Winners of the 2011 San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Awards

2011 Craig Noel Award Winners Announced:

The Old Globe’s “August: Osage County” and Cygnet’s “Cabaret” among the evening’s top honorees

By Donnie Matsuda

It is perhaps no surprise that The Globe’s astonishing “August: Osage County” and Cygnet’s electrifying “Cabaret” were prominently featured as both nominees and awardees at this year’s annual Craig Noel Awards ceremony, which took place this past Monday night at the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla.

Presented by the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle, the 2011 Craig Noel Awards celebrated their 10^th anniversary this year and marked the milestone by recapping their history in video montages scattered throughout the evening’s two hour long awards ceremony. Also presented were twenty seven awards, honoring artistic excellence in a number of categories from a wide range of San Diego theatres, both great and small.

The Old Globe's "August: Osage County," winner of Outstanding Dramatic Production at the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle's 2011 Awards. Photo courtesy of Henry DiRocco.

Of course, it was our county’s biggest and best theatres who took home the most trophies. The Old Globe’s “August: Osage County” was the evening’s top honoree, winning an award for Outstanding Dramatic Production, as well as for Lois Markle’s principal performance, Sam Gold’s outstanding direction, and the Ensemble award for its arresting 13-member cast. Cygnet Theatre’s roustabout revival of “Cabaret” also fared well, picking up three awards: for director Sean Murray, choreographer David Brannen, and the show’s leading lady Karson St. John as Emcee. And further up north, La Jolla Playhouse was the winner of three categories, including top touring show for its Broadway-bound “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Outstanding New Play for its Off-Broadway-housed pregnancy-pact play “Milk Like Sugar,” and Outstanding Special Event for its botanically-based “Susurrus.”

Cygnet Theatre's "Cabaret" was honored for Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Outstanding Female Lead, and Outstanding Choreography. Photo by Daren Scott.

In addition to the production-based awards, the Critics Circle also handed out some special awards to some exceptional individuals. For his terrific turns in ion Theatre’s “The Woolgatherer” and “Bash: Latter Day Plays,” San Diego REP’s “In the Next Room (or the vibrator play),” and Cygnet’s “The Glass Menagerie,” Brian Mackey was named Actor of the Year. And based on her powerful performance in Onstage Playhouse’s “The Diary of Anne Frank,” a poised and articulate Lucia Vecchio (just 13 years old) accepted the Outstanding Young Artist award along with the Sandra Ellis-Troy Memorial Scholarship.

Brian Mackey, seen here in ion Theatre's "Bash: Latterday Plays," was named 2011 Actor of the Year. Courtesy photo.

The San Diego Theatre Critics Circle honored 13-year-old Lucia Vecchio with the Outstanding Young Artist award for her 2011 performance in OnStage Playhouse's "The Diary of Anne Frank." Courtesy photo.

And new this year was the inauguration of the Don Braunagel Award, underwritten by the late theatre critic’s wife, Yolanda, in support of small theatres who manage to put on some big and bold productions. San Diego’s ion Theatre was the first ever recipient of this honor and with the award ion Artistic Directors Claudio Raygoza and Glenn Paris were commended for their recent mounting of the masterful epic “Angels in America.”

The cast and creative team for ion Theatre's "Angels in America," winner of the inaugural Don Braunagel Award for Oustanding Work at a Small Theater. Courtesy photo.

Congratulations to all this year’s nominees (and winners) who made 2011 an extraordinary year for San Diego theatre. Here’s hoping for an even more exceptional year in 2012!

And, for those of you who are more inventory-savvy, here is a complete list of all the 2011 Craig Noel Award winners by category (courtesy of the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle):

Outstanding Dramatic Production

“August: Osage County,” The Old Globe

Outstanding Direction of a Play

Sam Gold, “August: Osage County,” The Old Globe

Outstanding Ensemble

“August: Osage County,” The Old Globe

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Male

Manny Fernandes, “Of Mice and Men,” New Village Arts Theatre

Robert Foxworth, “Superior Donuts,” San Diego REPertory Theatre

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Female

Lois Markle, “August: Osage County,” The Old Globe

Rosina Reynolds, “The Glass Menagerie,” Cygnet Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Female

Catalina Maynard, “Angels in America,” ion theatre

Diona Reasonover, “Stick Fly,” Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Male

David Ellenstein, “My Name is Asher Lev,” North Coast Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Touring Production

“Jesus Christ Superstar,” La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding New Play

Kirsten Greenidge, “Milk Like Sugar,” La Jolla Playhouse

Actor of the Year

Brian Mackey

Don Braunagel Award for Outstanding Work at a Small Theater

ion theatre for “Angels in America”

Outstanding Resident Musical

“Jane Austen's Emma,” The Old Globe

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

Sean Murray, “Cabaret,” Cygnet Theatre

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Female

Linda Libby, “Gypsy: A Musical Fable,” ion Theatre

Karson St. John, “Cabaret,” Cygnet Theatre

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Male

B. Slade, “The Who’s Tommy,” San Diego REPertory Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Male

Randall Hickman, “Hairspray,” Moonlight Stage Productions

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Female

Katie Whalley, “Gypsy: A Musical Fable,” ion Theatre

Outstanding Musical Direction

Steve Gunderson, “The Who’s Tommy,” San Diego REPertory Theatre

Outstanding Choreography

David Brannen, “Cabaret,” Cygnet Theatre

Outstanding Music for a Play

Shaun Davey, “The Tempest,” The Old Globe

Outstanding Sound Design

Melanie Chen, “Angels in America,” ion Theatre

Deborah Gilmour Smyth, “The Book of the Dun Cow,” Lamb's Players Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design

Jennifer Brawn Gittings, “In the Next Room (or the vibrator play)” San Diego REPertory Theatre

Jeanne Reith, “The Servant of Two Masters,” Lamb’s Players Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design

Michael Gilliam, “Jane Austen's Emma,” The Old Globe

Karen Filijan, “Angels in America,” ion Theatre

Outstanding Set Design

Tobin Ost, “Jane Austen's Emma,” The Old Globe

Outstanding Young Artist/Sandra Ellis-Troy Scholarship

Lucia Vecchio, “The Diary of Anne Frank,” Onstage Playhouse

Outstanding Special Event

“Susurrus,” La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Projection Design

Peter Nigrini, “Sleeping Beauty Wakes,” La Jolla Playhouse

For more information about the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle, visit: http://sdcriticscircle.org/