Newport Beach CA
3-04-2026 5:20am

OCTG Theatre Awards Unveils List of Nominees. Ceremony to take place on May 11 at the Samueli Theater

From left, Luc Clopton and Mario Houle in 'Tick, Tick... BOOM!' at Chance Theater. Photo courtesy of Doug Catiller.

On Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, during the OC Theatre Guild’s membership meeting, nominees for the fifth annual OCTG Theatre Awards were officially announced. 

Winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony on Monday, May 11, 2026, at the Samueli Theater at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. This year's event continues the tradition of celebrating the vibrant and diverse achievements of the theater community.

Tickets for the 2026 OCTG Theatre Awards will go on sale March 2, 2026, at www.octheatreguild.org. A limited-time early-bird discount will be available for those who purchase tickets during the initial sales period. Nominees will receive information regarding their complimentary tickets and discounted ticket options. If nominees have not been contacted by OCTG after March 2, they are encouraged to reach out for assistance.

Katie Perry Page in 'Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,' Curtis Theatre and Southgate Productions. Photo courtesy of Francis Gacad.

Awards Coordinator and Guild Vice President Kristin Campbell Coyne said, “The OCTG Theatre Awards program continues to grow in incredible ways. This year, we’ve seen 128 nominations across 22 categories, with 46 productions submitted for adjudication. The gender-neutral performance categories maintain double the nominees and multiple winners each.” Twenty-one organizations participated, with 75 voters from various theater disciplines determining the results. All votes were audited by one of our media partners, CultureOC, to ensure accuracy.

From left, Elijah Munck, Scott Roberts, Dyan Hobday-Smith, Rachel Williams and Kristin Cortines in 'The Importance of Being Earnest,' American Coast Theater Company. Photo courtesy of Bella Chrastina and Amanda Fagan.

This year’s nominees reflect an exciting and competitive season across Orange County, with Chance Theater leading the charge with major recognition for “Such Small Hands,” “The Chinese Lady,” “What the Constitution Means to Me,” “Spring Awakening” and “Tick, Tick...BOOM!” Close behind, Curtis Theatre earned multiple nominations for its collaborations on “August: Osage County,” “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” “Macbeth,”and “These Shining Lives.” While Costa Mesa Playhouse made a strong showing with “Boeing Boeing,” “How I Learned to Drive,” “Sweat” and “Uncle Vanya.” Companies including Alchemy Theatre Company, American Coast Theater Company, JStage Irvine, The Larking House, Southgate Productions and STAGEStheatre also garnered significant recognition, highlighting a season marked by bold productions, standout performances and exceptional design work throughout the region.

From left, Juliet Fischer and Bruce Goodrich in 'Such Small Hands,' Chance Theater. Photo courtesy Doug Catille.

A detailed list of nominees appears below and is also available at www.octheatreguild.org.

The OC Theatre Guild launched its awards program in 2020 to celebrate excellence in Orange County theater. “Each year, voters dedicate countless hours attending performances across the region every month throughout the season. With a diverse mix of backgrounds and disciplines, this group of theater professionals provides a rich perspective on our incredible theater scene,” said Awards Coordinator and Guild Board Member Katie Chidester. “This program is sustained by their work and commitment."

From left, Philip Brickey, Stacy Castiglione and Rob Downs in 'August: Osage County', Curtis Theatre and STAGEStheatre. Photo courtesy of Francis Gacad.

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Musical

  • Andrew Hong (Arpad), “She Loves Me,” Yorba Linda Spotlight Players
  • Dyan Hobday-Smith (Lady Bracknell), “The Importance of Being Earnest,” American Coast Theater Company
  • Erica Farnsworth (Adult Woman), “Spring Awakening,” Chance Theater
  • James Michael McHale (Adult Man), “Spring Awakening,” Chance Theater
  • Jaylen Baham (Otto), “Spring Awakening,” Chance Theater
  • Jeff Lowe (Narrator/Mysterious Man), “Into the Woods,” Alchemy Theatre Company
  • Lena Ceja (Susan), “Tick,Tick...BOOM!,” Chance Theater
  • Mario Houle (Michael), “Tick,Tick...BOOM!,” Chance Theater
  • Reese Chavez (Ilona), “She Loves Me,” Yorba Linda Spotlight Players
  • Sammi Spiegler (Natalie), “Next to Normal,” Cabrillo Playhouse

Outstanding Direction of a Play

  • Amanda DeMaio, “August: Osage County,” STAGEStheatre and Curtis Theatre
  • Katie Chidester, “What the Constitution Means to Me,” Chance Theater
  • Matthew McCray, “Such Small Hands,” Chance Theater
  • Peter Kreder, “How I Learned to Drive,” Costa Mesa Playhouse
  • Shinshin Yuder Tsai, “The Chinese Lady,” Chance Theater

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

  • H. Adam Harris, “Tick,Tick...BOOM!,” Chance Theater
  • Jocelyn A. Brown, “Spring Awakening,” Chance Theater
  • Jonathan Infante and Tara Pitt, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Curtis Theatre and Southgate Productions
  • Karen Rymar, “Bye Bye Birdie,” No Square Theatre
  • Susan K. Berkompas, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” American Coast Theater Company

