer in “Bent,” Center Theatre Group at Mark Taper Forum
  • Tracie Lockwood in “A Permanent Image,” Rogue Machine Theatre at Theatre/Theater
  • Elyse Mirto in “Figaro,” A Noise Within
  • Martin Rayner in “Oedipus Machina,” Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and KOAN at Odyssey Theatre
  • Bryce Ryness in “Matilda the Musical,” Royal Shakespeare Company and the Dodgers, Center Theatre Group at Ahmanson Theatre
  • Michael A. Shepperd in “Bootycandy,” Celebration Theatre at the Lex

Ensemble performance

  • “André & Dorine,” Kulunka Teatro at Los Angeles Theatre Center
  • “Bootycandy,” Celebration Theatre at The Lex
  • “Hit the Wall,” the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center and Sixth Avenue at the Los Angeles LGBT Center
  • “Luna Gale,” Goodman Theatre’s World Premiere Production, Center Theatre Group at Kirk Douglas Theatre
  • “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles,” Paul Getty Museum and the Theatre @ Boston Court at Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater at the Getty Villa

Solo performance

  • Orson Bean in “Safe at Home: An Evening With Orson Bean,” Pacific Resident Theatre
  • Monica Piper in “Not That Jewish,” Jewish Women’s Theatre at the Braid
  • John Douglas Thompson in “Satchmo at the Waldorf,” the Long Wharf Theatre and Shakespeare & Company Production at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Direction

  • Jessica Kubzansky, “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles,” Paul Getty Museum and the Theatre @ Boston Court at Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater at the Getty Villa
  • Jaime Robledo, “Astro Boy and the God of Comics,” Sacred Fools Theatre Company at Sacred Fools Theatre
  • Kim Rubinstein, “Anna Christie,” Odyssey Theatre Ensemble at Odyssey Theatre
  • Ken Sawyer, “Hit the Wall,” the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center and Sixth Avenue at the Los Angeles LGBT Center
  • August Viverito, “Enron,” The Production Company at the Lex

Writing

  • Rebecca Gilman, “Luna Gale,” Goodman Theatre’s World Premiere Production, Center Theatre Group at Kirk Douglas Theatre
  • Nick Jones, “Trevor,” Circle X Theatre Co. at Atwater Village Theatre
  • Robert O’Hara, “Bootycandy,” Celebration Theatre at the Lex
  • Lucy Prebble, “Enron,” The Production Company at the Lex
  • Micah Schraft, “A Dog’s House,” IAMA Theatre Company at Elephant Theatre

Writing (adaptation)

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  • Luis Alfaro, “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles,” Paul Getty Museum and the Theatre @ Boston Court at Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater at the Getty Villa

Musical score

  • Stu Barker, “Tristan & Yseult,” Kneehigh at South Coast Repertory
  • Jake Broder, “Miravel,” Sacred Fools Theater Company at Sacred Fools Theater
  • Tim Minchin, “Matilda the Musical,” Royal Shakespeare Company and the Dodgers, Center Theatre Group at Ahmanson Theatre
  • Anna Waronker and Charlotte Coffey, “Hit the Wall,” the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center and Sixth Avenue at the Los Angeles LGBT Center

Music direction

  • Stu Barker, “Tristan & Yseult,” Kneehigh at South Coast Repertory
  • Brian P. Kennedy, “Carrie the Musical,” Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman, the Transfer Group, Michael T. Cohen/Robin Reinach, Kraige Block and Joe Everett Michaels, in association with La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and the Los Angeles Theatre
  • Abdul Hamid Royal, “The Gospel at Colonus,” Ebony Repertory Theatre at Nate Holden Performing Arts Center
  • Julie Wolf, “Girlfriend,” the Actors Theatre of Louisville Production, Center Theatre Group at Kirk Douglas Theatre

