Grass Skirts Optional

OC Weekly Theater Awards started nine years ago as an intimate soiree at a posh restaurant in Laguna Beach—and a ukulele player in a grass skirt. Just because.

This year's awards, March 21 at South Coast Repertory's Julianne Argyros Stage, may or may not repeat the skirt thing, but OC Weekly is still hosting, and they're still open to all comers. So anything, in theory, is possible. (If you think you might be a comer, e-mail sarahc@ocweekly.com, and we'll put you on the list.)

The social climbing begins at 7 p.m. with free cocktails and munchies, followed by the awards at 8—lightly toasted being a great way to cushion watching your peers take home all the OCIEs (trophies we named after the Village Voice theater awards, the OBIES).

This year, for the first time in the event's history, we've asked a handful of performers to reprise some of the best monologues heard on local stages the past year. You'll hear people like Jeremy Gable, who shone in the Hunger Artists' The Gog/Magog Project, and Patty Cumby, who delivered a wonderfully manic commentary on depression in Stages' Roscoe Spitzer is Afraid of Dying.And George W. Bush may make an appearance—with special guests. It's that kinda night.

Here is the full list of nominees:

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE BY A MALE

Mark Coyan, The Importance of Being Ernest,Hunger Artists

Anthony Cohen, Dial M for Murder,Vanguard Theatre Ensemble

Jay Fraley, Candy and Dorothy,Rude Guerilla

Jeremy Gable, The Gog/Magog Project,Hunger Artists

Mark Harelik Cyrano de Bergerac,South Coast Repertory

Casey Long, Tape,The Chance Theater

Steven Parker, Dinner With Ribbentrop, Rude Guerrilla

Brian C. Weed, Goodnight Children Everywhere, Chance Theater

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE

Jocelyn A. Brown, Goodnight Children Everywhere, The Chance Theater

Kandis Chappell, Intimate Exchanges,South Coast Repertory

Linda Gehringer, Retreat from Moscow, South Coast Repertory

Christa Jackson, Always . . . Patsy Cline Musical Theatre West

Angela Lopez, Jack and Jill, Insurgo Theater Movement

Maggie Peach, Master Class, Long Beach Playhouse

Eliza Pryor Nagel, Mr. Marmalade, South Coast Repertory

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE

Michael Irish, Poona the Fuckdog, Rude Guerrilla

Steven Lamprinos, Roscoe Spitzer is Afraid of Dying, Stages

Steven Parker, Eye of God, Rude Guerrilla

Howard Patterson, Redwood Curtain, Newport Theater Arts Center

Beach Vickers, Goodnight Children Everywhere, Chance Theater

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE

Jill Cary Martin, Wuthering Heights, Insurgo

Karen Harris, Eye of God, Rude Guerrilla

Beth Kennedy, The Comedy of Aerosmith,Troubador

Entia Lawal, The Old Settler, Vanguard Theatre Ensemble

Marnelle Ross, Equus, Rude Guerrilla

Bonnie Wickeraad, Company, Chance Theater

BEST ENSEMBLE

Assassins, Hunger Artists

Company, Chance Theater

Goodnight Children Everywhere, Chance Theater

The Eight Reindeer Monologues, Chance Theater

Red Noses,Stages

Rube, Orange County Theater Festival

Tabletop, Laguna Playhouse

BEST NEW PLAY

Kristina Leach, The Medea Project, Hunger Artists

Eric McGregor, Alex Bueno and Oanh Nguyen, Lord of the Screen: The Fellowship of the Pen, Chance Theater

Myles Nye, Dirt-Cheap Musicals, Stages Theatre

BEST MUSICAL

Company, The Chance Theater

Comedy of Aerosmith, The Troubadour Theater Company

Constant Star, Laguna Playhouse

Hot Mikado, Musical Theatre West

Jesus Christ Superstar, Stages

Roscoe Spitzer is Afraid of Dying, Stages Theatre

The Tin Pan Alley Rag, Fullerton Civic Light Opera

BEST PRODUCTION

Goodnight Children Everywhere, The Chance Theater

The Gog/Magog Project, Hunger Artists

Mr. Marmalade, South Coast Repertory

The Retreat from Moscow, South Coast Repertory

Tabletop, Laguna Playhouse

BEST DIRECTION

Dave Barton, Handbag, Rude Guerrilla

Andrew Barnicle, Tabletop, Laguna Playhouse

Martin Benson, The Retreat from Moscow, South Coast Repertory

Sharyn Case, Dinner with Ribbentrop, Rude Guerrilla

Kevin Cochran, The Becket Project II, Grove Theater Center

Oanh Nguyen, Goodnight Children Everywhere, The Chance

Ethan McSween, Mr. Marmalade, South Coast Repertory