Mark Bennett. Photo by Lia Chang
Mark Bennett has been nominated for a 2015 Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Sound Design for The Old Globe’s production of Arms and the Man.
More than 100 local and national theatre artists representing nearly than 60 San Diego theatrical productions will compete for the 2015 Craig Noel Awards, which are administered by the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle.
Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Monday, Feb. 6, 2016, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, in La Jolla.
Bennett previously worked on the Globe productions of Twelfth Night directed by Jack O’Brien, Golda’s Balcony directed by Scott Schwartz, and Pygmalion and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike directed by Nicholas Martin. His recent Broadway scores include Macbeth, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Driving Miss Daisy, The Coast of Utopia (2007 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music in a Play), Henry IV, Golda’s Balcony, and The Goat, among others. His Off Broadway credits include An Iliad (Obie Award), Mad Forest, and My Children! My Africa! (New York Theatre Workshop) and eight scores for The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park. His La Jolla Playhouse scores include A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Christopher Ashley (Craig Noel Award), An Iliad (Craig Noel Award), and, as composer and co-lyricist, the musical Most Wanted. He was composer for Sam Mendes’s The Bridge Project, 2009-2012 (Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Old Vic) and Barry Edelstein’s As You Like It (Williamstown Theatre Festival). He received the 1998 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Sound Design, 1998 Bessie Award, Ovation Award, American Theatre Wing Award, and 14 Drama Desk Award nominations.
Nominees for the 2015 Craig Noel Awards:
Outstanding Musical Direction
Ian Eisendrath – “Come from Away,” La Jolla Playhouse
Kris Kukul – “Kiss Me, Kate,” The Old Globe
Elan McMahan – “The Music Man,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Elan McMahan – “Big Fish,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Terry O’Donnell – “Dogfight,” Cygnet Theatre
Outstanding Choreography
David Brannen – “Dogfight,” Cygnet Theatre
Jill Gorrie – “Singin’ in the Rain,” San Diego Musical Theatre
Peggy Hickey – “Kiss Me, Kate,” The Old Globe
Colleen Kollar Smith – “West Side Story,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Ray Limon – “Hello, Dolly!,” The Welk Theatre
Outstanding Original Score
Lisa Gutkin & Aaron Halva – “Indecent,” La Jolla Playhouse
Jon Lorenz – “OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Michael Roth – “The Oldest Boy,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Irene Sankoff & David Hein – “Come from Away,” La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding Ensemble
“Come From Away,” La Jolla Playhouse
“Indecent,” La Jolla Playhouse
“The Quality of Life,” Intrepid Theatre Company
“My Mañana Comes,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
“The Whale,” Cygnet Theatre
Outstanding Solo Performance
Hershey Felder – “Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin,” La Jolla Playhouse
Darrell Hammond – “The Darrell Hammond Project,” La Jolla Playhouse
Cashae Monya – “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,” ion theatre
Mercedes Ruehl – “Full Gallop,” The Old Globe
David Turner – “Buyer & Cellar,” The Old Globe
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Male
Josh Adamson – “Big Fish,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Richard Bermudez – “The King and I,” The Welk Theatre
Sean Murray – “My Fair Lady,” Cygnet Theatre
Jeffrey Scott Parsons – “Cabaret,” The Welk Theatre
Robert J. Townsend – “La Cage aux Folles,” San Diego Musical Theatre
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Female
Hannah Corrigan – “Violet,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Cynthia Ferrer – “Hello, Dolly!,” The Welk Theatre
Caitie Grady – “Dogfight,” Cygnet Theatre
Allison Spratt Pearce – “My Fair Lady,” Cygnet Theatre
Victoria Strong – “The King and I,” The Welk Theatre
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Female
Michelle Alves – “West Side Story,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Jenn Colella – “Come From Away,” La Jolla Playhouse
Sarah Errington – “Dogfight,” Cygnet Theatre
Melissa Fernandes – “Sondheim on Sondheim,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Natalie Nucci – “West Side Story,” San Diego Musical Theatre
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Male
Bryan Barbarin – “OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Geno Carr – “Come From Away,” La Jolla Playhouse
Marc Ginsburg – “Shrek, The Musical,” Moonlight Stage Productions
James Vasquez – “La Cage aux Folles,” San Diego Musical Theatre
Fernando Vega – “OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Male
Richard Baird – “Betrayal,” North Coast Repertory Theatre
Jeffrey Jones – “The Quality of Life,” Intrepid Theatre Company
Robert Smyth – “Freud’s Last Session,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Robert J. Townsend – “The 39 Steps,” Premiere Productions
Michael Benjamin Washington – “Blueprints to Freedom,” La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Female
Sandy Campbell – “Master Class,” ion theatre
