The seventh annual OC Weekly Theater Awards—or the OCIE's, as we've grown so fond of calling them, because it mimics the OBIEs and because it pays obeisance to Orange County's Midwestern roots—will be announced Feb. 24 in South Coast Repertory's jewel of a jewel-box theater, the Julianna Argyros Stage. And if there's a theme to this year's nominations, it's egalitarianism. There are more categories than ever, and more shows, performers and directors nominated than ever. And the distribution of nominees among theaters has never been greater, with 17 Orange County and Long Beach theaters on the list.
As always, the only distinction we've made in terms of theater size is to separate out college productions. That means the big kids on the theatrical block—like South Coast Repertory (SCR) and the Laguna Playhouse—are considered alongside the smallest storefront or community theater. We are pleased to note that the nonprofessional theaters more than held their own this year, with Stages and the Chance Theater equaling SCR's six nominations.
One award has been changed. In memory of Addison Glines, the remarkably talented and courageous Fullerton College student who passed away in 2000, we're officially changing the name of the best college performance to the Addison Glines Award for Best College Performance. A small scholarship will be awarded to the winner.
The winners of the 2003 OC Weekly Theater Awards, along with a handful of special awards, including our Lifetime Achievement Award winner, will be announced at the Feb. 24 awards ceremony. It'll be a great party in a great space.
–Joel Beers
Best Actor
•Lloyd Botway, Taking Sides, Rude Guerrilla
•Patrick Gwaltney, True West, Stages
•Hamish Linklater, Violet Hour, SCR
•Dakin Matthews, Major Barbara, SCR
•Taso Papadakis, The Lady's Not for Burning, Little Fish Theater Co.
Best Actress
•Sophie Areno, Three Sisters, Vanguard Theatre Ensemble
•Suzanne Dean, Bourbon and Laundry/The Lady's Not for Burning, Little Fish Theater Co.
•Amanda Karr, Smash, Long Beach Playhouse
•Tracy Perdue, Alice, Stages
•Vivian Vanderwerd, Walking the Dead, Rude Guerrilla
•Susan E. Taylor, Arms and the Man, Long Beach Playhouse
Best Performance in a Musical
•Erika Amato, Nine, The Chance Theater
•Misty Cotton, The Spitfire Grill, Laguna Playhouse
•Frank Tyron, The King, The Maverick Theater
•Frederica Von Stade, Dead Man Walking, Opera Pacific
The Addison Glines Award for
Best College Performance
•Rick Franklin/Jeff Paul, Marat/Sade, Santa Ana College
•Jodi Julian, Vanishing Point, Cal State Fullerton
•Aaron G. Lamb, How I Learned to Drive, Cal State Fullerton
•Brian Rickel, Rocky and Diego, Cal State Fullerton
Best Supporting Performance
•Hilary Calvert, Parallel Lives, loud*R*mouth Theatre Co.
•JD Cullen, Major Barbara, SCR
•Eric Eisenbrey, David's Mother, Rude Guerrilla
•Shawn Michael Brewer, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Stages
•Eddie Nickerson, Dealer's Choice, Stages
•Ken Rugg, That Which Remains, Chance Theater
•Ellen Williams, Parallel Lives, loud*R*mouth Theatre Co.
Best Ensemble
•Bash, Hunger Artists
•Goose and Tom Tom, Garage Theater Company
•History of the American Film, Chance Theater
•Jake's Women, Stages
•Sleeping Around, Rude Guerrilla
Best College Ensemble
•Promenade, UCI
•God's Country, UCI
•Waiting for Godot, Chapman University
•The Laramie Project, Cal State Fullerton
•Rosmersholm, Cal State Fullerton
Best Direction
•Martin Benson, Major Barbara, SCR
•Sheryl Donchey, Marat/Sade, Santa Ana College
•Erik Hamme, Goose and Tom Tom, Garage Theater Co.
•Todd Kulcyzk, A Bright Room Called Day/Rosmersholm, Cal State Fullerton
•Robert G. Leigh, That Which Remains, Chance Theater
•Russell St. Clair, Smash, Long Beach Playhouse
•Collette Searls, Promenade, UCI
Best College Production
•A Bright Room Called Day, Cal State Fullerton
•God's Country, UCI
•Marat/Sade, Santa Ana College
•Promenade, UCI
•Rocky and Diego, Cal State Fullerton
Best Production
•Bash, Hunger Artists
•Goose and Tom Tom, Garage Theater Co.
•Major Barbara, SCR
•Smash, Long Beach Playhouse
•True West, Stages
•The Violet Hour, SCR
Best Musical Production
•History of the American Film, Chance Theater
•The King, Maverick Theater
•Nine, Chance Theater
•The Spitfire Grill, Laguna Playhouse
