Connecticut Critics Circle Awards
Best of the Best
By: Karen Isaacs - Jul 08, 2023
A powerful production of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” at the Yale Repertory Theatre and an exuberant production of “42nd Street” at Goodspeed Musicals took top honors at the 31st annual Connecticut Critics Circle Awards (ctcritics.org).
The event, which celebrates the work from the state’s professional theaters during the 2022 – 2023 season, was held at TheaterWorks Hartford in downtown Hartford.
This year the awards were spread out to many productions throughout the state, though Goodspeed Musicals’ “42nd Street” earned the most taking five for best musical, outstanding choreography, best featured actor, costumes and projections. Playhouse on Park’s riveting production of “Indecent” took three honors for best ensemble, director and lighting.
Awards for outstanding actor and actress in a musical went to Aaron Lazar for TheaterWorks Hartford’s “Fun Home” and Juliette Redden in Goodspeed Musicals’ “Anne of Green Gables.”
Awards for outstanding actor and actress in a play went to Jamil A.C. Mangan for Playhouse on Park’s “Fences” and René Augesen in Yale Repertory Theatre’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Top directing awards went to Kelly O’Donnell for Playhouse on Park’s “Indecent” and Daniel C. Levine for A Contemporary Theatre’s “The Secret Garden.”
Animal trainer William Berloni, who began his career training Sandy the dog for Goodspeed Musicals’ original production of “Annie,” was honored with the Tom Killen Award for lifetime service to the theater.
Mark Lamos, the outgoing Artistic Director of the Westport Country Playhouse, was presented with a special award for his long and distinguished artistic career in the state.
Outstanding ensemble award went to the cast of West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park’s “Indecent:” Noa Graham, Dan Krackhardt, Helen Laser, Michelle Lemon, Ben McLaughlin, Kirsten Peacock, Bart Shatto, Alexander Sovronsky, Jack Theiling, Sydney Weiser, and Dan Zimberg.
Randy Skinner won for his choreography for Goodspeed Musicals’ “42nd Street.”
The outstanding featured actress award in a musical went to Laura Woyasz in A Contemporary Theatre’s production of “The Secret Garden.” Outstanding featured actor in a musical honors went to Blake Stadnik for Goodspeed Musicals’ “42nd Street.”
The award for outstanding featured actors in a play went to John Maddaloni for Hartford Stage’s “The Winter’s Tale” and to Alma Martinez for the Yale Repertory Theatre’s production of “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles.”
Design awards went to Jessica Paz and Beth Lake for sound for Hartford Stage’s “Kiss My Aztec!;” Kara Harmon for costumes for Goodspeed Musical’s “42nd Street;” Joe Beumer for lighting for Playhouse on Park’s “Indecent;” Shawn Duan for projections for Goodspeed Musical’s “42nd Street;” and Riw Rakkulchon for Hartford Stage’s production of “The Mousetrap.”
Helping to present the awards were Playwright Jacques Lamarre; Godfrey Simmons, Artistic Director of HartBeat Ensemble in Hartford; and Megan Monaghan Rivas. Artistic Director of Connecticut Repertory Theatre and Department Head of Dramatic Arts at the University of Connecticut.
CT Critics Nominees & Winners 2022-23
Winners in Bold
BEST MUSICAL
42nd Street – Goodspeed Opera House
Gypsy – Goodspeed Opera House
Fun Home – Theaterworks Hartford
Kiss My Aztec – Hartford Stage Co.
The Secret Garden – A Contemporary Theatre-Connecticut (ACT-CT)
BEST PLAY
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf – Yale Repertory Theatre
Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles – Yale Repertory Theatre
Indecent – Playhouse on Park
The Winter’s Tale – Hartford Stage Company
Trouble in Mind – Hartford Stage Company
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Randy Skinner – 42nd Street – Goodspeed
Mayte Natalio – Kiss My Aztec – Hartford Stage Company
Darlene Zoller – Playhouse on Park – Pippin
Sara Brians – Guys and Dolls – ACT-CT
Marjorie Failoni – Christmas in CT – Goodspeed Opera House
BEST DIRECTION – MUSICAL
Randy Skinner – 42nd Street – Goodspeed Opera House
Jenn Thompson – Anne of Green Gables – Goodspeed Opera House
Jenn Thompson – Gypsy – Goodspeed
Rob Ruggiero – Fun Home – Theaterworks Hartford
Daniel C. Levine – The Secret Garden – ACT-CT
BEST DIRECTION – PLAY
James Bundy – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf – Yale Repertory Theatre
Kelly O’Donnell – Indecent – Playhouse on Park
Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles – Laurie Woolery – Yale Repertory Theatre
The Winter’s Tale – Melia Bensussen – Hartford Stage Company
BEST ACTOR – PLAY
Jamil A.C. Mangan – Fences – Playhouse on Park
David Shih – Kim’s Convenience – Westport Country Playhouse
Dan Donohue – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf – Yale Repertory Theatre
James Naughton – On Golden Pond – Ivoryton Playhouse
John Bambery – Trouble in Mind – Hartford Stage Company
BEST ACTRESS – PLAY
Rene Augesen – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf – Yale Rep.
