December 1, 2010 to November 30, 2011, actually. That’s our qualifying year. I’m very happy with this list, very proud that local attractions predominate in the top categories; thrilled at the caliber of our special award recipients; pleased to see the balance overall between LA shows and national tours; and delighted to see so many female nominees. (Check out Featured!) Our show on March 19 is going to be mad enjoyable: We’ve got the fabulous Lesli Margherita and Jason Graae as our hosts, and the brand-new A Noise Within complex as our venue. Unmissable! One can visit www.ladramacriticscircle.com for details and tickets.

The 2011 LADCC special award recipients are as follows:

• The Ted Schmitt Award for the world premiere of an outstanding new play will be awarded to David Wiener for Extraordinary Chambers. The award is accompanied by an offer to publish by Samuel French, Inc.
• The Polly Warfield Award for an excellent season in a small to mid-size theater will be awarded to Rogue Machine. The award is accompanied by an honorarium funded by the Nederlander Organization.
• The Bob Z award for career achievement in set design will be awarded to Kurt Boetcher.
• The Angstrom Award for career achievement in lighting design will be awarded to Lap Chi Chu. The award is accompanied by an honorarium funded by Angstrom Lighting.
• The Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater will be awarded to the Odyssey Theatre.
• The Joel Hirschhorn Award for outstanding achievement in musical theatre will be awarded to Lee Martino.
• The Milton Katselas Award for career or special achievement in direction will be awarded to Matt Shakman. The award is accompanied by an honorarium funded by The Katselas Theatre Company.

The nominees for the 2011 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards for theatrical excellence are as follows:

Production

• 9 Circles, Alicia Adams & Jessica Hanna, Bootleg Theater
• Blackbird, Rogue Machine, Theatre/Theater
• House of the Rising Son, Ensemble Studio Theatre—LA, Atwater Village Theatre
• Jerry Springer: The Opera, Chance Theater
• Margo Veil, The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and Evidence Room, Odyssey Theatre
• Re-Animator: The Musical, Dean Schramm & Stuart Gordon, Steve Allen Theater
• Small Engine Repair, Rogue Machine, Theatre/Theater
• The Cripple of Inishmaan, Center Theatre Group and Druid and Atlantic Theater Company, Kirk Douglas Theatre
• Way to Heaven, Ron Sossi, Odyssey Theatre

McCulloh Award for Revival

• A Raisin in the Sun, Ebony Repertory Theatre, Nate Holden Performing Arts Center
• Cabaret, Reprise Theatre Company, Freud Playhouse
• Kiss Me, Kate, Reprise Theatre Company, Freud Playhouse
• Peace in Our Time, The Antaeus Company, Deaf West Theatre
• The Crucible, Theatre Banshee

Direction

• Trevor Biship, Jerry Springer: The Opera, Chance Theater
• Andrew Block, Small Engine Repair, Rogue Machine at Theatre/Theater
• Sean Branney, The Crucible, Theatre Banshee
• Bart DeLorenzo, Margo Veil, The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and Evidence Room at the Odyssey Theatre
• Phylicia Rashad, A Raisin in the Sun, Ebony Repertory Theatre at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center

Writing

• Jane Anderson, The Escort, Geffen Playhouse
• David Harrower, Blackbird, Rogue Machine at Theatre/Theater
• John Pollono, Small Engine Repair, Rogue Machine at Theatre/Theater
• Charlayne Woodard, The Night Watcher, Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre

Writing (Adaptation)

• Dakin Matthews, The Capulets & the Montagues, Andak Stage Company at NewPlace Studio Theatre
• Dennis Paoli, Stuart Gordon & William J. Morris, Re-Animator: The Musical, Steve Allen Theater

Music Direction

• Gregory Nabours, Falsettos, Third Street Theatre
• Michael Paternostro, Kiss Me, Kate, Reprise Theatre Company at Freud Playhouse
• Gerald Sternbach, The Robber Bridegroom, International City Theatre
• Mike Wilkins, Jerry Springer: The Opera, Chance Theater

Choreography

• Karole Armitage, Hair, Broadway/L.A. at the Pantages Theatre
• Andy Blankenbuehler, Bring It On: The Musical, Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre
• Todd Nielsen, The Robber Bridegroom, International City Theatre
• Kelly Todd, Jerry Springer: The Opera, Chance Theater

Musical Score

• Lin-Manuel Miranda, Amanda Green, and Tom Kitt, Bring It On: The Musical, Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre
• Mark Nutter, Re-Animator: The Musical, Steve Allen Theater
• Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek the Musical, DreamWorks Theatricals, Neal Street Productions, and Broadway/L.A. at the Pantages Theatre
• Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee, Jerry Springer: The Opera, Chance Theater

Lead Performance

• Patrick J. Adams, 9 Circles, Bootleg Theater
• Sam Anderson, Blackbird, Rogue Machine at Theatre/Theater
• Gigi Birmingham, Hermetically Sealed, The Katselas Theatre Company at the Skylight Theatre
• Anne Gee Byrd, All My Sons, Matrix Theatre
• L. Scott Caldwell, A Raisin in the Sun, Ebony Repertory Theatre at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center
• Kevin Carroll, A Raisin in the Sun, Ebony Repertory Theatre at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center
• Edi Gathegi, Superior Donuts, Geffen Playhouse
• Lesli Margherita, Kiss Me, Kate, Reprise Theatre Company at Freud Playhouse
• Lisa O’Hare, Cabaret, Reprise Theatre Company at Freud Playhouse
• Maggie Siff, The Escort, Geffen Playhouse
• Norbert Weisser, Way to Heaven, Odyssey Theatre