Maggie Carney – “The Quality of Life,” Intrepid Theatre Company
DeAnna Driscoll – “The Quality of Life,” Intrepid Theatre Company
Summer Spiro – “Steal Heaven,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Sylvia M’Lafi Thompson – ” ‘night, Mother,” ion theatre
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Male
Ro Boddie – “Blueprints to Freedom,” La Jolla Playhouse
Tsering Dorjee Bawa – “The Oldest Boy,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Manoel Felciano – “Twelfth Night,” The Old Globe
David McBean – “Unnecessary Farce,” North Coast Repertory Theatre
James Saba – “Hay Fever,” Cygnet Theatre
Mike Sears – “Parlour Song,” Backyard Renaissance
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Female
Maggie Carney – “Sons of the Prophet,” Cygnet Theatre
Kathi Copeland – “Precious Little,” InnerMission Productions
Priti Gandhi – “Master Class,” ion theatre
Jo Anne Glover – “The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence,” Moxie Theatre
Dana Hooley – “The Birthday Party,” New Fortune Theatre Company
Outstanding Scenic Design
Alexander Dodge – “The Comedy of Errors,” The Old Globe
Sean Fanning – “Full Gallop,” The Old Globe
Riccardo Hernandez – “Twelfth Night,” The Old Globe
Brian Redfern – “My Mañana Comes,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Jerry Sonnenberg – “The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence,” Moxie Theatre
Outstanding Sound Design
Kevin Anthenill – “The Oldest Boy,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Mark Bennett – “Arms and the Man,” The Old Globe
Melanie Chen – “Betrayal,” North Coast Repertory Theatre
Gareth Owen – “Come From Away,” La Jolla Playhouse
David Scott – “Dogfight,” Cygnet Theatre Company
Outstanding Costume Design
Elisa Benzoni – “The Fox on the Fairway,” North Coast Repertory Theatre
Jacinda Johnston-Fischer – “Trouble in Mind,” Moxie Theatre
Jacinda Johnston-Fischer – “Hay Fever”/”The Vortex,” Cygnet Theatre
Jeanne Reith – “OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Fabio Toblini – “Kiss Me, Kate,” The Old Globe
Outstanding Lighting Design
Christopher Akerlind – “Indecent,” La Jolla Playhouse
Lonnie Alcaraz – “Oedipus El Rey,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Russell H. Champa – “The Twenty-seventh Man,” The Old Globe
Matt Novotny – “Gunmetal Blues,” North Coast Repertory Theatre
Jennifer Setlow – “The Oldest Boy,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Projection Design
Joe Huppert – “The Oldest Boy,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
John Infante – “Big Fish,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Blake McCarty – “Return to the Forbidden Planet,” New Village Arts
John Narun – “Blueprints to Freedom,” La Jolla Playhouse
Victoria Petrovich – “Steal Heaven,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley – “Come From Away,” La Jolla Playhouse
Steve Glaudini – “Big Fish,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Sean Murray – “Dogfight,” Cygnet Theatre
Darko Tresnjak – “Kiss Me, Kate,” The Old Globe
Sam Woodhouse – “Violet,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Direction of a Play
Glenn Paris – ” ‘night, Mother,” ion theatre
Rebecca Taichman – “Indecent,” La Jolla Playhouse
Delicia Turner Sonnenberg – “My Mañana Comes,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Delicia Turner Sonnenberg – “Trouble in Mind,” Moxie Theatre
Christy Yael-Cox – “The Quality of Life”, Intrepid Theatre Company
Outstanding New Play
“Blueprints to Freedom” – Michael Benjamin Washington, La Jolla Playhouse
“Indecent” – Paula Vogel and Rebecca Taichman, La Jolla Playhouse
“Orange Julius” – Basil Kreimendahl, Moxie Theatre
“Sea of Souls” – Glenn Paris and Claudio Raygoza, ion theatre
“Uncanny Valley” – Thomas Gibbons, San Diego Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Touring Production
“Healing Wars,” La Jolla Playhouse
“Motown, The Musical,” Broadway / San Diego
“Murder for Two,” The Old Globe
“The White Snake,” The Old Globe
Outstanding Dramatic Production
“Indecent” – La Jolla Playhouse
” ‘night, Mother” – ion theatre
“Oedipus El Rey” – San Diego Repertory Theatre
“The Quality of Life,” Intrepid Theatre Company
“Trouble in Mind” – Moxie Theatre
Outstanding New Musical
“Come From Away,” La Jolla Playhouse
“OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Outstanding Resident Musical
“Big Fish” – Moonlight Stage Productions
“Dogfight” – Cygnet Theatre
“Kiss Me, Kate” – The Old Globe
“My Fair Lady” – Cygnet Theatre
“Violet” – San Diego Repertory Theatre
Awards to be announced from the stage:
• Don Braunagel Award for Outstanding Work by a Small Theater Company
• Outstanding Young Actor & Sandra Ellis-Troy Scholarship
• Actor of the Year, Male and Female
• Director of the Year
Founded in 1983 and re-established in 2002, the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle is an independent, nonprofit organization of print and online theater critics dedicated to open and honest dialogue about theatre in San Diego County and to honoring artistic excellence. The members of our organization are professional critics writing for daily newspapers, magazines, alternative weeklies, entertainment trade publications, broadcast media, and Web sites in San Diego County. The Circle’s annual awards for outstanding San Diego theatre are named for Craig Noel, founder and longtime artistic director of The Old Globe.
