Raul Esparza, Laurie Metcalf, et al. Win 2011 Ovation Awards

The LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement during the 2010-2011 season, were presented on Monday, November 14, 2011 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.

Thirty-five awards were bestowed upon 20 different Southern California theatre companies. Leading the pack with five awards was The Troubadour Theater Company (A Withers Tale, Best Season), followed by Center Theatre Group with four (Leap of Faith at the Ahmanson Theatre, Venice at the Kirk Douglas Theatre), and Rogue Machine with three (Small Engine Repair).

Crooked Arrow Productions (Hello), Ebony Repertory Theatre (A Raisin in the Sun), Pasadena Playhouse (Twist), Reprise Theatre Company (Kiss Me, Kate) and Sacred Fools Theatre Company (Voice Lessons, Watson - The Last Great Tale of the Legendary Sherlock Holmes) took home two statuettes each.

LA Stage Alliance CEO Terence McFarland commented, "Tonight's recipients reflect the diverse and rich landscape of greater Los Angeles theatre. The Ovation Awards are a celebrationof excellence and one way that LA Stage Alliance shines a light on the fantastic work of our LA theatre artists. Theatres across the country should take note that these are the best of the best, stimulate the economy, and hire an Ovation Award-winning LA theatre artist today!"

Hosted by Carolyn Hennesy, presenters included Sally Struthers, Debbie Allen, Millicent Martin, Patrick Adams, Greg Watanabe, Francois Chau, Jason Alexander, Michele Lee, French Stewart, Malissa Feruzzi Shriver (Chair, California Arts Council), Craig Watson (Director, California Arts Council), Parvesh Cheena (Outsourced), Betsy Brandt (Breaking Bad), Edi Gathegi (Superior Donuts), Vanessa Stewart (Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara), Alaman Diadhiou (Twist), Erika Sellin (Casting Director, Center Theatre Group), Larry Dean Harris (Dramatists Guild), Ann E. Wareham (Artistic Director, Laguna Playhouse), Dale Franzen (Director, Broad Stage), Steve Julian (KPCC Radio), Julio Martinez (KPFK Radio), Gail Eichenthal (KUSC Radio), Michael Donovan (independent casting director), Charles Berliner (United Scenic Artists), Laura Zucker (Executive Director, LA County Arts Commission), Allan Miller (Director/Founder, Back Alley Theatre), Tom Moore (representing SDC and director of the original Broadway production of Grease), Lindsay Allbaugh (Producing Associate, Center Theatre Group), and Anthony Byrnes (KCRW Radio).

LA Stage Alliance (LASA), a non-profit organization empowering artists and engaging audiences since 1975, is dedicated to building awareness, appreciation, and support for the performing arts in Greater Los Angeles by strengthening the sector through community building, collaborative marketing, audience engagement, professional development, and advocacy. LASA serves over 900 arts organizations annually, including over 450 dues-paying member professional, educational, and community based producing and presenting performing arts organizations in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. LASA's constituents operate in intimate sized venues (99 seats or less), mid-sized venues (100-499 seats), and in large venues (500+ seats), and include independent producers, educational groups, and social service organizations that have a performing artscomponent. Additionally, LASA directly serves over 50,000 diverse local, regional, national, and international performing arts patrons and, indirectly, three million unique patRon Households by conducting research on their behavior and buying habits. Providing access to the performing arts for patrons and access to resources for organizations has been our focus for 35 years.

LA Stage Alliance programs are sponsored, in part, by Actors Equity Association, The Angell Foundation, Arts Council for Long Beach, California Arts Council, California Community Foundation, City of Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA/LA), City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division, City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Goldstar, the James Irvine Foundation, Los Angeles County Supervisors through the LA County Arts Commission, Los Angeles Times, MusiCares/Grammy Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation, SDC, The Shubert Foundation, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

This year's Ovation Awards were sponsored by Actors Equity Association, Wells Fargo, Goldstar Events, Green Hasson Janks, Go 2 Talent Agency, International Creative Management (ICM), La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, and Pacific Coast Entertainment.

