San Diego Theatre Critics Circle: 2018 Craig Noel Awards Announced
By: A.A. Cristi Feb. 12, 2019
The San Diego Theatre Critics Circle is pleased to announce the winners of its 2018 Craig Noel Awards. Now in its 17th year, the Craig Noel Awards honor the achievements of professional theaters in San Diego County.
This year's 28 awards were presented before an audience of more than 500 guests at the annual ceremony on Feb. 11, 2019, at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, 404 Euclid Ave., San Diego.
Two productions were the big winners, earning four each.
The Old Globe's A Thousand Splendid Suns won for Outstanding Dramatic Production, Direction, Lighting and Scenic Design.
Lamb's Players Theatre's production of Once earned awards for Outstanding Resident Musical, Ensemble, Musical Direction and Lead Performance By a Female in a Musical (Caitie Grady).
San Diego Repertory Theatre's A Doll's House, Part 2 picked up two prizes for Outstanding Dramatic Production and Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play (Sofia Jean Gomez).
Anna Ziegler's The Wanderers, produced by The Old Globe in its world premiere and directed by Globe artistic director Barry Edelstein, won the award for Outstanding New Play.
The rarely-presented Director of the Year honor went to David Ellenstein, who helmed five strong productions in 2018, including four at his own theater, North Coast Repertory Theatre, and one at The Roustabouts Theatre Co.
The Roustabouts Theatre Co. was singled out for the annual Don Braunagel Award for Outstanding Achievement by a Small Theater Company for its body of work in 2018.
The 2018 Actors of the Year are Kevin Hafso Koppman and Nadia Guevara. Both performed impressively in three productions last year, and each also directed a production.
A well-deserved Outstanding Special Event citation honored a first-time collaboration among San Diego Opera, Bodhi Tree Concerts and SACRA/PROFANA, which together co-produced All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914.
The 2018 awardees were chosen by a nine-member body of professional critics who write for San Diego newspapers, magazines, online publications and blogs.
This year's awards ceremony was organized by event co-chairs Julie Sarno, Dea Hurton and Denise Bevers. Financial support was provided by donors: Lon and Denise Bevers; the Dr. Seuss Foundation; Larry Alldredge & Dawn Moore; Dea and Osborn Hurston; Stanley Cohen; Jay and Julie Sarno; Harvey and Sheryl White; Yolanda Braunagel; Bill & Judy Garrett; Wes Anson; Wendy Nash; Jerry Buckley; US Bank; Ralph Johnson; Arthur and Marilyn Neumann; Darlene Davies; Trina & Ted Kaplan; Bill Purves; Mike Napoli & Performing Arts Live; and the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation.
For information, visit sdcriticscircle.org or our Facebook page at: facebook.com/sandiegotheatrecriticscircle.
The 2018 Craig Noel Award recipients are:
Outstanding Dramatic Production (tie)
"A Doll's House, Part 2" - San Diego Repertory Theatre
"A Thousand Splendid Suns" - The Old Globe
Outstanding New Play / Performing Arts Live Prize
"The Wanderers" by Anna Ziegler - The Old Globe
Outstanding Resident Musical
"Once" - Lamb's Players Theatre
Director of the Year
David Ellenstein Body of Work 2018
Don Braunagel Award for Outstanding Achievement by a Small Theater
The Roustabouts Theatre Co.
Actors of the Year Male and Female
Outstanding Young Artist/Sandra Ellis-Troy Scholarship
Noah Baird Disney's Newsies, Moonlight Stage Productions
Outstanding Special Event
All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 Co-produced by San Diego Opera, Bodhi Tree Concerts and SACRA/PROFANA
Outstanding Direction of a Play
Carey Perloff - A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Old Globe
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Sam Woodhouse - "Fun Home," San Diego Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Musical Direction
G. Scott Lacy - "Once," Lamb's Players Theatre
Outstanding Scenic Design
Ken MacDonald - "A Thousand Splendid Sons," The Old Globe
Outstanding Sound Design (tie)
Melanie Chen Cole - "Men on Boats," New Village Arts
Will Pickens - "Uncle Vanya," The Old Globe
Outstanding Costume Design
Fabio Toblini - "The Importance of Being Earnest," The Old Globe
Outstanding Lighting Design
Robert Wierzel - "A Thousand Splendid Suns," The Old Globe
Outstanding Ensemble
"Once," Lamb's Players Theatre
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Male
James Sutorius - "The Father," North Coast Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Female
Sofia Jean Gomez - "A Doll's House, Part 2," San Diego Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Female
Joy Yvonne Jones - "Voyeurs de Venus," Moxie Theatre
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Male
Wrekless Watson - "Cardboard Piano," Diversionary Theatre
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Female
Caitie Grady - "Once," Lamb's Players Theatre
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Male
Zackary Scot Wolfe - "Avenue Q," New Village Arts
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Female
Eboni Muse - "Hairspray," San Diego Musical Theatre
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Male
Bryan Banville - "Monty Python's Spamalot," Cygnet Theatre
Outstanding Choreography
Jill Gorrie - "Hairspray," San Diego Musical Theatre
Founded in 1983 and re-established in 2002, the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle is an independent, nonprofit organization of print and online theater critics dedicated to open and honest dialogue about theater in San Diego County and to honoring artistic excellence. The members of our organization are professional critics writing for daily newspapers, magazines, entertainment trade publications and websites in San Diego County. In 2002, the awards were renamed in honor of Craig Noel, longtime artistic director at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre and the founding father of San Diego's theater community, who passed away in 2010.
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