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On Saturday, January 21, 2023 during OC Theatre Guild’s membership meeting, the nominees for the second annual OCTG Theatre Awards were officially announced to the public. The awards ceremony, in which the winners will be revealed, has been scheduled for the evening of Monday, April 17, 2023 at the Samueli Theater at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. The evening is an opportunity to celebrate all the work of the last year by our diverse and vibrant theatre community.
Awards Coordinator and Guild vice-president Kristin Campbell said, “We are truly excited to see the OC Theatre Guild awards program show such growth from last year. This year we have 106 nominations, comprising 22 awards over 18 categories. As with last year, a number of these categories are split up between plays and musicals and the gender-neutral performance categories will continue to have double the number of nominees and ultimately two recipients each.” Twenty-four productions with a total of 289 artists were submitted for adjudication in 2022. Fourteen organizations in all participated, and the results were decided by a total of 42 voters, made up of OC theatre artists working across a variety of theatre disciplines. Individuals can apply to be voters and go through a vigorous application process and complete a training course.
The Chance Theater has 47 nominations in total for its productions of Green Day’s American Idiot (15), Next to Normal (13), Cry It Out (7), Chad Deity (6), and Little Women (6). The Wayward Artist follows with 21 nominations for its productions of The Toxic Avenger (14), Actually (4), and Collective Rage (3). Costa Mesa Playhouse garnered 12 nominations for its productions of The Whale (11) and A Streetcar Named Desire (1). Laguna Playhouse snagged 11 nominations for its production of Kim’s Convenience (7) and Love Among the Ruins (4). Maverick Theater has eight nominations for its productions of Clue (4) and King Kong (4). No Square Theater received four nominations for Footloose (4). Phantom Projects Theatre Group received two nominations for their production of 35mm: A Musical Exhibition (2), while American Coast Theater Company received a nomination for their first submission to the OCTG Awards with their production of The Marvelous Wonderettes (1).
The Guild launched its awards program in 2020 to celebrate excellence for productions in Orange County theatre. “After combining nominations for productions from 2020 and 2021 into our first ever awards night last year, we are so excited to get on track with the awards for 2022 this spring.” said Katie Chidester, Fellow Awards Coordinator and Guild Board Member. “A huge thank you to all our voters who have given so much work and time to this program. And thank you to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts for again hosting this event this year in their beautiful Samueli Theater”.
To purchase tickets to the awards ceremony, submit a show for adjudication or become a voter, go to www.octheatreguild.org/octg-awards.
The OC Theatre Guild was founded in 2015 and officially organized in 2019 as a not-for-profit 501(c)3 to serve Orange County’s vital artistic community with a mission to nurture, support and promote live theatre in greater Orange County. That stated goal is supported by the long-held beliefs of the guild’s founders and leaders that theatre and the performing arts are an essential part of what creates a healthy, passionate and multicultural society that enriches communities while providing opportunities for personal growth and fulfillment. Through the last several years, the guild has made a commitment to answer the question “What can we do together that we can’t do on our own?”
Since OCTG’s inception, the following individuals and organizations have provided support: California Small Business Grant, OC Arts & Culture Resilience Fund, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, The Walt Disney Company Foundation, The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation, Muckenthaler Cultural Center, The Starbucks Foundation’s Neighborhood Grant, Jocelyn L. Buckner, Paul Burt, Kristin Campbell, Sharyn Case, Patrick Chavis, Wendy Colon, Maddi Deckard, Amanda DeMaio, Barney Evans, Andrea Freeman, Rob Greenfield MD, Laura Hathaway, Michael Hornyak, Tim Hume, Elizabeth Jouvenat, Scott A. Keister, Tommie Kozlov, Andrea G. La Vela, Patrick Mannion, Jill Martin, Candyce Marto-Maedel, Neil Middleton, Michelle Miller Day, Desiree Nguyen, Cindy O’Dell, Brian Page, Stephen Peeler, Crystal Phillips, Amber Scott, April Skinner, Richard Stein, Matthew Takahashi, Nicholas Thurkettle, Craig Tyrl, Tod White, Past Times Publishing, Patricia J. Zantos, Amanda Zarr, and Zaradich Law.