Outstanding Choreography

  • Anthony Tuason, “Rent,” Z Playhouse
  • Kelsie Blackwell, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Curtis Theatre and Southgate Productions
  • Mo Goodfellow, “Spring Awakening,” Chance Theater
  • Niko Montelibano, “Tick,Tick...BOOM!,” Chance Theater
  • Sabrina Harper, “Bye Bye Birdie,” No Square Theatre

Outstanding Music Direction

  • Gabrielle Maldonado, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Curtis Theatre and Southgate Productions
  • Gabrielle Maldonado, “Into the Woods,” Alchemy Theatre Company
  • Jared Scott, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” American Coast Theater Company
  • Lex Leigh, “Tick,Tick...BOOM!,” Chance Theater
  • Robyn Manion, “Spring Awakening,” Chance Theater

Outstanding Costume Design

  • Bradley Allen Lock, “Spring Awakening,” Chance Theater
  • Bruce Goodrich, “Tick,Tick...BOOM!,” Chance Theater
  • Haven Hanson, “Cinderella,” JStage Irvine
  • Loralee Barlow Boyes, “Into the Woods,” Alchemy Theatre Company
  • Nicholas Hirata, “Boeing Boeing,” Costa Mesa Playhouse

Outstanding Lighting Design

  • Azra King-Abadi, “Such Small Hands,” Chance Theater
  • Jacqueline Malenke, “Tick,Tick...BOOM!,” Chance Theater
  • Jacqueline Malenke, “Spring Awakening,” Chance Theater
  • Kara Ramlow, “What the Constitution Means to Me,” Chance Theater
  • Masako Tobaru, “The Chinese Lady,” Chance Theater

Outstanding Scenic Design

  • Christopher Scott Murillo, “The Chinese Lady,” Chance Theater
  • Fred Kinney and Mio Okada, “Tick,Tick...BOOM!,” Chance Theater
  • Ganymede Projects, “Such Small Hands,” Chance Theater
  • Jon Gaw, “August: Osage County,” STAGEStheatre and Curtis Theatre
  • Michael Serna, “Sweat,” Costa Mesa Playhouse

Outstanding Sound Design

  • Darryl B. Hovis, “Such Small Hands,” Chance Theater
  • Hunter Moody, “Tick,Tick...BOOM!,” Chance Theater
  • Jesse Mandapat, “The Chinese Lady,” Chance Theater
  • Kris Kataoka, “What the Constitution Means to Me,” Chance Theater
  • Lia Weed, “Spring Awakening,” Chance Theater

Outstanding Projection Design

  • Francis Gacad, “Sweat,” Costa Mesa Playhouse
  • James Tran, “Bye Bye Birdie,” No Square Theatre
  • Jonathan Infante, “These Shining Lives,” Begins and Ends with ‘A’ Productions and Curtis Theatre
  • Mark Tillman, “How I Learned to Drive,” Costa Mesa Playhouse
  • Matthew McCray, “Such Small Hands,” Chance Theater

Outstanding Prop Design

  • Amanda DeMaio, “August: Osage County,” STAGEStheatre and Curtis Theatre
  • Amanda Hallman and Colin Lawrence, “These Shining Lives,” Begins and Ends with ‘A’ Productions and Curtis Theatre
  • Bebe Herrera, “The Chinese Lady,” Chance Theater
  • Kerri Hellmuth, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Curtis Theatre and Southgate Productions
  • Michael Cohen, “Sweat,” Costa Mesa Playhouse

Outstanding Fight Direction

  • David Rodriguez, “Macbeth,” The Larking House and Curtis Theatre
  • Martin Noyes, “Spring Awakening,” Chance Theater
  • Matthew M. Hayashi, “Sentences,” The Larking House

Outstanding Wig/Hair Design

  • Cynthia Wilson, “Cinderella,” JStage Irvine
  • Haven Hanson, “The Sound of Music,” JStage Irvine
  • Jeff Weeks, “Little Women: The Musical,” Yorba Linda Spotlight Players
  • Jeff Weeks, “She Loves Me,” Yorba Linda Spotlight Players
  • Sean Arnold, “Into the Woods,” Alchemy Theatre Company

Outstanding Makeup Design

  • Genevieve Kauper, “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,” The Larking House
  • Genevieve Kauper, “Sentences,” The Larking House
  • Haven Hanson, “The Sound of Music,” JStage Irvine
  • Jiana-Marie Perez, “Cinderella,” JStage Irvine
  • Sean Arnold, “Into the Woods,” Alchemy Theatre Company

Notable Outstanding Achievement

  • Adam Szymkowicz, “Such Small Hands,” Chance Theater, playwright
  • Josh Causley, “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,” The Larking House, composer
  • Matthew M. Hayashi, “Sentences,” The Larking House, playwright
  • Roxanna Ward, “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors,” No Square Theatre, composer
  • Sean Arnold, “Into the Woods,” Alchemy Theatre Company, puppet designer
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