Revivals Dominate Drama Critics Circle Awards for ’98

Revivals took the lion’s share of the honors Monday at the 30th annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards ceremony, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

David Chambers’ staging of Noel Coward’s “Private Lives” at South Coast Repertory took six awards, the most for a single show. A Noise Within, Glendale’s classical theater company, won eight honors, the most for a single company, garnering five for Lillian Hellman’s “Another Part of the Forest” and three for Sam Shepard’s “Buried Child.”

The same three revivals also won outstanding production honors and outstanding director awards. Picking up directing awards, Julia Rodriguez Elliott visited the lectern twice; she staged “Buried Child” and co-directed “Forest” along with her husband, Geoff Elliott--who also received a second award for his performance as the oldest of the conniving siblings in “Forest.”

Two West Coast premiere productions received four awards each: the Matrix Theatre staging of Wendy MacLeod’s abortion drama “The Water Children” and the Laguna Playhouse musical “The Last Session,” which is still playing at its second venue, the Tiffany Theater in West Hollywood.

One of the most emotional moments of the ceremony occurred when “Last Session” author Jim Brochu and composer-lyricist Steve Schalchlin won writing awards. The play was inspired by Schalchlin’s bout with AIDS. Brochu introduced Schalchlin as “my life partner of the last 14 years” and told the audience that “the most wonderful thing I can say . . . is that the composer lived.”

Another dramatic highlight of the ceremony was a lifetime achievement award presented to the much-beloved critic Polly Warfield, 86, who currently writes for Back Stage West/Drama-Logue.

The production that had received the most nominations, “A Perfect Ganesh,” received only one award, for playwright Terrence McNally. L.A.’s flagship theater, the Mark Taper Forum, also took home only one honor, for David Jenkins’ set for “Dealer’s Choice.”

The awards recognized productions that opened in 1998.

The winners:

* Production: “Buried Child,” A Noise Within; “Another Part of the Forest,” A Noise Within; “Private Lives,” South Coast Repertory

* Direction: David Chambers, “Private Lives”; Julia Rodriguez Elliott, “Buried Child”; Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez Elliott, “Another Part of the Forest”

* Writing: Terrence McNally, “A Perfect Ganesh”; Stephen Schalchlin (with additional lyrics by John Bettis and Marie Cain), “The Last Session” (score); Jim Brochu, “The Last Session” (book)

* Lead Performance: Jennifer Erin Roberts, “Another Part of the Forest”; Geoff Elliott, “Another Part of the Forest”; Pam Dawber, “The Water Children”; Alistair Duncan, “Private Lives”; Robert Pescovitz, “Buried Child”; Lynnda Ferguson, “Private Lives”; Wendy Makkena, “The Water Children”; Charlotte D’Amboise, “Chicago”

* Featured Performance: Francois Giroday, “Private Lives”; Kathleen Garrett, “Indiscretions”; Michele Mais, “The Last Session”; Brent Barrett, “Chicago”

* Scenic Design: David Jenkins, “Dealer’s Choice”; John Napier, “An Enemy of the People”; Ralph Funicello, “Private Lives”

* Lighting Design: Keith Endo, “The Water Children”

* Costume Design: Christina Wright, “The Mystery of Irma Vep”; Angela Balogh Calin, “Another Part of the Forest”

* Sound Design: Matthew C. Beville, “The Water Children”

* Musical Direction: Barry Fassman and Bob Stillman, “The Last Session”

* Choreography: Lee Martino, “Cabaret” (at West Coast Ensemble)

* Ted Schmitt Award (writing a world premiere): Shem Bitterman, “The Job”

* Margaret Harford Award (small theater): The Road Theatre Company

* Lifetime Achievement Award: Polly Warfield

* Angstrom Award (career lighting): Kathi O’Donohue

* Bob Z Award: (career set design): Sets to Go (Mark Henderson, Tim Farmer)

* Natalie Schafer Award (comedy actress): Gail Shapiro