‘WALK IN THE WOODS’ TAKES 4 CIRCLE AWARDS

SAN DIEGO — “A Walk in the Woods,” the recent Broadway-bound production by the La Jolla Playhouse, swept the fourth annual San Diego Critics Circle Awards on Sunday evening, taking the honors for best production, best direction (Des McAnuff), best lead actor (Michael Constantine) and best scenic design (Bill Clarke).

In addition to the scheduled awards, which were given in 14 categories for productions opening in San Diego County between Sept. 15, 1986, and Sept. 15, 1987, the 14-member Critics Circle made two special awards in presentations at The Abbey restaurant in Hillcrest.

The special awards were given to Craig Noel, executive producer of the Old Globe, for his “profound effect on all of San Diego theater through 50 years of consistency, both as artist and manager,” and to Octad One, a theater group that has been offering free outdoor theater in El Cajon for seven summers.

The Old Globe Theatre, which led the San Diego theaters in total nominations, tied the La Jolla Playhouse with four awards, but for four different productions. A.R. Gurney Jr.’s “Another Antigone” won for best new play, Kandis Chappell was chosen best actress for “Intimate Exchanges,” Jonathan McMurtry was best supporting actor in “There’s One in Every Marriage,” and Kent Dorsey was honored for lighting in “The Night of the Iguana.”

The San Diego Repertory Theatre had three winners. “I Don’t Have to Show You No Stinking Badges,” a co-production with El Teatro Campesino and LATC (Los Angeles Theatre Centre), was named best road show; Max Roach’s music won best new score for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and Burnham Joiner, Jim Mooney and Linda Vickerman were honored for sound in “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”

A new theater group achieved recognition when Debi Friedland was named best supporting actress for “The Miss Firecracker Contest,” a production of the San Diego Actors’ Theatre.

Rounding out the winners’ circle were Dianne Holly, who picked up the award for best costumes for “The Circle” at the new Gaslamp Quarter Theatre, and Judy Ann Bassing, who won for her choreography of “Sugar” at the Lawrence Welk Dinner Theatre.