Outstanding Musical Direction
Ian Eisendrath – “Come from Away,” La Jolla Playhouse
Kris Kukul – “Kiss Me, Kate,” The Old Globe
Elan McMahan – “The Music Man,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Elan McMahan – “Big Fish,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Terry O’Donnell – “Dogfight,” Cygnet Theatre
Outstanding Choreography
David Brannen – “Dogfight,” Cygnet Theatre
Jill Gorrie – “Singin’ in the Rain,” San Diego Musical Theatre
Peggy Hickey – “Kiss Me, Kate,” The Old Globe
Colleen Kollar Smith – “West Side Story,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Ray Limon – “Hello, Dolly!,” The Welk Theatre
Outstanding Original Score
Lisa Gutkin & Aaron Halva – “Indecent,” La Jolla Playhouse
Jon Lorenz – “OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Michael Roth – “The Oldest Boy,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Irene Sankoff & David Hein – “Come from Away,” La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding Ensemble
“Come From Away,” La Jolla Playhouse
“Indecent,” La Jolla Playhouse
“The Quality of Life,” Intrepid Theatre Company
“My Mañana Comes,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
“The Whale,” Cygnet Theatre
Outstanding Solo Performance
Hershey Felder – “Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin”
Darrell Hammond – “The Darrell Hammond Project,” La Jolla Playhouse
Cashae Monya – “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,” ion theatre
Mercedes Ruehl – “Full Gallop,” The Old Globe
David Turner – “Buyer & Cellar,” The Old Globe
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Male
Josh Adamson – “Big Fish,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Richard Bermudez – “The Kind and I,” The Welk Theatre
Sean Murray – “My Fair Lady,” Cygnet Theatre
Jeffrey Scott Parsons – “Cabaret,” The Welk Theatre
Robert J. Townsend – “La Cage aux Folles,” San Diego Musical Theatre
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Female
Hannah Corrigan – “Violet,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Cynthia Ferrer – “Hello, Dolly!,” The Welk Theatre
Caitie Grady – “Dogfight,” Cygnet Theatre
Allison Spratt Pearce – “My Fair Lady,” Cygnet Theatre
Victoria Strong – “The King and I,” The Welk Theatre
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Female
Michelle Alves – “West Side Story,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Jenn Colella – “Come From Away,” La Jolla Playhouse
Sarah Errington – “Dogfight,” Cygnet Theatre
Melissa Fernandes – “Sondheim on Sondheim,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Natalie Nucci – “West Side Story,” San Diego Musical Theatre
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Male
Bryan Barbarin – “OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Geno Carr – “Come From Away,” La Jolla Playhouse
Marc Ginsburg – “Shrek, The Musical,” Moonlight Stage Productions
James Vasquez – “La Cage aux Folles,” San Diego Musical Theatre
Fernando Vega – “OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Male
Richard Baird – “Betrayal,” North Coast Repertory Theatre
Jeffrey Jones – “The Quality of Life,” Intrepid Theatre Company
Robert Smyth – “Freud’s Last Session,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Robert J. Townsend – “The 39 Steps,” Premiere Productions
Michael Benjamin Washington – “Blueprints to Freedom,” La Jolla Playhouse
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Female
Sandy Campbell – “Master Class,” ion theatre
Maggie Carney – “The Quality of Life,” Intrepid Theatre Company
DeAnna Driscoll – “The Quality of Life,” Intrepid Theatre Company
Summer Spiro – “Steal Heaven,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Sylvia M’Lafi Thompson – “ ‘night, Mother,” ion theatre
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Male
Ro Boddie – “Blueprints to Freedom,” La Jolla Playhouse
Tsering Dorjee Bawa – “The Oldest Boy,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Manoel Felciano – “Twelfth Night,” The Old Globe
David McBean – “Unnecessary Farce,” North Coast Repertory Theatre
James Saba – “Hay Fever,” Cygnet Theatre
Mike Sears – “Parlour Song,” Backyard Renaissance
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Female
Maggie Carney – “Sons of the Prophet,” Cygnet Theatre
Kathi Copeland – “Precious Little,” InnerMission Productions
Priti Gandhi – “Master Class,” ion theatre
Jo Anne Glover – “The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence,” Moxie Theatre
Dana Hooley – “The Birthday Party,” New Fortune Theatre Company
Outstanding Scenic Design
Alexander Dodge – “The Comedy of Errors,” The Old Globe
