Craig Noel Awards Announced for 2018 The San Diego Theatre Critics Circle presented the 2018 Craig Noel Awards. Now in its 17th year, the Craig Noel Awards honor the achievements of professional theaters in San Diego County. This year's 28 awards were presented before an audience of more than 500 guests at the annual ceremony on February 11. Among the design winners, Ken MacDonald and Robert Wierzel were cited for the scenery and lighting, respectively, of A Thousand Splendid Suns based on Khaled Hosseini's best-selling novel, produced by The Old Globe. Fabio Toblini took the award for costume design, for The Importance of Being Earnest, also at The Old Globe. There was a tie in the sound design category: Melanie Chen Cole, for Men on Boats, at New Village Arts, and Will Pickens for Uncle Vanya, at The Old Globe. Two productions were the big winners, earning four each. A Thousand Splendid Suns won for outstanding dramatic production and direction, in addition to lighting and scenic design. Lamb's Players Theatre's production of Once earned awards for outstanding resident musical, ensemble, musical direction, and lead performance by a female in a musical (Caitie Grady). San Diego Repertory Theatre's A Doll's House, Part 2 picked up two prizes for outstanding dramatic production and outstanding lead performance in a play (Sofia Jean Gomez). Anna Ziegler's The Wanderers, produced by The Old Globe in its world premiere and directed by Globe artistic director Barry Edelstein, won the award for outstanding new play. The rarely presented director of the year honor went to David Ellenstein, who helmed five strong productions in 2018, including four at his own theatre, North Coast Repertory Theatre, and one at The Roustabouts Theatre Co. The Roustabouts Theatre Co. was singled out for the annual Don Braunagel Award for outstanding achievement by a small theatre company for its body of work in 2018. The 2018 actors of the year are Kevin Hafso Koppman and Nadia Guevara. Both performed impressively in three productions last year, and each also directed a production. An outstanding special event citation honored a first-time collaboration among San Diego Opera, Bodhi Tree Concerts, and SACRA/PROFANA, which together co-produced All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914. The 2018 awardees were chosen by a nine-member body of professional critics who write for San Diego newspapers, magazines, online publications, and blogs. The list of winners includes: Outstanding Dramatic Production (tie)
A Doll's House, Part 2 -- San Diego Repertory Theatre
A Thousand Splendid Suns - The Old Globe Outstanding New Play / Performing Arts Live Prize
The Wanderers, by Anna Ziegler -- The Old Globe Outstanding Resident Musical
Once -- Lamb's Players Theatre Director of the Year
David Ellenstein - Body of Work 2018 Don Braunagel Award for Outstanding Achievement by a Small Theatre
The Roustabouts Theatre Co. Actors of the Year -- Male and Female
Kevin Hafso Koppman
Nadia Guevara Outstanding Young Artist/Sandra Ellis-Troy Scholarship
Noah Baird -- Disney's Newsies Moonlight Stage Productions Outstanding Special Event
All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 -- Co-produced by San Diego Opera, Bodhi Tree Concerts, and SACRA/PROFANA Outstanding Direction of a Play
Carey Perloff -- A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Old Globe Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Sam Woodhouse -- Fun Home, San Diego Repertory Theatre Outstanding Musical Direction
G. Scott Lacy -- Once, Lamb's Players Theatre Outstanding Scenic Design
Ken MacDonald -- A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Old Globe Outstanding Sound Design (tie)
Melanie Chen Cole -- Men on Boats, New Village Arts
Will Pickens -- Uncle Vanya, The Old Globe Outstanding Costume Design
Fabio Toblini -- The Importance of Being Earnest, The Old Globe Outstanding Lighting Design
Robert Wierzel -- A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Old Globe Outstanding Ensemble
Once, Lamb's Players Theatre Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Male
James Sutorius -- The Father, North Coast Repertory Theatre Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Female
Sofia Jean Gomez -- A Doll's House, Part 2, San Diego Repertory Theatre Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Female
Joy Yvonne Jones -- Voyeurs de Venus, Moxie Theatre Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Male
Wrekless Watson -- Cardboard Piano, Diversionary Theatre Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Female
Caitie Grady -- Once, Lamb's Players Theatre Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Male
Zackary Scot Wolfe -- Avenue Q, New Village Arts Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Female
Eboni Muse -- Hairspray, San Diego Musical Theatre Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Male
Bryan Banville -- Monty Python's Spamalot, Cygnet Theatre Outstanding Choreography
Jill Gorrie -- Hairspray, San Diego Musical Theatre 
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