Time to believe in miracles. Behold, the resurrection of the erstwhile Austin Critics Table, slightly revamped into a category-specific version.
The OG Austin Critics Table was a COVID casualty, disbanding after decades of recognizing Austin’s arts scene. Last year, local theatre advocate and founding director of theatre hub ATX Theatre, Sharron Anderson, encouraged Austin’s critics to congregate in a new formation: the Austin Theatre Critics.
The new group includes representatives from The Austin American-Statesman, BroadwayWorld, CTX Live Theatre, and yours truly. We’ve diligently scoured the staged scene in search of Austin’s best and brightest, meeting regularly to discuss award directions. Our nominees reflect the intense creativity of local companies. Underground shows that push boundaries and form? We’ve got those covered. Bright, classic musicals? Yeah, there’s some of those on our list. Recognitions range from individual performances to ensemble, scriptworks to technical achievements.
The June 9 awards ceremony finds a home down south at the 04 Center. Nominees and their supporters are welcome to come cheer these terrific thespians towards victory. Though it’s a free event, reservations are required.
Without further ado, I’m delighted to present the full list of nominated work.
Austin Theatre Critic Award Nominees
Nominees for Outstanding Costume Design:
Cecelia Gay, The Three Musketeers, The Archive Theater
Dawn Allee, King Lear, The Baron’s Men
Renee Osborn, All For One, The Baron’s Men
Bert Flanagan, The Cover of Life, City Theatre Austin
Maddy Lamb, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, The Filigree Theatre
Teresa Carson, The Little Mermaid, Summer Stock Austin
Nominees for Outstanding Scenic Design:
Robyn Conner, Exit Strategy, Beyond August Productions
Theada Haining, Company, Roustabout and The Little Mermaid, Summer Stock Austin
Michelle Ney, Bob & Jean: A Love Story and Jersey Boys, ZACH Theatre
Cody Arn, Trash Planet, Bottle Alley Theatre Company
Ann Marie Gordon, Sunny Days and Rabbits and Mother Tree, The VORTEX
Sotirios Livaditis, The Lehman Trilogy, ZACH Theatre
Nominees for Outstanding Lighting Design:
Lucinda Culver, The Normal Heart, Austin Rainbow Theatre
Gavin Kenter, Trash Planet, Bottle Alley Theatre Company
Patrick Anthony, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, The Filigree Theatre and Falsettos, Ground Floor Theatre
Kathryn Eader, Company, Roustabout
Amy Lewis, Feast, Shrewd Productions
Benjamin Gantose, The Lehman Trilogy, ZACH Theatre
Nominees for Outstanding Sound Design:
Robert S. Fisher, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Austin Playhouse
Allen Robertson, Bob & Jean: A Love Story, ZACH Theatre
Michael Kiley, The Lehman Trilogy, ZACH Theatre
Louie Espinoza, Nunsense: The Mega Musical, Mary Moody Northen Theatre
Austin Brion, Company, Roustabout
Johann Solo, Rabbits, The VORTEX
Nominations for Outstanding Touring Show:
MJ, the Musical ~ Texas Performing Arts, Broadway in Austin
Frozen ~ Texas Performing Arts, Broadway in Austin
Come From Away ~ Texas Performing Arts, Broadway in Austin
Girl From The North Country ~ Texas Performing Arts, Broadway in Austin
Funny Girl ~ Texas Performing Arts, Broadway in Austin
Hamlet ~ Actors from the London Stage
Nominees for Outstanding Movement Direction:
Kelly Hasandras, King of Hearts, The Alchemy Theatre
Sadé M. Jones, The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body, The VORTEX
Richard Cerato, Falsettos, Ground Floor Theatre
Chris Shin, Anything Goes, TexARTS
Ginger Morris, Noah Wood, Lena Owens, and Kristie Copeland, Guys and Dolls, Summer Stock Austin
Ellenor Riley-Condit, A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes, UT Austin Department of Theatre & Dance
Nominees for Outstanding Musical Direction:
Adam Roberts, Company, Roustabout
Marita Stryker & Adam Roberts, Guys and Dolls, Summer Stock Austin
Michael Morse, Jane Eyre, Austin Shakespeare
Allen Robertson, A Christmas Carol, ZACH Theatre
Lyn Koenning, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Austin Playhouse
Lyn Koenning, Legally Blonde, Zilker Theatre Productions
Nominees for Outstanding Director of a Play:
Molly Fonseca, Hungry Teenage Track Stars, Broad Theatre
Dr. Brian Cheslik, Tiny Beautiful Things, Deaf Austin Theatre
Shawn Sides, Our Town, Rude Mechs
Melissa McKnight, Feast, Shrewd Productions
Dave Steakley, The Lehman Trilogy, ZACH Theatre
Elizabeth V. Newman, Suddenly Last Summer, The Filigree Theatre
Nominees for Outstanding Director of a Musical:
Michael Cooper, King of Hearts, The Alchemy Theatre
Liz Fisher, The Yeomen of the Guard, Gilbert & Sullivan Austin
Cassie Abate, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, ZACH Theatre
Adam Roberts, Company, Roustabout
Trace Turner, Falsettos, Ground Floor Theatre