Sean Fanning – “Full Gallop,” The Old Globe
Riccardo Hernandez – “Twelfth Night,” The Old Globe
Brian Redfern – “My Mañana Comes,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Jerry Sonnenberg – “The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence,” Moxie Theatre
Outstanding Costume Design
Elisa Benzoni – “The Fox on the Fairway,” North Coast Repertory Theatre
Jacinda Johnston-Fischer – “Trouble in Mind,” Moxie Theatre
Jacinda Johnston-Fischer – “Hay Fever”/”The Vortex,” Cygnet Theatre
Jeanne Reith – “OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Fabio Toblini – “Kiss Me, Kate,” The Old Globe
Outstanding Lighting Design
Christopher Akerlind – “Indecent,” La Jolla Playhouse
Lonnie Alcaraz – “Oedipus El Rey,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Russell H. Champa – “The Twenty-seventh Man,” The Old Globe
Matt Novotny – “Gunmetal Blues,” North Coast Repertory Theatre
Jennifer Setlow – “The Oldest Boy,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Projection Design
Joe Huppert – “The Oldest Boy,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
John Infante – “Big Fish,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Blake McCarty – “Return to the Forbidden Planet,” New Village Arts
John Narun – “Blueprints to Freedom,” La Jolla Playhouse
Victoria Petrovich – “Steal Heaven,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley – “Come From Away,” La Jolla Playhouse
Steve Glaudini – “Big Fish,” Moonlight Stage Productions
Sean Murray – “Dogfight,” Cygnet Theatre
Darko Tresnjak – “Kiss Me, Kate,” The Old Globe
Sam Woodhouse – “Violet,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Direction of a Play
Glenn Paris – “ ‘night, Mother,” ion theatre
Rebecca Taichman – “Indecent,” La Jolla Playhouse
Delicia Turner Sonnenberg – “My Mañana Comes,” San Diego Repertory Theatre
Delicia Turner Sonnenberg – “Trouble in Mind,” Moxie Theatre
Christy Yael-Cox – “The Quality of Life”, Intrepid Theatre Company
Outstanding New Play
“Blueprints to Freedom” – Michael Benjamin Washington, La Jolla Playhouse
“Indecent” – Paula Vogel and Rebecca Taichman, La Jolla Playhouse
“Orange Julius” – Basil Kreimendahl, Moxie Theatre
“Sea of Souls” – Glenn Paris and Claudio Raygoza, ion theatre
“Uncanny Valley” – Thomas Gibbons, San Diego Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Touring Production
“Healing Wars,” La Jolla Playhouse
“Motown, The Musical,” Broadway / San Diego
“Murder for Two,” The Old Globe
“The White Snake,” The Old Globe
Outstanding New Musical
“Come From Away,” La Jolla Playhouse
“OZ, a new American Musical Fairytale,” Lamb’s Players Theatre
Outstanding Resident Musical
“Big Fish” – Moonlight Stage Productions
“Dogfight” – Cygnet Theatre
“Kiss Me, Kate” – The Old Globe
“My Fair Lady” – Cygnet Theatre
“Violet” – San Diego Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Dramatic Production
“Indecent” – La Jolla Playhouse
“ ‘night, Mother” – ion theatre
“Oedipus El Rey” – San Diego Repertory Theatre
“The Quality of Life, Intrepid Theatre Company
“Trouble in Mind” – Moxie Theatre
Awards to be announced from the stage:
- Don Braunagel Award for Outstanding Work by a Small Theater Company
- Outstanding Young Actor & Sandra Ellis-Troy Scholarship
- Actor of the Year, Female
- Actor of the Year, Male
- Director of the Year
Winners will not be notified in advance. Arrangements will be made to deliver awards to winners who could not be present.
Admission to the ceremony is free of charge. If you are not already on our invitation list and would like to receive an invite via Paperless Post (email), please contact our president, Pam Kragen, with your name and contact information.
Craig Noel, the namesake for the Critics Circle’s annual awards — who died in 2010 — was revered for his decades-long efforts to build a rich and vibrant theater community in San Diego. We honor his legacy as the beloved founding father of San Diego’s theater community by carrying on the tradition of rewarding excellence with awards in his name.
An archive of reviews by San Diego Theatre Critics Circle members can be found on this website (drop down reviews panel at top right of the home page). To keep track of new reviews posted daily, “Like” our Facebook page.
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.
Lia Chang. Photo by Garth Kravits
Lia Chang is an award-winning filmmaker, a Best Actress nominee, a photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.com, Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2016 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at lia@liachang.com
