NOHO'S DEAF WEST TROUPE TAKES FIVE OVATIONS.

Byline: Evan Henerson Staff Writer

In between the celebration of the Walt Disney Co. as a theatrical force and the lovefest over the state of live drama in L.A., a Valley theater company emerged from the 11th annual Ovation Awards holding a bunch of statues.

NoHo's Deaf West Theatre took five awards, including best play (in an intimate house) for ``A Streetcar Named Desire'' and best musical (intimate house) for ``Oliver!'' The awards were handed out Monday at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.

The evening's two other big winners were from larger venues: the Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities' production of ``Dreamgirls'' in Redondo Beach; and ``Metamorphoses,'' a co-production that played in Berkeley before arriving at the Mark Taper Forum earlier in 2000. Both productions won four awards each. Deaf West's NoHo neighbor took two awards for its production of ``The Angels of Lemnos.''

And during a night when presenters were constantly lauding the diversity of work taking place on L.A. stages, artists from the 10-year old Deaf West were ecstatic at taking awards away from bigger, more heralded productions.

``The loaf of bread from `Les Miserables' - that prop probably cost more than what we paid for our entire show,'' said ``Oliver!'' director Jeff Calhoun, who beat out the ``Les Miz'' duo of Trevor Nunn and John Caird for best director of a musical.

``Deaf people always clap their hands like this,'' said the theater's Artistic Director Ed Waterstreet, pointing to the outstretched arms of the figure on the award. ``2000 has been a wonderful year.''

Taking place on the home turf of Center Theatre Group in downtown L.A., the Ovation Awards gave more than one presenter the opportunity to tweak CTG artistic director Gordon Davidson over rare visits to the Valley.

Presenters asked to share anecdotes of theater experiences in L.A. came up with tales both touching and occasionally off-color. ``Will and Grace's'' Megan Mullally recalled spilling out of the front of her costume during a dance number at the Pasadena Playhouse. And actor Kevin Spacey - who regularly returns to the stage in New York - confessed that the last time he trod the L.A. boards was during a summer production of ``Gypsy'' at Pierce College.

``I didn't fall off into the orchestra pit,'' Spacey said. ``For me, it was a great memory.''

During acceptance speeches, acting award winners Kathleen Chalfant (for ``Wit'') and Douglas Sills (``The Scarlet Pimpernel'') both said that, when it comes to being a theater town, L.A. has no reason to hang its head.

```I live in New York now, and the only reason I come to Los Angeles is to do theater,'' said Chalfant. ``The L.A. audiences for `Wit' were the best audiences we ever played the play to.''

Actor Ray Stricklyn took home a career achievement award, and Disney CEO Michael Eisner was awarded the James A. Doolittle Award for outstanding leadership in theater even though the L.A. production of Disney's ``The Lion King'' was not eligible for the Ovations this year.

But as one award winner noted, that roaring success at the Pantages means the Disney brass will likely be pocketing Ovation statues this time next year.

``Michael Eisner and `The Lion King,' '' said SBCLO artistic director James Blackman, winner of the Ovation for best musical two years in a row. ``You'll never see us up here again.''

The winners:

Best musical (large theater): ``Dreamgirls,'' Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.

Best musical (intimate theater): ``Oliver!'' Deaf West Theatre.

Best play (large theater): ``Metamorphoses,'' Mark Taper Forum.

Best play (intimate theater): ``A Streetcar Named Desire,'' Deaf West Theatre.

Best writing, world premiere play or musical: Dominic Hoffman, ``Uncle Jacques' Symphony,'' Stages Theatre.

Best writing, new translation/adaptation: Bob Daniels, Linda Bove and Phyllis Frelich, ``A Streetcar Named Desire,'' Deaf West Theatre.

Lead actor in a musical: Douglas Sills, ``The Scarlet Pimpernel,'' Ahmanson Theatre.

Lead actor in a play: Dominic Hoffman, ``Uncle Jacques' Symphony,'' Stages Theatre.

Lead actress in a musical: Kecia Lewis, ``Dreamgirls,'' Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.

Lead actress in a play: Kathleen Chalfant, ``Wit,'' Geffen Playhouse.

Featured actor in a musical: Billy Porter, ``Dreamgirls,'' Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.

Featured actor in a play: Joe Hart, ``The Angels of Lemnos,'' the Road Theatre Company.

Featured actress in a musical: Tonya L. Dixon, ``Dreamgirls,'' Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.

Featured actress in a play: Kathryn Joosten, ``The Ladies of the Corridor,'' Geo Hartley at the Tamarind Theatre.

Ensemble performance: The cast of ``Forbidden Broadway Y2K/LA,'' Tiffany Theatres.

Director of a musical: Jeff Calhoun, ``Oliver!'' Deaf West Theatre.

Director of a play: Mary Zimmerman, ``Metamorphoses,'' Mark Taper Forum.

Choreographer: Brian Paul Mendoza, ``Oliver!'' Deaf West Theater.

Lighting design (large theater): T.J. Gerckens, ``Metamorphoses,'' Mark Taper Forum.

Lighting design (intimate theater): David Flad, ``The Angels of Lemnos,'' the Road Theatre Company.

Set design (large theater): David Gallo, August Wilson's ``Jitney,'' Mark Taper Forum.

Set design (intimate theater): Thomas Buderwitz, ``Against the Glass,'' Kaye Productions at the Court Theatre.

Costume design (large theater): William Dudley, ``Amadeus,'' Ahmanson Theatre.

Costume design (intimate theater): Alvin Colt, ``Forbidden Broadway Y2K/LA,'' Tiffany Theatres.

Sound design (large theater): Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, ``Metamorphoses,'' Mark Taper Forum.

Sound design (intimate theater): Jef Bek and Eric Snodgrass, ``Nosferatu,'' Zoo District at Art Share.