Choreography

  • Christopher Gattelli, “Newsies,” Disney Theatrical Productions under the direction of Thomas Schumacher at Hollywood Pantages Theatre
  • Josh Rhodes, “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” Robyn Goodman, Jill Furman, Stephen Koos, Edward Walson, Venetian Glass Productions, the Araca Group, Carola Productions, Roy Furman, Peter May/Sanford Robertson, James Spry, Eric Schmidt, and Blanket Fort Productions, Center Theatre Group at Ahmanson Theatre
  • Dana Solimando, “Billy Elliot,” La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
  • Angela Todaro, “American Idiot,” DOMA Theatre Company at the MET Theatre

Set design

  • Tom Buderwitz, “The Whipping Man,” South Coast Repertory and the Pasadena Playhouse
  • Mimi Lien, “Appropriate,” Center Theatre Group at Mark Taper Forum
  • Don Llewellyn, “Fences,” International City Theatre
  • Bill Mitchell, “Tristan & Yseult,” Kneehigh at South Coast Repertory

Lighting design

  • Martin Labrecque, “Kurios — Cabinet of Curiosities,” Cirque du Soleil at Dodger Stadium
  • Tom Ontiveros, “My Barking Dog,” The Theatre @ Boston Court
  • Matt Richter, “Hit the Wall,” the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center and Sixth Avenue at the Los Angeles LGBT Center
  • Malcolm Rippeth, “Tristan & Yseult,” Kneehigh at South Coast Repertory

Costume design

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  • Angela Balogh Calin, “Figaro,” A Noise Within
  • Jessica Ford, “These Paper Bullets!” Geffen Playhouse in association with Atlantic Theater Company presents the Yale Repertory Theatre Production at Geffen Playhouse
  • Philippe Guillotel, “Kurios — Cabinet of Curiosities,” Cirque du Soleil at Dodger Stadium
  • Wade Laboissonniere, “Waterfall,” the Pasadena Playhouse in association with the 5th Avenue Theatre at the Pasadena Playhouse
  • William Ivey Long, “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” Robyn Goodman, Jill Furman, Stephen Koos, Edward Walson, Venetian Glass Productions, the Araca Group, Carola Productions, Roy Furman, Peter May/Sanford Robertson, James Spry, Eric Schmidt, and Blanket Fort Productions, Center Theatre Group at Ahmanson Theatre

Sound design

  • Gregory Clarke, “Tristan & Yseult,” Kneehigh at South Coast Repertory
  • Bruno Louchouarn, “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles,” Paul Getty Museum and the Theatre @ Boston Court at Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater at the Getty Villa
  • Jaime Robledo, “Astro Boy and the God of Comics,” Sacred Fools Theatre Company at Sacred Fools Theatre
  • John Zalewski, “My Barking Dog,” the Theatre @ Boston Court

CGI/video

  • Anthony Backman and Jim Pierce, “Astro Boy and the God of Comics,” Sacred Fools Theatre Company at Sacred Fools Theatre
  • Nicholas Santiago, “A Permanent Image,” Rogue Machine Theatre at Theatre/Theater

Specialty

  • Gieselle Blair, “Figaro,” A Noise Within (hair, wigs, and makeup)
  • Garbiñe Insausti, “André & Dorine,” Kulunka Teatro at the Los Angeles Theatre Center (masks)
  • Aviva Pressman, “Astro Boy and the God of Comics,” Sacred Fools Theatre Company at Sacred Fools Theatre (live art direction)
  • Jim Steinmeyer, “Carrie the Musical,” Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman, the Transfer Group, Michael T. Cohen/Robin Reinach, Kraige Block and Joe Everett Michaels, in association with La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and the Los Angeles Theatre (illusion design)

Special awards

  • Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence: Deaf West Theater Company
  • Ted Schmitt Award for world premiere play: Qui Nguyen for “Vietgone”
  • Polly Warfield Award for excellent season, small to midsize theater: International City Theatre
  • Kinetic Lighting Award for theatrical design: Projections designer Jason H. Thompson
  • Joel Hischhorn Award for musical theater: Director-choreographer Janet Miller
  • Milton Katselas Award for career or special achievement in direction: Michael Matthews

jessica.gelt@latimes.com

Twitter: @jessicagelt

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