Desert Theatre League announces 107 nominations for their 2025 Desert Star Awards

The Desert Theatre League, who for the past 39 years has been recognizing local theatrical excellence with their Desert Star Awards, has announced their 2025 nominees. 

In a field of over 83 productions performed during the 2024-25 theatre season in member organizations ranging from Indio to Twentynine Palms, Theatre 29 was recognized with a record 37 nominations for their productions of The Sound of Music with eight, The Summer Youth Program’s Seussical the Musical Jr. seven,  Jesus Christ Superstar and the revue Musical Mischief six,  And Then There Were None, A Streetcar Named Desire & Clue with three each and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with one.

Theatre 29 nominees include:

Best Production – Musical – Youth Theatre
Seussical the Musical Jr. 

Best Director – Musical – Youth Theatre
Gary Daigneault – Seussical the Musical Jr.

Best Choreographer – Youth Theatre
Ava Roberts – Seussical the Musical Jr. 

Best Supporting Actor – Musical – Youth Theatre
Eli Young – Seussical the Musical Jr. 

Best Supporting Actress – Musical – Youth Theatre
Gracie Johannsson – Seussical the Musical Jr. 

The Michael Cruickshank Award for Best Director – Drama
Kathryn Ferguson – And Then There Were None

Best Lead Actor – Drama – Professional
Deacon Ledges – A Streetcar Named Desire

Best Lead Actress – Drama
Victoria Shupe – A Streetcar Named Desire

Best Lead Actress – Drama – Professional
Bobbie Breckenridge – A Streetcar Named Desire

Best Supporting Actor – Drama
Joseph Rego – And Then There Were None

Best Supporting Actress – Drama
Laura Harwood – And Then There Were None
Betty Wanless – The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 

Best Lead Actor – Comedy
Charles Harvey – Clue

Best Supporting Actor – Comedy
Makasi Boykin – Clue

Best Production – Musical 
Sound of Music

Best Director – Musical
Charles Harvey – Jesus Christ Superstar
Lisa Hodgson/Bianca Stoker – Sound of Music

Best Musical Director – Musical
Kathryn Ferguson – Jesus Christ Superstar
Bianca Stoker – Sound of Music

The Michele Gaines Award for Best Choreographer of a Musical
Lisa Hodgson – Jesus Christ Superstar
Lisa Hodgson – Sound of Music

Best Lead Actor – Musical
Scott Clinkscales – Jesus Christ Superstar

Best Lead Actress in a Musical
Catt Christine – Jesus Christ Superstar
Analisa Pilecki – Sound of Music

Best Supporting Actor – Musical – Professional
Deacon Ledges – Jesus Christ Superstar

Best Supporting Actress – Musical
Nancy Abramson – Sound of Music
Catt Christine – Sound of Music

Best Production – Cabaret/Revue
Musical Mischief

Best Director – Cabaret/Revue
Scott Clinkscales – Musical Mischief

Best Lead Male Performer Cabaret/Revue
Scott Clinkscales – Musical Mischief

Best Lead Female Performer – Cabaret/Revue
Analisa Pilecki – Musical Mischief
Jasmine Shaffer – Musical Mischief

Best Supporting Female Performer – Cabaret/Revue
Tiffany Crocker – Musical Mischief

Best Costume Design
Tera Noel Bottorff – Sound of Music
Cindy Daigneault – Seussical the Musical Jr.
Kathryn Ferguson – Clue

The Ron Hamm Award for Best Hair and Makeup Design
Liam Keeran/Ava Roberts – Seussical the Musical Jr.

The Inaugural Joshua Tree Shakespeare Festival garnered seven nominations for their production of Twelfth Night including:

Best Production – Comedy
Twelfth Night 

Best Director – Comedy
Charlie E. Walker

Best Lead Actor – Comedy
Kurt Schauppner 

Best Lead Actress – Comedy – Professional
Bobbie Breckenridge

Best Supporting Actress – Comedy
Cooki Bilsborough
Molly Katelbach 

Best Costume Design
Joelle Drury/Trenalee Pieper

Joshua Tree based Thought Theatre garnered four for their production of The Mountaintop  

Their nominees include:

Best Production – Staged Reading
The Mountaintop

Best Director – Staged Reading – Professional
Miri Hunter

Best Lead Actor – Staged Reading
Kevin Hayles

Best Lead Actress – Staged Reading
Veronica Alcantara

New touring company Inspiration’s Edge got 4 nominations for their sole production of Late Company.  

Their nominees include:

Best Production – Drama
Late Company

The Michael Cruickshank Award for Best Director – Drama
Liyan McNeltier

Best Lead Actress – Drama
Rebecca McWilliams

Best Supporting Actor – Drama
Gabriel Figueredo

And Joshua Tree Theatre Under the Stars brought in three nominations of their production of Waiting for Godot

Best Production – Drama
Waiting for Godot

The Michael Cruickshank Award for Best Director – Drama
Abe Daniels

Best Lead Actor – Drama
Chris Fleischman

Award winners will be announced at the Desert Stars Awards Dinner October 19th at Sun City Palm Desert.