Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Recognizes Gentleman's Guide, Disgraced, and More

Last night, March 20, the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle announced the recipients of its 48th annual awards for distinguished achievement in theater at the Colony Theatre in Burbank.

Leading the pack with eight plaques was Antaeus Theatre Company's revival of Cloud 9, followed by Celebration Theatre's revival of The Boy From Oz with seven. The Ahmanson Theatre's production of the Tony-winning musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder received four awards, closely trailed by the Pasadena Playhouse production of Casa Valentina and the Mark Taper Forum production of Disgraced, both of which received three. Hari Dhillon, who originated the role of Amir in Ayad Akhtar's Disgraced on Broadway, was recognized for his lead performance in the Los Angeles production.

Read below for the complete list of the 2016 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award winners:

Production
· A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre
· Cloud 9, Antaeus Theatre Company
· Disgraced, Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum
· The Boy From Oz, Celebration Theatre

McCulloh Award for Revival (plays written between 1920 and 1991)
· Cloud 9, Antaeus Theatre Company
· Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum

Lead Performance
· Andrew Bongiorno in The Boy From Oz, Celebration Theatre
· Ginna Carter in The Eccentricities of a Nightingale, Pacific Resident Theatre
· Hari Dhillon in Disgraced, Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum

Featured Performance
· JD Cullum in Cloud 9, Antaeus Theatre Company
· Bo Foxworth in Cloud 9, Antaeus Theatre Company
· Bess Motta in The Boy From Oz, Celebration Theatre

Ensemble Performance
· Casa Valentina, The Pasadena Playhouse
· Cloud 9, Antaeus Theatre Company
· Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum

Solo Performance
· Deborah Puette, Captain of the Bible Quiz Team, Rogue Machine Theatre

Direction
· Michael A. Shepperd, The Boy From Oz, Celebration Theatre
· Casey Stangl, Cloud 9, Antaeus Theatre Company
· Darko Tresnjak, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre

Writing
· Ayad Akhtar, Disgraced, Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum
· Erik Patterson, One of the Nice Ones, the Echo Theater Company

Musical Score
· Steven Lutvak and Robert L. Freedman, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre

Music Direction
· Bryan Blaskie, The Boy From Oz, Celebration Theatre

Choreography
· Janet Roston, The Boy From Oz, Celebration Theatre

Set Design
· Alexander Dodge, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre

CGI/Video Design
· Brad Peterson and David Gallo, Empire the Musical, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts

Lighting Design
· Rui Rita and Jake DeGroot, Fly, the Pasadena Playhouse

Costume Design
· Kate Bergh, Casa Valentina, the Pasadena Playhouse
· A. Jeffrey Schoenberg, Cloud 9, Antaeus Theatre Company

Sound Design
· Eric Snodgrass, The Boy From Oz, Celebration Theatre

Specialty: Fight Choreography
· Jen Albert, Punch and Judy, the School of Night, Ruby Theater at the Complex

Specialty: Wigs, Hair and Makeup
· Rick Geyer, Casa Valentina, the Pasadena Playhouse
· Jessica Mills, Cloud 9, Antaeus Theatre Company

Special awards were also presented to the following recipients:

2016 Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater — Antaeus Theatre Company

2016 Polly Warfield Award for an excellent season in a small to mid-size theater — Rogue Machine Theatre

2016 Ted Schmitt Award for the world premiere of an outstanding new play — Aliza Goldstein for A Singular They, originally produced by the Blank Theatre.

2016 Kinetic Lighting Award for outstanding achievement in theatrical design — Jared A. Sayeg

2016 Joel Hirschhorn Award for outstanding achievement in musical theater — Cabrillo Music Theatre

2016 Milton Katselas Award for career or special achievement in direction — Maria Gobetti

2016 Gordon Davidson Award for distinguished contribution to the Los Angeles theatrical community — Pro99

For the complete list of 2016 nominees, click here.