Chris Pine, Ed Harris Win L.A. Drama Critics Circle Theater Awards

The 42nd annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards were presented Monday night at the Colony Theatre in Burbank.

Chris Pine earned a lead performance plaque for his role of a sociopathic terrorist in Martin McDonagh’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore at the Mark Taper Forum. Sharing triumphs in the solo performance category were Ed Harris for Neil LaBute’s Wrecks at the Geffen Playhouse and Leslie Uggams for her biographical musical Uptown Downtown at the recently reopened Pasadena Playhouse.

Lin-Manuel Miranda earned the original score award for the touring edition of his Broadway hit In the Heights, which also received a citation for Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography.

Two productions tied for the most total awards, four apiece: the Fountain Theatre’s powerful historical drama The Ballad of Emmett Till and the Antaeus Company’s ambitious double-cast staging of King Lear.

Three wins apiece went to three dramas: Rogue Machine’s Four Places; the Fountain Theatre’s Opus; and Yellow at the Coast Playhouse, including the pre-announced Ted Schmitt Award for writer-director Del Shores’ world-premiere script.

The Fountain led producing companies with eight citations, including the pre-announced Milton Katselas career achievement award in directing for Simon Levy, the Fountain’s longtime producing director–dramaturg. The classics-focused Antaeus Company came in second, with six awards, including the pre-announced Polly Warfield Award for an outstanding season (Cousin Bette, King Lear, The Autumn Garden and ClassicsFest).

The show’s host, Bob Verini, in collaboration with his co-producer, Amy Lyons staged a warm and zesty evening, highlighted by musical mirth and mayhem from the rambunctious Troubadour Theater Company.

Two generations of Pines made their way to the stage when separate awards were announced. In addition to Chris Pine’s acceptance for his Inishmore win, Pine’s father, Robert Pine, came to the stage along with his fellow company members when the Antaeus Company took the evening’s final award for its production of King Lear. Music directors Gerald Sternbach and Eric Heinly offered rousing accompaniment, along with the Troubadour band. Actor-singers Erich Bergen and Annie Abrams sparkled in the witty number “Lovely,” re-creating their performances from Reprise Theatre Company’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

The complete list of award recipients follows:

PRODUCTION

“Four Places,” John Perrin Flynn, Matthew Elkins, and Deborah Puette for Rogue Machine Theatre at Theatre/Theater

“King Lear,” The Antaeus Company at Deaf West Theatre

“The Ballad of Emmett Till,” Stephen Sachs and Deborah Lawler at the Fountain Theatre

“Yellow,” Louise Beard, Emerson Collins, Del Shores, and Jason Dottley for JD3atrical Productions

McCULLOH AWARD FOR REVIVAL (SHOWS FROM 1920-1980)

“South Pacific,” Bob Boyett; Networks Presentations, LLC; Bob Bartner/Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group; Roger Berlind; Thomas Miller; Lincoln Center Theatre Group; Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre

DIRECTION

Bart DeLorenzo, “King Lear”

Shirley Jo Finney, “The Ballad Of Emmett Till”

Michael Michetti, “The Twentieth-Century Way,” The Theatre @ Boston Court

WRITING

Michael Hollinger, “Opus,” The Fountain Theatre

WRITING (ADAPTATION)

Jeffrey Hatcher, “Cousin Bette,” The Antaeus Company at Deaf West Theatre

MUSICAL DIRECTION

David O, “See What I Wanna See,” The Blank Theatre

Eric Heinly, “A Wither’s Tale,” The Troubadour Theater Company at the Falcon Theatre

CHOREOGRAPHY

Andy Blankenbuehler, “In The Heights,” Kevin McCollum, Jeffrey Seller, Jill Furman Willis, Sander Jacobs, Goodman/Grossman, Peter Fine, Everett/Skipper; Presented by Broadway/LA at the Pantages Theatre

MUSICAL SCORE

Lin-Manuel Miranda, “In the Heights”

LEAD PERFORMANCE

Lorenz Arnell as Emmett Till in “The Ballad of Emmett Till”

Anne Gee Byrd as Peggy in “Four Places”

Harry Groener as “King Lear”

Nan McNamara as Vivian Bearing in “Wit,” Actors Co-op at Crossley Theatres

Chris Pine as Padraic in “The Lieutenant of Inishmore,” Center Theatre Group at the Mark Taper Forum

FEATURED PERFORMANCE

Gregory Itzin as the Earl of Kent in “King Lear”

Matthew Scott Montgomery as Kendall Parker in “Yellow”

Agatha Nowicki as Susie in “Parasite Drag,” Elephant Theatre Company

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE

“Four Places”

“Opus”

“The Ballad of Emmett Till”

SET DESIGN

Brian Sidney Bembridge, “The Good Book of Pedantry and Wonder,” The Theatre @ Boston Court and Circle X Theatre Company

LIGHTING DESIGN

KC Wilkerson, “The Who’s Tommy,” Chance Theater

COSTUME DESIGN

Naila Aladdin Sanders, “Neighbors,” The Matrix Theatre Company

SOUND DESIGN

Peter Bayne, “Opus”

SOLO PERFORMANCE

Ed Harris, “Wrecks,” Geffen Playhouse

Leslie Uggams, “Uptown Downtown,” The Pasadena Playhouse

CGI/VIDEO

KC Wilkerson, “The Who’s Tommy”

SPECIALTY

Chris Bell for special effects, “Absinthe, Opium & Magic,” The Grand Guignolers

Matthew W. Mungle and Waldo Warshaw for special effects and prosthetic effects, “The Lieutenant of Inishmore”

The Ted Schmitt Award for the world premiere of an outstanding new play, accompanied by a check for $1,000 from Samuel French Inc., which also offers to publish it

Awarded to Del Shores for “Yellow”

The Polly Warfield Award for an excellent season in a small to midsize theater, accompanied by a check for $500 funded by the Nederlander Organization

Awarded to The Antaeus Company

The Bob Z Award for career achievement in set design, accompanied by a check for $500, funded by contributors from the theater community

Awarded to François-Pierre Couture

The Angstrom Award for career achievement in lighting design, accompanied by a check for $1,000 funded by Angstrom Lighting.

Awarded to Dan Weingarten

The Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater, accompanied by a check for $500, funded by an anonymous donor

Awarded to the City Garage Theatre

The Joel Hirschhorn Award for outstanding achievement in musical theater, accompanied by a $500 check funded by David Elzer/Demand PR

Awarded to Matt Walker

The Milton Katselas Award for career or special achievement in direction, accompanied by a $1,000 check funded by the Katselas Theatre Company and the Beverly Hills Playhouse

Awarded to Simon Levy