2025 Recipients

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Best Production - Comedy/Drama - Youth Theatre

Puffs - Desert Hot Springs High School

Best Production - Musical - Youth Theatre

Shrek The Musical - La Quinta High School

Best Director - Comedy/Drama - Youth Theatre

Joe Hogan - Puffs - Desert Hot Springs High School

Best Director - Musical - Youth Theatre

Jonathan Epstein-Brenner - Shrek The Musical - La Quinta High School

Best Musical Director - Youth Theatre

Robert Rutt - Into the Woods - Desert Theatricals

Best Choreographer - Youth Theatre 

Chelsea Gilbert - Bring It On - Palm Springs High School

Best Lead Actor - Comedy/Drama - Youth Theatre

Makai Armstrong - You Can't Take It With You - Palm Desert High School

Best Lead Actor - Musical - Youth Theatre

Pedro Trujillo - In the Heights - Shadow Hills High School

Best Lead Actress - Comedy/Drama - Youth Theatre

Audrey IsBell - She Kills Monsters - La Quinta High School

Best Lead Actress - Musical - Youth Theatre

Evelyn Bautista - Shrek The Musical - La Quinta High School

Jamailah J. Jamora - The SpongeBob Musical - Rancho Mirage High School

Best Supporting Actor - Comedy/Drama - Youth Theatre

Tobi Sorensen - Puffs - Desert Hot Springs High School

Best Supporting Actor - Musical - Youth Theatre

Eli Young - Seussical the Musical Jr. - Theatre 29

Best Supporting Actress - Comedy/Drama - Youth Theatre

Camilla Zacarias - Midsummer Jersey - Cathedral City High School

Best Supporting Actress - Musical - Youth Theatre

River Pearce-Berry - Into the Woods - Desert Theatricals

Best Production - Comedy

Farce of Nature - Sun City Palm Desert

Best Production - Comedy - Professional

Fat Ham - Dezart Performs

Best Director - Comedy

Susan Adler - Farce of Nature - Sun City Palm Desert

Best Director - Comedy - Professional

Deborah Harmon - God of Carnage - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Lead Actor - Comedy (TIE)

John Corr - God of Carnage - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Charles Harvey - Loot - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Lead Actor - Comedy - Professional

Devere Rogers - Fat Ham - Dezart Performs

Best Lead Actress - Comedy

Judith Bennoch - Casserole - Sun City Shadow Hills

Best Lead Actress - Comedy - Professional

Lizzie Sosa - God of Carnage - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Supporting Actor - Comedy

Anthony Nannini - Beyond Therapy - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Supporting Actor - Comedy - Professional

Michael Houston - Fat Ham - Dezart Performs

Best Supporting Actress - Comedy

Melanie Blue - Beyond Therapy - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Supporting Actress - Comedy - Professional

Maci Alexis - Fat Ham - Dezart Performs

Best Production - Drama (TIE)

Late Company - Inspiration’s Edge

The Inheritance Part One - The Bent

The Michael Cruickshank Award for Best Director - Drama

Liyan McNeltier - Late Company - Inspiration’s Edge

The Michael Cruickshank Award for Best Director - Professional

Steve Rosenbaum - The Inheritance Part One - The Bent

Best Lead Actor - Drama (TIE)

Chris Fleischman - Waiting for Godot - Joshua Tree Theatre Under The Stars

Alex Price - The Inheritance Part One - The Bent

Best Lead Actor - Drama - Professional

Chuck Yates - Tru - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Lead Actress - Drama

Rebecca McWilliams - Late Company - Inspiration's Edge

Best Lead Actress - Drama - Professional

Eliza Newman - Grand Concourse - Dezart Performs

Best Supporting Actor - Drama

Samuel Moffatt - The Inheritance Part One - The Bent

Best Supporting Actress - Drama

Sarah Elizabeth Woolsey - The Cake - The Bent

Best Supporting Performer - Drama - Professional

Terry Ray - The Inheritance Part One - The Bent

Best Production - Musical (TIE)

Hairspray - Desert Theatricals

My Fair Lady - Palm Canyon Theatre

Best Director - Musical

Derik Shopinski - My Fair Lady - Palm Canyon Theatre

Best Director - Musical - Professional

Ray Limon - Oliver! - Desert Theatricals

Best Musical Director - Musical

Bianca Stoker - Sound of Music - Theatre 29

Best Musical Director - Musical - Professional

Robert Rutt - Hairspray - Desert Theatricals

The Michele Gaines Award for Best Choreographer of a Musical

Derik Shopinski - My Fair Lady - Palm Canyon Theatre

The Michele Gaines Award for Best Choreographer of a Musical - Professional

Ray Limon - Hairspray - Desert Theatricals

Best Lead Actor - Musical

Luke Rainey - La Cage Aux Folles - Palm Canyon Theatre

Best Lead Actor - Musical - Professional

Mark Almy - My Fair Lady - Palm Canyon Theatre

Best Lead Actress in a Musical (TIE)

Michelle Estrada - Oliver! - Desert Theatricals

Analisa Pilecki - Sound of Music - Theatre 29

Best Lead Actress - Musical - Professional

Se Layne - My Fair Lady - Palm Canyon Theatre

Best Supporting Actor - Musical

Noah Wahlberg - My Fair Lady - Palm Canyon Theatre

Best Supporting Actor - Musical - Professional

Skylar Gaines - Falsettos - Dezart Performs

Best Supporting Actress - Musical

Catt Christine - Sound of Music - Theatre 29

Best Supporting Actress - Musical - Professional

Se Layne - Victor/Victoria - Palm Canyon Theatre

The Bill Groves Award for Best Juvenile

Sam Rekuc - Oliver! - Desert Theatricals

Best Production - Staged Reading

The Children's Hour - The Bent

Best Production - Staged Reading - Professional

Fear - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Director - Staged Reading - Professional

Keith Hoffman - Fear - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Lead Actor - Staged Reading

Raul Valenzuela - The Kellogg Murders - PS Young Playwrights Festival

Best Lead Actor - Staged Reading - Professional

David Youse - Fear - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Lead Actress - Staged Reading

Veronica Alcantara - The Mountaintop - Thought Theatre

Best Lead Actress - Staged Reading - Professional

Barbara Kerr - A Quarrel of Sparrows - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Supporting Actor - Staged Reading

Carlos Garcia - Fear - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Supporting Actor - Staged Reading - Professional

Daniel DiMaggio v- The Kellogg Murders - PS Young Playwrights Festival

Best Supporting Actress - Staged Reading

Melanie Blue - Dispersion of Light - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Supporting Female Actress - Staged Reading - Professional

Judith Chapman - The Children's Hour - The Bent

The Bill Groves Award for Best Original Writing

Matt Williams - Fear - Desert Ensemble Theatre