THE 20th ANNUAL TICKETHOLDER AWARDS, 2010  – Part One

[ Read Part 2 ]

Well, I think 2010 brought us some incredible theatre in Los Angeles, even if the downturn of our local economy proved difficult—and in some cases sadly fatal—for the creators of theatre in our often culturally parched town. Still, even considering the many really obvious “showcase” productions to hit our small stages this year, there has been some remarkable art adorning our stages of all sizes.

One of the most difficult things for me this year in the compiling the 20thyear of my annual awards, was also my greatest joy as an artist this season: being a castmember of the world premiere of The Good Book of Pedantry and Wonder at LA’s most prolific (and brave) venue, the Boston Court Performing Arts Center, co-produced with the equally committed folks at Circle X Theatre Company. Directed by John Langs, someone whose work I’ve admired for many years now, and signaling the unique voice of an amazing new playwright, Moby Pomerance—who joined us from London for rehearsals and through most of the long run—being a part of this production was a great honor for me, although it also means I am rather challenged giving out awards this year without feeling I am also unable to award its many artistic achievements because of my close involvement without hearing more of the cries of conflict of interest that has plagued my simultaneous dual roles of actor and critic for the past 24 years I’ve been writing about LA theatre.

Moby and John deserve awards, as do Boston Court and Circle X, although they are not lacking in honors throughout this town this year. My incredible costars—John Getz, Melanie Lora, Ryan Welsh, Time Winters, Henry Todd Ostendorf and Gillian Doyle also deserve major honors, as do Diane Graebner’s pitch-perfect period costuming, Chuck Olson’s incredibly intricate props, and especially, Brian Bembridge’s jaw-dropping set and lighting, which would be at the tippy-top of my list if I hadn’t played a character in Moby’s incredible piece of theatrical innovation.

But I do get to honor many great theatrical achievements I was not a part of, including without prejudice performances as both Best Actress in a Play and in a Musical by two of my most cherished friends, Taylor Gilbert and Alice Ripley. In all honesty in the conflict of interest department, I am a member of the Road Theatre Company, where Taylor is co-artistic director with the incredible Sam Anderson, but I had nothing to do with the production of Madagascar, for which I honor Taylor’s performance. Would that I had had time this year to contribute to the Road or to the operations of my other company, Theatre of N.O.T.E. Hopefully in 2011 I will have done something with both companies for which I’ll need to disqualify myself.

You will notice there is a lack of musical honors from me for 2010, only finding nine productions (and no runner-ups) I felt deserved awarding, but that is partially my own fault, as I am definitely in my tight schedule prone to decide to attend non-musical productions if there’s a choice for me, perhaps because I grew up in musical theatre and the artform has not in general remained my favorite means of artistic expression unless it is as dark and moody and non-sappy as the first three of my honorees here. You might also notice there are no awards this year for the first time for cabaret performances, again my fault; I simple didn’t see any such performances this year that could qualify.

Next time, out, my 20th annual TicketHolders will conclude with honors for more artistic achievements. There are many winners out there in Los Angeles theatre circles not mentioned here, mind you, and my hat’s off to all of them for their talent, dedication and perseverance.

The Language Archive, South Coast Repertory

Oedipus El Rey, Theatre @ Boston Court

The Glass Menagerie, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum

The Twentieth-Century Way, Theatre @ Boston Court

Sick, Playwrights Arena / Latino Theatre Company at LATC

The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum

Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum

Mysterious Skin, East West Players

Kings of the Kilburn High Road, Theatre Banshee

A Prayer for My Daughter, Crown City Theatre Company

RUNNERS-UP: The Best of Circus Theatricals One Act Plays 2010, The Hayworth; Blithe Spirit, A Noise Within; Langston & Nicolás, Towne Street Theatre at the Adler; Madagascar, Road Theatre Company; Romeo and Juliet, Hollywood American Legion Theatre; The 39 Steps, CTG, Ahmanson; Thurgood, Geffen Playhouse; The Unexpected Man, Bright Eyes Productions, Lounge Theatre; White People, Road Theatre Company

 

Next to Normal, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre

The Story of My Life, Havok Theatre Company, Lillian Theatre

Nightmare Alley, Geffen Playhouse

Leap of Faith, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre

Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Colony Theatre

See What I Wanna See, Blank Theatre

West Side Story, Pantages Theatre

South Pacific, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre

Harps and Angels, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum

 

David Huynh, Mysterious Skin, East West Players

RUNNERS-UP: Justin Alston, Langston & Nicolás, Towne Street Theatre; Sam Anderson, Madagascar, Road; Adam Burch, Romeo and Juliet, HALT; Glenn Davis, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Taper; Johnny Giacalone, Sick, Playwrights Arena / Latino Theatre Co; Gregory Gifford Giles, Tales from Hollywood, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble; Robert Mammana, The Twentieth-Century Way, Boston Court; Chris Rivas, Langston & Nicolás, Towne Street Theatre; Scott Keiji Takeda, Mysterious Skin, East West Players; Kevin Tighe, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Taper; Isaac Wade, Trog & Clay, LA Theatre Ensemble

 

