SAN FRANCISCO: The San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle held their 39th annual gala awards ceremony on March 9, 2015 at the Victoria Theatre. The biggest winner of the night was 6th Street Playhouse, which took home 7 awards total for its various productions, and Curtain Theatre and Marin Onstage for their coproduction Return to the Forbidden Planet.

The event was cohosted by actor/comedian/playwright Reed Martin,
dancer/choreographer/playwright Robert Henry Johnson and Miss Golden Gate winner Bryn Carlson. The year’s awards program included 22 categories and 64 recipients.

In addition the competitive awards, the SFBATCC also presented special achievement awards to the Pear Avenue Theatre of Mountain View, performance artist/playwright Marga Gomez of San Francisco and playwright/actor/director Dezi Gallegos of Petaluma. Lifetime achievement award winner Margie Belrose of San Rafael received a two-minute standing ovation when she accepted her prize, which honored her contributions as dance and drama teacher, actress, director, producer and owner/operator of the Belrose Theatre in San Rafael since 1962.

“This year’s awards gala prompted nearly universal praise from hundreds of attendees,” said SFBATCC president Barry Willis in a statement. “We owe a huge debt to Critics Circle webmaster Harry Duke, who put in an ungodly number of hours organizing and promoting the event. Circle VP Linda Ayers-Frederick also went above and beyond with securing the theater and necessary licenses, and arranging the feast. The entire theater community is eager to see what we’ll do next year, our 40th anniversary.”

The longtime awards show is no longer the only player in town, with last year’s inaugural TBA Awards entering the scene.

The complete list of SFBATCC winners:

CHOREOGRAPHY
In a house under 100 seats
Joseph Favalor, Fiddler on the Roof, Cinnabar Theater

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Joseph Favalora, Thoroughly Modern Millie, 6th Street Playhouse

In a house with more than 300 seats
Gerry McIntyre, Once on This Island, TheatreWorks

COSTUME DESIGN
In a house with under 100 Seats
Melissa Claire/Jeanne Gray, Return to the Forbidden Planet, Curtain Theatre/Marin Onstage

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Yvonne Ortiz, The Boy Friend, 42nd Street Moon

In a house with more than 300 seats
Patrica Polen, The Taming of the Shrew, College of Marin Drama

DIRECTION
In a house with under 100 Seats
Carl Jordan, Return to the Forbidden Planet, Curtain Theatre/Marin Onstage

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Amy Glazer, Seminar, SF Playhouse

In a house with more than 300 seats
Robert Kelley, The Hound of the Baskervilles, TheatreWorks

ENSEMBLE
In a house with under 100 seats
Of Mice and Men, Cinnabar Theater

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Journey’s End, Ross Valley Players

In a house with more than 300 seats
The Taming of the Shrew, College Of Marin Drama

PRODUCTION
In a house with under 100 seats
Return to the Forbidden, Planet Curtain Theatre/Marin Onstage

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
American Buffalo, Aurora Theatre Company

In a house with more than 300 seats
Show Boat, San Francisco Opera

TOURING PERFROMANCE
I Love Lucy Live, SHN

SPECIALTIES
In a house with under 100 seats
Robert Nelson, Animation Video, Return to the Forbidden Planet, Curtain Theatre/Marin Onstage

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Hana S. Kim, Projection Design, Every Five Minutes, Magic Theatre

In a house with more than 300 seats
Richard Squeri, Fight Choreography, The Taming of the Shrew, College of Marin Drama

SOLO PERFORMANCE
In a house with under 100 seats
Charles P. Stites, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Emerald Tablet

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Dan Hoyle, Each and Every Thing, The Marsh—SF

In a house with more than 300 seats
Kathleen Turner, Red Hot Patriot, Berkeley Rep

SOUND DESIGN
In a house with under 100 Seats
Albert Casselhoff, T.I.C. Trenchcoat in Common, Main Stage West

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Stephen Dietz, Journey’s End, Ross Valley Players

In a house with more than 300 seats
Gregory Robinson, Water by the Spoonful, TheatreWorks

