Winners Announced for LA Stage Ovation Awards

The LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement during the 2009-2010 season, were presented on Monday, January 17, 2011 at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, home of Cabrillo Music Theatre.

Thirty-six awards were bestowed upon 21 different Southern California theatre companies. Leading the pack, tied with five awards each, were The Fountain Theatre (The Ballad of Emmett Till, Opus, and the coveted Best Season Award), and The Geffen Playhouse (Equivocation, Through the Night). Center Theatre Group (Parade at the Mark Taper Forum and The Wake at the Kirk Douglas Theatre) and the Rubicon Theatre Company (Daddy Long Legs) tied with three each. Reprise Theatre Company (Carousel, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), The Colony Theatre Company (Grace & Glorie), The Theatre @ Boston Court (The Good Book of Pedantry and Wonder, a win shared with Circle X Theatre Company, and Oedipus El Rey) and the Troubadour Theatre Company (Oedipus The King, Mama!), each took home two statuettes.

BEST SEASON
Fountain Theatre
The Ballad of Emmett Till Opus Shining City

PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL (INTIMATE THEATRE)
The Women of Brewster Place
Celebration Theatre

PRODUCTION OF A PLAY (INTIMATE THEATRE)
The Ballad of Emmett Till
Fountain Theatre

Four Places
Rogue Machine

PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL (LARGE THEATRE)
Oedipus The King, Mama!
Troubadour Theater Company

PRODUCTION OF A PLAY (LARGE THEATRE)
Equivocation
Geffen Playhouse

BOOK FOR AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL
John Caird
Daddy Long Legs Rubicon Theatre Company

LYRICS/MUSIC FOR AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL
Paul Gordon
Daddy Long Legs Rubicon Theatre Company

PLAYWRITING FOR AN ORIGINAL PLAY
L Trey Wilson
Something Happened Pacific Stages

DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Matt Walker
Oedipus The King, Mama! Troubadour Theater Company

DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Shirley Jo Finney
The Ballad of Emmett Till Fountain Theatre

MUSIC DIRECTION
John Glaudini
Sweeney Todd Musical Theatre West

CHOREOGRAPHER
Lee Martino
Carousel Reprise Theatre Company

ACTING ENSEMBLE
The Ballad of Emmett Till
Fountain Theatre

LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Josh Grisetti as J. Pierrepont Finch
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Reprise Theatre Company

Brendan Hunt as Eldridge
Savin' Up for Saturday Night Sacred Fools Theatre Company

Robert J. Townsend as Thomas Weaver
The Story of My Life Havok Theatre Company

LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY
Bruce French as Andrew Crocker-Harris
The Browning Version Pacific Resident Theatre

Alan Mandell as Spooner
No Man's Land Odyssey Theatre Ensemble

Daniel Beaty
Through The Night Geffen Playhouse

LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Megan McGinnis as Jerusha
Daddy Long Legs Rubicon Theatre Company

LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Beth Grant as Grace
Grace & Glorie The Colony Theatre Company

Anna Khaja
Shaheed - The Dream and Death of Benazir Bhutto Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre

FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
David St. Lewis as Newt Lee, Jim Conley, Riley
Parade Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum

FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Harry Groener as Richard
Equivocation Geffen Playhouse

FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Sally Struthers as Fairy Godmother
Cinderella Cabrillo Music Theatre

FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Deirdre O'Connell as Judy
The Wake Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre

COSTUME DESIGN (INTIMATE THEATRE)
Teresa Shea
Project Wonderland Bootleg Theater

COSTUME DESIGN (LARGE THEATRE)
Christopher Oram
Parade Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum

Snezana Petrovic
Songs and Dances of Imaginary Lands Overtone Industries

LIGHTING DESIGN (INTIMATE THEATRE)
Jeremy Pivnick
Oedipus El Rey The Theatre @ Boston Court

LIGHTING DESIGN (LARGE THEATRE)
Scott Zielinski
Equivocation Geffen Playhouse

SCENIC DESIGN (INTIMATE THEATRE)
Brian Sidney Bembridge
The Good Book of Pedantry and Wonder The Theatre @ Boston Court and Circle X Theatre Company

SCENIC DESIGN (LARGE THEATRE)
Jeff McLaughlin
Grace & Glorie The Colony Theatre Company

SOUND DESIGN (LARGE THEATRE)
Lindsay Jones
Through the Night Geffen Playhouse

SOUND DESIGN (INTIMATE THEATRE)
Peter Bayne
Opus Fountain Theatre