The full list of 2011 winners is as follows:

Best Season
Troubadour Theater Company
The First Jo-el
Fleetwood Macbeth
A Wither's Tale

Best Play
(intimate Theatre)
SMALL ENGINE REPAIR
Rogue Machine

Best Play
(large Theatre)
A RAISIN IN THE SUN
Ebony Repertory Theatre

Best Musical
(intimate Theatre)
Jerry Springer: THE OPERA
The Chance Theater

Best Musical
(Large Theatre)
KISS ME, KATE
Reprise Theatre Company

Acting Ensemble for a Play
The Cast of SMALL ENGINE REPAIR
Rogue Machine

Acting Ensemble for a Musical
The Cast of A WITHER'S TALE
Troubadour Theater Company

Choreography
Cate Caplin
FASCINATING RHYTHMS
Rubicon Theatre Company

Music Direction
Paul Litteral
HOBOKEN TO HOLLYWOOD
Reasoner Associates LLC

Book for an Original Musical
William Norris, Stuart Gordon, and Dennis Paoli
RE-ANIMATOR: THE MUSICAL
Red Hen Productions and The Schramm Group LLC

Lyrics/Music for an Original Musical
Gregory Nabours
THE TROUBLE WITH WORDS
Coeurage Theatre Company

Play Wrighting for an Original Play
Stefan Marks
HELLO
Crooked Arrow Productions

Director of a Musical
Matt Walker
A WITHER'S TALE
Troubadour Theatre Company

Director of a Play
Andrew Block
SMALL ENGINE REPAIR
Rogue Machine

Lead Actor in a Musical
Raul Esparza as Jonas Nightingale
LEAP OF FAITH
Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre

Lead Actress in A Musical
Lesli Margherita as Lilli Vanessi/Kate
KISS ME, KATE
Reprise Theatre Company

Lead Actor in a Play
Stefan Marks as Clark
HELLO
Crooked Arrow Productions

Lead Actress in a Play
Laurie Metcalf as Virginia
VOICE LESSONS
Linda Toliver and Gary Guidinger in association
with Sacred Fools Theatre Company

Featured Actor in a Musial
Matt Walker as Leontes/Clown
A WITHER'S TALE
Troubadour Theater Company

Featured Actress in A Musical
Beth Kennedy as Paulina/Shepard
A WITHER'S TALE
Troubadour Theater Company

Feature Actor in a Play
Henry Dittman as James Moriarty
WATSON - THE LAST GREAT TALE OF THE
LEGENDARY SHERLOCK HOLMES
Sacred Fools Theatre Company

Featured Actress in a Play
Deidrie Henry as Ruth Younger
A RAISIN IN THE SUN
Ebony Repertory Theatre

Lighting Design
(intimate Theatre)
Christopher Kuhl
HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY
AND NEVER BE FOUND
The Theatre @ Boston Court

Lighting Design
(large Theatre)
David Weiner
VENICE
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre

Scenic Design
(intimate Theatre)
Joel Daavid
SKELETON STORIES
Theatre of NOTE

Scenic Design
(Large Theatre)
Todd Rosenthal
TWIST - AN AMERICAN MUSICAL
Pasadena Playhouse

Sound Design
(intimate Theatre)
Alyssa Ishii
AWAKE
Bootleg Theater

Sound Design
(Large Theatre)
Joshua Horvath
VENICE
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre

Costume Design
(intimate Theatre)
A. Jeffrey Schoenberg
THE MALCONTENT
The Antaeus Company

Costume Design
(large Theatre)
Emilio Sosa
TWIST - AN AMERICAN MUSICAL
Pasadena Playhouse
THE SHER WOOD AWARD
Presented to Christopher Kuhl

Composition for a Play
Brian Joseph, Lyle Lovett, FrEd Sanders,
Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles

Fight Choreography
Brian Danner
THE WALWORTH FARCE
Theatre Banshee

Puppet Design
Kristopher Bicknell, Gwyneth ConawayBennison,
and Miles Taber
D IS FOR DOG
Rogue Artists Ensemble

Video Design
Jason Thompson
VENICE
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre

 

Photo Credit: Monica Simoes