SCENIC DESIGN
In a house with under 100 Seats
Jesse Dreikosen, The Glass Menagerie, 6th Street Playhouse

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Bill English, Seminar, SF Playhouse

In a house with more than 300 seats
Joe Ragey, Peter and the Starcatcher, TheatreWorks

ORIGINAL SCRIPT
In a house with under 100 seats
Denmo Ibrahim, Baba, Alter Theatre

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Linda McLean, Every Five Minutes, MagicTheatre

In a house with more than 300 seats
David West Read, The Great Pretender, TheatreWorks

MUSIC DIRECTION
In a house with under 100 seats
Mary Chun, The Marriage of Figaro, Cinnabar Theater

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Nathan Riebli, Grease, 6th Street Playhouse

In a house with more than 300 seats
Janis Wilson, Annie Get Your Gun, Spreckels Theatre Company

ORIGINAL MUSIC
In a house with under 100 Seats
Si Kahn, Mother Jones in Heaven, Main Stage West

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Marshall Pailet, Triassic Parq, Ray of Light

In a house with more than 300 seats
Haddon Kime, Game On, San Jose Rep

LIGHTING DESIGN
In a house with under 100 seats
Halina, Next to Normal, NovatoTheatreCo/Theatre-at-Large

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Ellen Brooks, Journey’s End, Ross Valley Players

In a house with more than 300 seats
Steven B. Mannshardt, Water by the Spoonful, TheatreWorks

FEATURE ACTRESS, PLAY
In a house with under 100 Seats
Mary Gannon Graham, Bell, Book and Candle, Spreckels Theatre Company

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Robyn Grahn, Arms and the Man, Ross Valley Players

In a house with more than 300 seats
Cat Thompson, An Ideal Husband, Marin Shakespeare Company

FEATURED ACTOR, PLAY
In a house with under 100 seats
Tyler Costin, Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike, Main Stage West

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Eddie Ray Jackson, Fences, Marin Theatre Company

In a house with more than 300 seats
Michael Storm, The Great Pretender, TheatreWorks

FEATURED ACTRESS, MUSICAL
In a house with under 100 seats
Julianne Thompson, Next to Normal, NovatoTheatreCo/Theatre-at-Large

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Abbey Lee, Victor/Victoria, 6th Street Playhouse

In a house with more than 300 seats
Jackie DeMuro, South Pacific, Foothill Music Theatre

FEATURE ACTOR, MUSICAL
In a house with under 100 seats
Steve Beecroft, Return to the Forbidden Planet, Curtain Theatre/Marin Onstage

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Evan Attwood, Thoroughly Modern Millie, 6th Street Playhouse

In a house with more than 300 seats
Randy Nazarian, South Pacific, The Mountain Play

PRINCIPAL ACTRESS, PLAY
In a house with under 100 seats
Jennifer Welch, Cat on a Hot Tin, Roof Tides Theatre

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Margo Hall, Fences, Marin Theatre Company

In a house with more than 300 seats
Brenda Meaney, Venus in Fur, A.C.T.

PRINCIPAL ACTOR, PLAY
In a house with under 100 seats
Jeff Coté, The Book of Matthew (Leibowitz), Spreckels Theatre Company

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
James Carpenter, American Buffalo, Aurora Theatre

In a house with more than 300 seats
Paul Whitworth, Tribes, Berkeley Rep

PRINCIPAL ACTRESS, MUSICAL
In a house with under 100 seats
Alison Peltz, Next to Normal, NovatoTheatreCo/Theatre-at-Large

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Rebekah Pearson, Thoroughly Modern Millie, 6th Street Playhouse

In a house with more than 300 seats
Denise Elia-Yen, Annie Get Your Gun, Spreckels Theatre Company

PRINCIPAL ACTOR, MUSICAL
In a house with under 100 seats
Phillip Percy Williams, Return to the Forbidden Planet, Curtain Theatre/Marin Onstage

In a house with 100 to 300 seats
Anthony Guzman, Thoroughly Modern Millie, 6th Street Playhouse

In a house with more than 300 seats
Daniel Cameron, South Pacific, Foothill Music Theatre