The San Diego Theatre Critics Circle is pleased to announce the nominations for its 2022 Craig Noel Awards for Excellence in Theatre. Now in its 20th year, the Craig Noel Awards honor the achievements at professional theaters in San Diego County.
Due to the pandemic, the Craig Noel Awards were not presented for the theater years 2020 and 2021. As we reconvene in person for the first time since 2019, we will seize the opportunity to be together at last! In that spirit, we have planned an abbreviated program with a focus on celebrating the resilience of the San Diego theater community.
Winners will be announced at the 19th ceremony
from 6 p.m to 10 p.m. Feb. 27, 2023, at the SES Portuguese Hall of San Diego,2818 Avenida De Portugal, San Diego.
Ticket sales and other information are available at https://bit.ly/CraigNoelAwards
The 2022 Craig Noel Award nominees:
(Nominees by category are listed in alphabetical order)
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical
George Abud – “Lempicka,” La Jolla Playhouse
Shaun T. Evans – “Memphis The Musical,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Nigel Huckle – “Light In The Piazza,” CCAE Theatricals
Amber Iman –“Lempicka,” La Jolla Playhouse
Madison Claire Parks – “Light In The Piazza,” CCAE Theatricals
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play
Xavier Carnell Daniels – “Blue/Orange,” Fenix Theatre Collaborative
Mikaela Rae Macias – “Mother Of The Maid,” Moxie Theatre
Enrique Xavier Martinez – “Sapience,” Moxie Theatre and TuYo Theatre
Kate Rose Reynolds – “Iron,” The Roustabouts Theatre Co.
Nancy Ross – “Sapience,” Moxie Theatre and TuYo Theatre
Devin Wade – “Admissions,” OnStage Playhouse
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical
Ari Afsar – “Bhangin’ It: A Bangin’ New Musical,” La Jolla Playhouse
Charl Brown – “Ragtime,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Beau Brians – “Catch Me If You Can The Musical,” San Diego Musical Theatre
Megan Carmitchel – “Cabaret,” Cygnet Theatre
Nancy Snow Carr – “Light In The Piazza,” CCAE Theatricals
Berto Fernández – “Catch Me If You Can The Musical,” San Diego Musical
Theatre
Eden Espinosa – “Lempicka,” La Jolla Playhouse
Janaya Mahealani Jones – “Memphis The Musical,” Moonlight Stage
Productions
Sebastian Montenegro – “In The Heights,” San Diego Musical Theatre
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play
Bryan Banville – “The Mystery of Irma Vep,” Diversionary Theatre
Richard Baird – “The Homecoming,” North Coast Repertory Theatre
Tina Machele Brown – “The Other Place,” OnStage Playhouse
Vanessa Dinning – “The Children,” Moxie Theatre
Luke Harvey Jacobs – “The Mystery of Irma Vep,” Diversionary Theatre
Jessica John – “The October Night of Johnny Zero,” Backyard Renaissance
Steven Lone – “Water By The Spoonful,” Cygnet Theatre
Catalina Dolores Maynard – ‘Water By The Spoonful,” Cygnet Theatre
Lane Nishikawa “Desert Rock Garden” New Village Arts
Rosina Reynolds – “Iron,” The Roustabouts Theatre Co.
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Kevin “Blax” Burroughs – “First Date,” OnStage Playhouse
Kari Hayter – “Light In The Piazza,” CCAE Theatricals
J. Scott Lapp – “Witnesses,” CCAE Theatricals
Carlos Mendoza – “In The Heights,” San Diego Musical Theatre
Kevin Newbury – “Eighty-Sixed,” Diversionary Theatre
Allison Spratt Pearce – “Catch Me If You Can The Musical,” San Diego Musical Theatre
Outstanding Direction of a Play
Yari Cervas – “Desert Rock Garden,” New Village Arts
James P. Darvas – “Admissions,” OnStage Playhouse
Jacole Kitchen – “Iron,” The Roustabouts Theatre Co.
Delicia Turner Sonnenberg – “Mud Row,” Cygnet Theatre
Kim Strassburger – “The Children,” Moxie Theatre
Matt M.Morrow & Allison Spratt Pearce – “The Mystery of Irma Vep,”
Diversionary Theatre
Outstanding Solo Performance
Yadira Correa – “Mala,” The Old Globe
Nathan Nonhof – “Black Séance,” Blindspot Collective/ LJP Without Walls Festival
Kristina Wong – “Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord,” La Jolla Playhouse
Rachael VanWormer – “The Yellow Wallpaper” Write Out Loud
Outstanding Costume Design
Linda Cho – “Come Fall In Love – The DDLJ Musical,” The Old Globe
Jessica John Gercke – “Abigail’s Party,” Backyard Renaissance
Brooke Kessler & Peter Herman – “The Mystery of Irma Vep,” Diversionary Theatre
Janet Pitcher – “Light In The Piazza,” CCAE Theatricals
Nicole Jescinth Smith – “Trouble In Mind,” The Old Globe
Outstanding Scenic Design
Tony Cucuzzella – “Abigail’s Party,” Backyard Renaissance
Riccardo Hernández – “Lempicka,” La Jolla Playhouse
Joe Holbrook – “Light In The Piazza,” CCAE Theatricals
Reiko Huffman – “First Date,” OnStage Playhouse
Yi-Chien Lee – “The October Night of Johnny Zero,” Backyard Renaissance
Lawrence E. Moten III – “Trouble In Mind,” The Old Globe
Outstanding Lighting Design
Amith Chandrashaker – “Bhangin’ It: A Bangin’ New Musical,” La Jolla
Playhouse
Nick Van Houten – “Light In The Piazza,” CCAE Theatricals
Bradley King – “Lempicka,” La Jolla Playhouse
Kate Rose Reynolds – “The October Night of Johnny Zero,” Backyard
Renaissance
Annelise Raquel Salazar – “Desert Rock Garden,” New Village Arts
Outstanding New Production
“Come Fall In Love – The DDLJ Musical” – The Old Globe
“Eighty-Sixed” – Diversionary Theatre
“Desert Rock Garden” – New Village Arts
“What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank” – The Old Globe
“Witnesses” – CCAE Theatricals
Also being announced from the stage will be winners in the following
categories:
● Specialty Award
● The Don Braunagel Award for Outstanding Work at a Small Theater
● 2022 Actors of the Year