OC Theatre Guild unveils list of awards nominees

Productions of ‘Green Day’s American Idiot,’ ‘Next to Normal,’ ‘The Toxic Avenger,’

and ‘The Whale’ garner over ten nominations each

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).

From Left: Jack Aitken and Jared Machado at Chance Theater (Photo by Doug Catiller)

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, Shelly 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

From Left: Yong Kim, Janet Song and Susane Lee in 'Kim's Convenience' at Laguna Playhouse (Photo by Jackie Teeple, Two-Eight Photography)

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

Joe Stein as Melvin Ferd the Third in 'The Toxic Avenger' at The Wayward Artist (Photo by Sydney Fitzgerald)

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

From Left: Peter Hilton and Mia Anderson in 'The Whale' at Costa Mesa Playhouse(Photo by Kerrin Piché Serna)

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

From left: Angie Chavez, Jocelyn A. Brown, and Tym Brown in 'Next to Normal' at Chance Theater (Photo by Doug Catiller)

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

From Left: Dane Hobrecht, Luka Salib, Luke Bruderer, Justin McCoy, Elijah Golembiewski, and Grace Gilchrist in 'Footloose' at No Square Theatre. (Photo by Ella Wyatt)

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