Mia Dillon – 4000 Miles – Westport Country Playhouse
Heather Alicia Simms – Trouble in Mind – Hartford Stage Company
Emma Ramos – Espejos: Clean – Hartford Stage Company
Camila Moreno – Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles – Yale Repertory Theatre
BEST ACTOR – MUSICAL
Aaron Lazar – Fun Home – Theaterworks Hartford
Joel Perez – Kiss My Aztec – Hartford Stage Company
David M. Lutken – Ring of Fire – Ivoryton Playhouse
Matt Faucher – Guys and Dolls – ACT-CT
Brian Golub – The Secret Garden – ACT-CT
BEST ACTRESS – MUSICAL
Juliette Redden – Anne of Green Gables – Goodspeed Opera House
Krystina Alabado – Kiss My Aztec – Hartford Stage Company e
Elizabeth Ward Land – Sunset Boulevard – MTC
Carina-Kay Louchiey – 42nd Street – Goodspeed Opera House
Charlotte Ewing – The Secret Garden – ACT-CT
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS – MUSICAL
Kate Baldwin – 42nd Street – Goodspeed Opera House
Skylar Lynn Matthews – Fun Home – Theaterworks Hartford
Julia Nightingale – Fun Home – Theaterworks Hartford
Kate Wesler – Pippin – Playhouse on Park
Laura Woyasz – The Secret Garden – ACT-CT
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS – PLAY
Alma Martinez – Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles – Yale Repertory Theatre
Monica Sanchez – Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles – Yale Repertory Theatre
Silvia Dionicio – Queen of Basel – Theaterworks Hartford
Pearl Rhein – The Winter’s Tale – Hartford Stage Company
Adrienne S. Wells – the Ripple, the wave that carried me home – Yale Repertory Theatre
BEST FEATURED ACTOR – PLAY
John Maddaloni – The Winter’s Tale – Hartford Stage Company
Sabatino Cruz – On Golden Pond – Ivoryton Playhouse
Ephraim Birney – The Rembrandt – Theaterworks Hartford
Sam Givens – The Legend of Georgia Brown – Ivoryton Playhouse
BEST FEATURED ACTOR – MUSICAL
Blake Stadnik – 42nd Street – Goodspeed Opera House
Pierre Marais – Anne of Green Gables – Goodspeed Opera House
Matt Saldivar – Kiss My Aztec – Hartford Stage Company
Matt Faucher – The Secret Garden – ACT-CT
DJ Plunkett – The Secret Garden – ACT-CT
BEST COSTUMES
Kara Harmon – 42nd Street – Goodspeed Opera House
Clint Ramos – Kiss My Aztec – Hartford Stage Company
Fabian Fidel Aguilar – The Mousetrap – Hartford Stage Company
Leslie Bernstein – The Secret Garden – ACT-CT
Eduardo Sicangco – Gypsy – Goodspeed Opera House
SCENIC DESIGN
Michael Carnahan – 42nd Street – Goodspeed Opera House
Clint Ramos– Kiss My Aztec – Hartford Stage Company
Riw Rakkulchon – The Mousetrap – Hartford Stage Company
Miguel Urbino – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf – Yale Repertory Theatre
You-Shin Chen – Kim’s Convenience – Westport Country Playhouse
PROJECTIONS
Shawn Duan – 42nd Street – Goodspeed Opera House
Camilla Tassi – Fun Home – Theaterworks Hartford
Camilla Tassi – The Secret Garden – ACT-CT
Lisa Renkel – Espejos: Clean – Hartford Stage Company
Henry Rodriguez – the Ripple, the wave that carried me home – Yale Repertory Theatre
LIGHTING DESIGN
Cory Pattak – 42nd Street – Goodspeed Opera House
Krista Smith – The Mousetrap – Hartford Stage
Jiahao Qiu – Virginia Woolf – Yale Repertory Theatre
Charlie Morrison – The Secret Garden – ACT-CT
Colleen Doherty – Espejos: Clean – Hartford Stage Company
Joe Beumer – Indecent – Playhouse on Park
SOUND DESIGN
Jessica Paz & Beth Lake – Kiss My Aztec – Hartford Stage
Jay Hilton – 42nd Street – Goodspeed Opera House
Jeffrey Salerno – Indecent – Playhouse on Park
Evdoxia Ragkou – the Ripple, the wave that carried me home – Yale Repertory Theatre
Daniela Hart & Uptownworks – Espejos: Clean – Hartford Stage Company
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE
Hysterical! – Thrown Stone Theatre
Smokey Joe’s Cafe – Ivoryton Playhouse
Ain’t Misbehavin’ – Westport Country Playhouse
Indecent – Playhouse on Park