Featured Performance

• Kenya Alexander, A Raisin in the Sun, Ebony Repertory Theatre at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center
• Anne Gee Byrd, I Never Sang for My Father, The New American Theatre at the McCadden Theatre
• Dermot Crowley, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Center Theatre Group and Druid and Atlantic Theater Company at the Kirk Douglas Theatre
• Deidrie Henry, A Raisin in the Sun, Ebony Repertory Theatre at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center
• Kate Huffman, 100 Saints You Should Know, Elephant Theatre Company
• Casey Kramer, Dolly West’s Kitchen, Theatre Banshee
• Ryann Redmond, Bring It On: The Musical, Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre

Ensemble Performance

• A Raisin in the Sun, Ebony Repertory Theatre at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center
• Jerry Springer: The Opera, Chance Theater
• Margo Veil, The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and Evidence Room at the Odyssey Theatre
• The Cripple of Inishmaan, Center Theatre Group and Druid and Atlantic Theater Company at the Kirk Douglas Theatre
• The Crucible, Theatre Banshee

Solo Performance

• Tom Dugan, Nazi Hunter — Simon Wiesenthal, Theatre 40 at the Reuben Cordova Theatre
• John Fleck, Mad Women, The Katselas Theatre Company at the Skylight Theatre
• Guy Hollingsworth, The Expert at the Card Table, Menier Chocolate Factory at The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage
• John Leguizamo, Ghetto Klown, WestBeth Entertainment at The Montálban
• Charlayne Woodard, The Night Watcher, Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre
  

Set Design

• Cameron Anderson, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, South Coast Repertory
• John Lee Beatty, Poor Behavior, Center Theatre Group at the Mark Taper Forum
• Brian Sidney Bembridge, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Geffen Playhouse
• Michael Ganio, A Raisin in the Sun, Ebony Repertory Theatre at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center
• Richard Hoover, House of the Rising Son, Ensemble Studio Theatre—LA at the Atwater Village Theatre

Lighting Design

• Patrice Besombes, Iris, Cirque du Soleil at Kodak Theatre
• Paule Constable, Les Misérables, Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre
• Jeremy Pivnick, House of the Rising Son, Ensemble Studio Theatre—LA at the Atwater Village Theatre
• Brian S. Shevelenko, Jerry Springer: The Opera, Chance Theater

Costume Design

• Ann Closs-Farley, Margo Veil, The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and Evidence Room at the Odyssey Theatre

• Philippe Guillotel, Iris, Cirque du Soleil at Kodak Theatre
• Tim Hatley, Shrek the Musical, DreamWorks Theatricals, Neal Street Productions, and Broadway/L.A. at the Pantages Theatre
• Garry Lennon, Kiss Me, Kate, Reprise Theatre Company at Freud Playhouse

Sound Design                                                                                               

• Mikhail Fiksel, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Geffen Playhouse
• Casey Long, Jerry Springer: The Opera, Chance Theater
• Adam Phalen, 9 Circles, Bootleg Theater
• John Zalewski, Margo Veil, The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and Evidence Room at the Odyssey Theatre

Specialty

• Eric Anderson (fight choreography), Gospel According to First Squad, The Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble at The Powerhouse Theatre
• John Boesche (projection design), Radiance: The Passion of Marie Curie, Geffen Playhouse
• David Combs and Linda Hoag (puppet design), Monkey Adored, Rogue Machine at Theatre/Theater
• Tony Doublin, John Naulin, John Buechler, Tom Devlin, & Greg McDougall (special effects), Re-Animator: The Musical, Steve Allen Theater
• Shana Carroll, Boris Verkhovsky, Pierre Masse (acrobatic performance design), Iris, Cirque du Soleil at Kodak Theatre
• Peter Nigrini (projection and video design), The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Geffen Playhouse

Unique Theatrical Event

• Standing on Ceremony, Joan Stein and Stuart Ross in association with the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center at The Renberg Theatre

A Noise Within (ANW), led by Founders/Artistic Directors Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and the location of the March 19 LADCC awards event, is the only year-round classical repertory company in Southern California and one of only a handful in the entire country dedicated solely to producing classical dramatic literature in the repertory tradition of rotating productions with a resident company of professional artists.  It has been lauded by critics as a “premiere classical theatre company,” and an “outstanding ensemble” whose “vibrantly theatrical” “brilliant productions” are “freshly imagined,” “exceptional,” “invigorating,” “riveting,” “brilliantly atmospheric,” “inspired,” and “masterfully crafted.”  Founded 20 years ago, ANW quickly established itself as one of the region’s key theatre companies, attracting fiercely loyal audiences and consistently high praise from the media for its productions and as a key force in arts education.

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle was founded in 1969.  It is dedicated to excellence in theatrical criticism, and to the encouragement and improvement of theatre in Greater Los Angeles.

The 2011 voting members of the LADCC consisted of:  F. Kathleen Foley (L.A. Times), Shirle Gottlieb (Gazette Newspapers, StageHappenings.com), Hoyt Hilsman (Back Stage, The Huffington Post), Mayank Keshaviah (L.A. Weekly), Amy Lyons (Back Stage, L.A. Weekly), Dany Margolies (Back Stage), Terry Morgan (Variety), Steven Leigh Morris (L.A. Weekly), David C. Nichols (L.A. Times, Back Stage), Sharon Perlmutter (TalkinBroadway.com), Melinda Schupmann (Back Stage, ShowMag.com), Madeleine Shaner (Park La Brea News/Beverly Press, Back Stage), Les Spindle (Back Stage), Bob Verini (Variety), and Neal Weaver (Back Stage).  Joining for 2012 is Pauline Adamek (L.A. Weekly)