LIST OF THIS YEAR’S NOMINEES
Outstanding Production of a Play
Actually, The Wayward Artist
Cry It Out, Chance Theater
Kim’s Convenience, Laguna Playhouse
King Kong, Maverick Theater
The Whale, Costa Mesa Playhouse
Outstanding Production of a Musical
Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance Theater
Little Women, Chance Theater
The Marvelous Wonderettes, American Coast Theater Company
Next To Normal, Chance Theater
The Toxic Avenger, The Wayward Artist
Outstanding Direction of a Play
Elina de Santos, Cry It Out, Chance Theater
Sydney Fitzgerald, Actually, The Wayward Artist
Brian Newell, Clue, Maverick Theater
Brian Newell, King Kong, Maverick Theater
Michael Serna, The Whale, Costa Mesa Playhouse
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Casey Long, Little Women, Chance Theater
Matthew McCray, Next To Normal, Chance Theater
James Michael McHale, Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance Theater
Craig Tyrl, The Toxic Avenger, The Wayward Artist
Ella Wyatt, Footloose, No Square Theatre
Outstanding Lead Performance in Play (two recipients)
Joy Bennett (Amber), Actually, The Wayward Artist
Peter Hilton (Charlie), The Whale, Costa Mesa Playhouse
Jaycob Hunter (Mr. Green), Clue, Maverick Theater
Amanda Ju (Betty Two), Collective Rage, The Wayward Artist
Yong Kim (Appa), Kim’s Convenience, Laguna Playhouse
Aubrey Saverino (Jessie), Cry It Out, Chance Theater
Julian Smith (Tom), Actually, The Wayward Artist
Rudy Solis III (Macedonio Guerra), The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Chance Theater
Sophia White (Ellie), The Whale, Costa Mesa Playhouse
Amanda Zarr (Lina), Cry It Out, Chance Theater
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical (two recipients)
Jocelyn A. Brown (Diana), Next To Normal, Chance Theater
Tym Brown (Dan), Next To Normal, Chance Theater
Christopher Diem (Will), Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance Theater
Eric Dobson (Tunny), Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance Theater
Natalie Giannosa (Ma/Mayor Belgoody), The Toxic Avenger, The Wayward Artist
Jared Machado (Johnny) Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance Theater
Amazing Oakes (Woman 2), 35mm: A Musical Exhibition, The Phantom Projects Theatre
Sarah Pierce (Jo March), Little Women, Chance Theater
Joe Stein (Melvin Ferd/Toxie), The Toxic Avenger, The Wayward Artist
Madison Stirret (Sarah the Librarian), The Toxic Avenger, The Wayward Artist
Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Play (two recipients)
Mia Anderson (Liz), The Whale, Costa Mesa Playhouse
RJ Navarra Balde II (Vigneshwar Paduar), The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Chance Theater
Angel Correa (Mitch), A Streetcar Named Desire, Costa Mesa Playhouse
Shelly Day (Mary), The Whale, Costa Mesa Playhouse
Angel Dumapias (Adrienne), Cry It Out, Chance Theater
Martin Kildare (Sir George Druise), Love Among the Ruins, Laguna Playhouse
Clinton Lowe (Alex), Kim’s Convenience, Laguna Playhouse
Londale Theus Jr. (Chad Deity), The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Chance Theater
Jack Whitaker (Elder Thomas), The Whale, Costa Mesa Playhouse
Wendy Worthington (Fanny Pratt), Love Among the Ruins, Laguna Playhouse
Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Musical (two recipients)
Emily Abeles (Beth March), Little Women, Chance Theater
Jaylen Baham (Gabe), Next To Normal, Chance Theater
Sophia Barajas (Ensemble), Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance Theater
Cody Bianchi (White Dude), The Toxic Avenger, The Wayward Artist
Angie Chavez (Natalie), Next To Normal, Chance Theater
Justin Crawford (Black Dude), The Toxic Avenger, The Wayward Artist
Dagmar Marshall-Michelson (St. Jimmy), Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance Theater
Ron Hastings (Dr. Madden), Next To Normal, Chance Theater
Dane Hobrecht (Willard Hewitt), Footloose, No Square Theatre
Jared Machado (Henry), Next To Normal, Chance Theater
Outstanding Ensemble in a Play
Clue, Maverick Theater
Collective Rage, The Wayward Artist
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Chance Theater
Kim’s Convenience, Laguna Playhouse
The Whale, Costa Mesa Playhouse
Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical
35mm: A Musical Exhibition, The Phantom Projects Theatre
Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance Theater
Little Women, Chance Theater
Next To Normal, Chance Theater
The Toxic Avenger, The Wayward Artist
Outstanding Scenic Design
Kristin Campbell, Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance Theater
You-Shin Chen, Kim’s Convenience, Laguna Playhouse
Joe Holbrook, Next To Normal, Chance Theater
Brian Newell, Jon Gaw, Alex Conway, Clue, Maverick Theater
Michael Serna, The Whale, Costa Mesa Playhouse
Outstanding Costume Design
Marci Alberti, The Toxic Avenger, The Wayward Artist
Heather Enriquez, Collective Rage, The Wayward Artist
Nicholas Hirata, The Whale, Costa Mesa Playhouse
Adriana Lambarri, Cry It Out, Chance Theater
Bradley Allen Lock, Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance Theater
Outstanding Lighting Design
Harrison Haug, The Toxic Avenger, The Wayward Artist
Andrea Heilman, Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance Theater
Ryan Linhardt, The Whale, Costa Mesa Playhouse
Matt Schleicher, Next To Normal, Chance Theater
Sarah Schwartz, Cry It Out, Chance Theater
Outstanding Sound Design
Ryan Brodkin, Next To Normal, Chance Theater
Hunter Moody, Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance Theater
Brian Newell, King Kong, Maverick Theater
Marc Antonio Pritchett, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Chance Theater
Ian Scot, Kim’s Convenience, Laguna Playhouse
Outstanding Choreography
Keenah Armitage, The Toxic Avenger, The Wayward Artist
Miguel Cardenas, Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance Theater
Sabrina Harper, Footloose, No Square Theatre
Outstanding Music Direction
Stephen Hulsey, Next To Normal, Chance Theater
Stephen Hulsey, The Toxic Avenger, The Wayward Artist
Gabrielle Maldonado, Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance Theater
Gabrielle Maldonado, Little Women, Chance Theater
Joe Mulroy, Footloose, No Square Theatre
Outstanding Projection Design
Lily Bartenstein, Kim’s Convenience, Laguna Playhouse
Brian Gale, Love Among the Ruins, Laguna Playhouse
Nick Santiago, Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance Theater
Notable Outstanding Achievement
Marci Alberti, The Toxic Avenger, The Wayward Artist, Make-Up Design
Allison Lowery, Love Among the Ruins, Laguna Playhouse, Wig Design
Brian Newell, King Kong, Maverick Theater, Visual Effects Design
Martin Noyes, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Chance Theater, Fight Direction
Natalie Silva, The Toxic Avenger, The Wayward Artist, Properties Design
