‘Outsiders’ musical, ‘August: Osage County’ win top honors at San Diego theater critics awards
La Jolla Playhouse’s ‘Outsiders’ musical and Backyard Renaissance Theatre’s ‘August: Osage County’ led the list of winners in more than 20 categories
The San Diego Theatre Critics Circle has announced the winners of its 2023 Craig Noel Awards, which honor the top achievements in local professional theater from the past year.
The awards were presented at a ceremony attended by about 375 people on Monday night in Point Loma.
One of the top winners of the evening was the musical “The Outsiders,” which made its world premiere last spring at La Jolla Playhouse and will open next month on Broadway. It won in the categories of Outstanding New Musical, its director Danya Taymor and its lead actor, Brody Grant, who played Ponyboy. The musical is based on S.E. Hinton’s 1967 young-adult fiction coming-of-age novel, as well as Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film adaptation.
Winning in the Outstanding New Play category was Keiko Green’s “Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play,” which was presented at the Old Globe.
Backyard Renaissance Theatre won the award for Outstanding Dramatic Production for its staging of Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize-winning 2008 play “August: Osage County.” And the prize for Outstanding Resident musical went to CCAE Theatricals for “Sunday in The Park With George.”
Loud Fridge Theatre Group, which presented it inaugural season of shows in 2023, was honored with the Outstanding Achievement by a Small Theater Award. And Farah Dinga and Giovanny Diaz de Leon, who each performed in several shows countywide last year, were honored as the 2023 Actors of the Year.
This was the 20th presentation of the Craig Noel Awards — named for Craig Noel, who was long recognized as the founding father of San Diego’s professional theater community. The founding artistic director of the Old Globe, he passed away in 2010 at age 94. (Full disclosure: I co-founded the Craig Noel Awards in 2002 with former San Diego Union-Tribune theater critic Anne Marie Welsh.)
The 2023 Craig Noel Award winners
Outstanding Dramatic Production
“August: Osage County,” Backyard Renaissance Theatre
Outstanding Resident Musical
“Sunday in The Park With George,” CCAE Theatricals
Outstanding New Musical
“The Outsiders” - Book by Adam Rapp with Music and Lyrics by Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding New Play
“Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play” by Keiko Green, The Old Globe
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Danya Taymor, “The Outsiders,” La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding Direction of a Play
Jesca Prudencio, “Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play,” The Old Globe
Outstanding Achievement by a Small Theater
Loud Fridge Theatre Group
2023 Actors of the Year
Farah Dinga
Giovanny Diaz de Leon
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical
Gerilyn Brault: “Head Over Heels,” Diversionary Theatre
Brody Grant: “The Outsiders,” La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play
Richard Baird: “Public Enemy,” New Fortune Theatre
Sara Porkalob: “Dragon Mama,” Diversionary Theatre
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical
George Abud: “The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical,” La Jolla Playhouse
Audrey Ward: “Singin’ In The Rain,” New Village Arts
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play
Jessica John: “August: Osage County,” Backyard Renaissance Theatre
MJ Sieber: “The Little Fellow (Or The Queen of Tarts Tells All),” Cygnet Theatre
Outstanding Youth Performance
JP Wishchuk: “Lost In Yonkers,” Scripps Ranch Theatre
San Diego Champions of Theatre Award
Jay and Julie Sarno
Outstanding Choreography
Jenn Freeman and Sonya Tayeh: “Is It Thursday Yet?,” La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding Music Direction
Elan McMahan: “Sunday in The Park With George,” CCAE Theatricals
Outstanding Sound Design
Matt Lescault-Wood: “Birds of North America,” Moxie Theatre
Outstanding Costume Design
Janet Pitcher: “Sunday in The Park With George,” CCAE Theatricals
Outstanding Scenic Design
Diggle: “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” The Old Globe
Outstanding Lighting Design
Bryan Ealey: “Sharon,” Cygnet Theatre
Outstanding Projection Design
Hana Kim: “Sumo,” La Jolla Playhouse
Reviewers of Tomorrow Writing Contest
Zoe Lieberman
Eli Ander-Bieglelsen
Kairi Peralto
pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com
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