Nominations for Outstanding Ensemble:
King of Hearts, The Alchemy Theatre
The Three Musketeers, The Archive Theater
The Cover of Life, City Theatre Austin
Company, Roustabout
A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes, UT Austin Department of Theatre & Dance
Nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play:
Andrea Osborn in Arcadia, Austin Playhouse
Sarah Zeringue in Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Austin Playhouse
Bethany Borsotti in Tiny Beautiful Things, Deaf Austin Theatre
Linda Nenno in Suddenly Last Summer, The Filigree Theatre
Janelle Buchanan in My H-E-B, Hyde Park Theatre
Christina Little-Manley in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, The Stage Austin
Nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play:
A.Y. Oza in Jane Eyre, Austin Shakespeare
Tobie Minor in Arcadia, Austin Playhouse
N.R. Oglesby in Trash Planet, Bottle Alley Theatre Company
Mike Ooi in Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, The Filigree Theatre
Mike Ooi in Dial M for Murder, Jarrott Productions
Matt Hislope in Waiting for Godot, Hyde Park Theatre
Scot Friedman in Copenhagen, The Stage Austin
Nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical:
Amber Quick in Nunsense: The Mega Musical, Mary Moody Northen Theatre
Gabrielle North in Nunsense: The Mega Musical, Mary Moody Northen Theatre
Laura Huffman Powell in Company, Roustabout
Mariel Ardila in Company, Roustabout
Jude Thurman in Guys and Dolls, Summer Stock Austin
Sarah Burke in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, ZACH Theatre
Kylie Brunngraber in Legally Blonde, Zilker Theatre Productions
Nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical:
Trey Deason in The Yeomen of the Guard, Gilbert & Sullivan Austin
Jacob Rosenbaum in Sweeney Todd, Georgetown Palace
Jacob Rosenbaum in Falsettos, Ground Floor Theatre
Quincy Kuykendall in Company, Roustabout
Noah Wood in Guys and Dolls, Summer Stock Austin
Logan Foster in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, ZACH Theatre
Sebastian Vitale in King of Hearts, The Alchemy Theatre
Nominees for Outstanding Actress in a Play:
Lucky Cantu, 26 Miles, Different Stages
Maddie Scanlan, Suddenly Last Summer, The Filigree Theatre
Katherine Catmull, Feast, Shrewd Productions
Kathleen Fletcher, Rabbits, The VORTEX
Stephanie Crugnola, Hamlet, Walking Shadow Shakespeare
Nisi Sturgis, What the Constitution Means to Me, ZACH Theatre
Nominees for Outstanding Actor in a Play:
Andy Bond, King Lear, The Baron’s Men
Aaron Alexander, Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Austin Playhouse
Will Gibson Douglas, The Shark is Broken, Jarrott Productions
Rick Felkins, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, The Stage Austin
Peter Frechette, The Lehman Trilogy, ZACH Theatre
Ryan Bradley, Rabbits, The VORTEX
Nominees for Outstanding Actress in a Musical:
Megan Hudson in Legally Blonde, Zilker Theatre Productions
Leslie McDonel, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, ZACH Theatre
Gabrielle North, The Little Mermaid, Summer Stock Austin
Megan DeYoung, Falsettos, Ground Floor Theatre
Kristin Bilodeau, The Yeomen of the Guard, Gilbert & Sullivan Austin
Sarah Fleming Walker, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Austin Playhouse
Nominees for Outstanding Actor in a Musical:
Patrick Regner, King of Hearts, The Alchemy Theatre
Andrew Cannata, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Austin Playhouse
Sam Johnson, The Yeomen of the Guard, Gilbert & Sullivan Austin
Seth David Mitchell, Company, Roustabout
Jordan Williams, Guys and Dolls, Summer Stock Austin
Nick Anastasia, Jersey Boys, ZACH Theatre
Nominations for Outstanding Original Script:
Bob & Jean: A Love Story by Robert Schenkkan, ZACH Theatre
The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body by Lisa B. Thompson, The VORTEX
Rabbits by Sarah Saltwick, The VORTEX
Aurora by Chris Fontanes, Bottle Alley Theatre Company
Hungry Teenage Track Stars by Anikka Lekven, Broad Theatre
Wanna Play by Christine Hoang, Color Arc Productions
The Illusionary Games of Edward Rye by Ashley Griffin, The Filigree Theatre
Nominations for Outstanding Production of a Play:
Feast, Shrewd Productions
The Lehman Trilogy, ZACH Theatre
Our Town, Rude Mechs
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, The Filigree Theatre
Hungry Teenage Track Stars, Broad Theatre
Waiting for Godot, Hyde Park Theatre
Nominations for Outstanding Production of a Musical:
King of Hearts, The Alchemy Theatre
Company, Roustabout
Guys and Dolls, Summer Stock Austin
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, ZACH Theatre
Jersey Boys, ZACH Theatre
Falsettos, Ground Floor Theatre
2025 Austin Theatre Critics Awards Ceremony
The 04 Center
June 9
This article appears in May 16 • 2025.