Taylor Gilbert, Madagascar, Road Theatre Company

RUNNERS-UP: Claire Brownell, The 39 Steps, Ahmanson; Judy Jean Burns, The Unexpected Man, Lounge; Emma Fassler, Trog & Clay, LA Theatre Ensemble; Olivia Henry, Lascivious Something, Circle X at [Inside] the Ford; Vonessa Martin, Sick, Playwrights Arena / Latino Theatre Co; Chase McKenna, Romeo and Juliet, HALT; Alina Phelan, Lascivious Something, Circle X at [Inside] the Ford

 

Raul Esparza, Leap of Faith, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre

RUNNERS-UP: James Barbour, Nightmare Alley, Geffen Playhouse; Chad Borden, The Story of My Life, Havok; Doug Carpenter, See What I Wanna See, Blank; Rod Gilfry, South Pacific, CTG, Ahmanson; Jason Graae, See What I Wanna See, Blank; Asa Somers, Next to Normal, CTG, Ahmanson; Robert J. Townsend, The Story of My Life, Havok

 

Alice Ripley, Next to Normal, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre

RUNNERS-UP: Ali Ewoldt, West Side Story, Pantages; Sarah Glendening, Nightmare Alley, Geffen Playhouse; Kendra Kassebaum, Leap of Faith, CTG, Ahmanson; Lesli Margherita, See What I Wanna See, Blank

 

Matt Foyer, Kings of the Kilburn High Road, Theatre Banshee

RUNNERS-UP: McKinley Belcher III, Romeo and Juliet, HALT; Brad Fleischer, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Taper; Ariel Goldberg, Trog & Clay, LA Theatre Ensemble; Eric Hissom, The 39 Steps, Ahmanson; Brendan O’Malley, Sick, Playwrights Arena / Latino Theatre Co; Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Taper; Scott Parkinson, The 39 Steps, Ahmanson; Jason Parsons, Romeo and Juliet, HALT; Daniel Zacapa, Tales from Hollywood, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble

 

Alana Dietze, Lascivious Something, Circle X at [Inside] the Ford

RUNNERS-UP: Deana Barone, Madagascar, Road; Elizabeth Liang, Mysterious Skin, East West Players; Paige White, Trog & Clay, LA Theatre Ensemble

 

Nicholas Barasch, Leap of Faith, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre

RUNNERS-UP: Shawn Cahill, Kiss Me, Kate, GCT; Larry Cedar, Nightmare Alley, Geffen Playhouse; Anderson Davis, South Pacific, CTG/Ahmanson; Jarrod Emick, Leap of Faith, CTG, Ahmanson; Curt Hansen, Next to Normal, CTG, Ahmanson; Michael McCarty, Nightmare Alley, Geffen Playhouse; Leslie Odom Jr., Leap of Faith, CTG, Ahmanson; Perry Ojeda, See What I Wanna See, Blank; Charlie Williams, Leap of Faith, CTG, Ahmanson

 

Emma Hunton, Next to Normal, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre

RUNNERS-UP: Michelle Aravena, West Side Story, Pantages; Krystal Joy Brown, Leap of Faith, CTG, Ahmanson; Michelle Duffy, Leap of Faith, CTG, Ahmanson; Kecia Lewis-Evans, Leap of Faith, CTG, Ahmanson; Mary Gordon Murray, Nightmare Alley, Geffen Playhouse; Keala Settle, South Pacific, CTG, Ahmanson

 

Carlos Acuna, Leandro Cano, Daniel Chacon, Marlene Forte, Justin Huen, Winston J. Rocha, Michael Uribes, Oedipus El Rey, Theatre @ Boston Court

RUNNERS-UP: Joe Bays, Brendan Brandt, Lisa Christensen, John Ross Clark, John Copeland, Tom Groenwald, Thomas Kopache, Scott Sheldon, Bibi Tinsley, Vanessa Waters, Mona Lee Wylde, The Best of Circus Theatricals One Act Plays 2010, The Hayworth

Gibby Brand, Jacque Lynn Colton, Abby Craden, Alison Elliott, Scott Lowell, Jane Macfie, Jill Van Velzer, Blithe Spirit, A Noise Within

Dan Conroy, Dan Harper, John Jabaley, Matt Foyer, Steve Marvel, Kings of the Kilburn High Road, Theatre Banshee

Tony Amendola, Betsy Brandt, Linda Gehringer, Laura Heisler, Leo Marks, The Language Archive, South Coast Rep

Ian Alda, Andrew Connolly, Coby Getzug, Sean G. Griffin, Kevin Kearns, Zoe Perry, Chris Pine, Brett Ryback, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum

Kevin Brief, Gary Lamb, Matthew Thompson, Matthew J. Williamson, A Prayer for My Daughter, Crown City

Patch Darragh, Judith Ivey, Keira Keeley, Ben McKenzie, The Glass Menagerie, CTG, Mark Taper Forum

Avery Clyde, Mark Doerr, Tom Knickerbocker, White People, Road Theatre Company

 

Eileen Barnett, Zachary Ford, Gregory Franklin, Jennifer Shelton, Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Colony Theatre

RUNNERS-UP: Ryder Bach, Storm Large, Adriane Lenox, Michael McKean, Katey Sagal, Matthew Saldivar, Harps and Angels, CTG, Mark Taper Forum

 

[ Read Part 2 ]