photo credit: Eric Modyman

2026 OC Theatre Guild Award recipients are:

Outstanding Production of a Play

What the Constitution Means to Me – Chance Theater

Outstanding Production of a Musical

Tick, Tick… Boom! – Chance Theater

Outstanding Ensemble in a Play

Sweat – Costa Mesa Playhouse

Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical

Spring Awakening – Chance Theater

Outstanding Leading Performance in a Play

Aubrey Saverino – What the Constitution Means to Me, Chance Theater

Rose London – August: Osage County, STAGEStheatre & Curtis Theatre

Stacy Castiglione – August: Osage County, STAGEStheatre & Curtis Theatre

Outstanding Leading Performance In a Musical Danielle Heaton Beautiful The Carole King Musical Curtis Theatre and Southgate Productions

Outstanding Leading Performance in a Musical

Corydon Melgoza – Spring Awakening, Chance Theater

Danielle Heaton – Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Curtis Theatre & Southgate Productions

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Play

Albert Park – The Chinese Lady, Chance Theater

Frank Bishop – Sweat, Costa Mesa Playhouse

Juliet Fischer – Such Small Hands, Chance Theater

Outstanding Choreography Niko Motelibano Tick Tick Boom Chance Theater Photo by Eric Modyman.jpg

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Musical

Lena Ceja – Tick, Tick… Boom!, Chance Theater

Mario Houle – Tick, Tick… Boom!, Chance Theater

Outstanding Direction of a Play

Katie Chidester – What the Constitution Means to Me, Chance Theater

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

Jocelyn A. Brown – Spring Awakening, Chance Theater

Outstanding Choreography

Niko Montelibano – Tick, Tick… Boom!, Chance Theater

Outstanding Music Direction

Robyn Manion – Spring Awakening, Chance Theater

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Play Frank Bishop Sweat Costa Mesa Playhouse Photo by Eric Modyman.jpg

Outstanding Costume Design

Haven Hanson – Cinderella, JStage Irvine

Outstanding Lighting Design

Jacqueline Malenke – Spring Awakening, Chance Theater

Outstanding Scenic Design

Ganymede Projects – Such Small Hands, Chance Theater

Outstanding Sound Design

Lia Weed – Spring Awakening, Chance Theater

Outstanding Projection Design

Matthew McCray – Such Small Hands, Chance Theater

Outstanding Properties Design

Amanda DeMaio – August: Osage County, STAGEStheatre & Curtis Theatre

Outstanding Fight Direction

Martin Noyes – Spring Awakening, Chance Theater

Outstanding Wig Design

Cynthia Wilson – Cinderella, JStage Irvine

Outstanding Makeup Design

Sean Arnold – Into the Woods, Alchemy Theatre Company

Outstanding Playwriting (Original Work)

Adam Szymkowicz – Such Small Hands, Chance Theater

The OC Theatre Guild was founded in 2015 and officially organized in 2019 as a not-for-profit 501(c)3 to serve Orange County’s vital artistic community with a mission to nurture, support and promote live theatre in greater Orange County. That stated goal is supported by the long-held beliefs of the guild’s founders and leaders that theatre and the performing arts are an essential part of what creates a healthy, passionate, and multicultural society that enriches communities while providing opportunities for personal growth and fulfillment. Through the last several years, the guild has made a commitment to answer the question “What can we do together that we cannot do on our own?”