Three UCI Drama Artists Nominated for Orange Curtain Review Awards
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Lourdes as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet. Photo by Jesús López Vargas.
Nominations recognize work at the UC Irvine Department of Drama and the New Swan Shakespeare Festival
Lourdes Castillo, M.F.A. ’27, a graduate student in the UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts Department of Drama, is nominated for Best Young Actress at the 2026 Orange Curtain Review Awards. The nomination recognizes her performance as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet at UC Irvine's New Swan Shakespeare Festival.
“Receiving this nomination for Best Young Actress for my work as Juliet at New Swan is such an incredible honor,” said Castillo. “More than anything, I’m grateful to have shared this experience with such a talented, generous, and inspiring team — every person involved made this production truly unforgettable. I’m indebted to the New Swan community — a place that brings together artists and educators who challenge, encourage and inspire one another to grow. New Swan has given me not only the unforgettable opportunities on stage, but also a community that has shaped me as an artist and made this nomination truly magical.”
Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Castillo is a performer, mover and writer passionate about the immigrant and BIPOC community. At UC Irvine, she played Brooke in Noises Off, Tig in Quit Bitchin’ and Morgan La Fey in The Green Knight, and she wrote the original play El Camino, which was presented in the Robert Cohen Theatre. Her other credits include Medea in Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles with Full Circle Players and Vera in El Esqueleto with Pryde Pierce Films.
Heriberto Cruz Jr. (left) as Mercutio in the New Swan Shakespeare Festival's Romeo & Juliet. Photo by Jesús López Vargas.
Castillo's castmate Heriberto Cruz Jr., M.F.A. ’27, is nominated for Best Featured Actor for his performance as Mercutio in the same New Swan production. Drama alumna Jessica Lopez ’26 joins Castillo in the Best Young Actress category for her performance as Jo March in UCI Drama's Little Women: The Broadway Musical.
Alina Mae Wilson founded the Orange Curtain Review in 2014 to cover theater in Orange County, and the site reviews both professional and nonprofessional productions across the county. Its annual awards aim to support small and community theaters in Los Angeles and Orange County, and the young actor and actress categories are open to performers under 30. Winners will be announced on Thursday, Oct.1, 2026.
Jessica Lopez (right) as Jo March in UCI Drama's Little Women: The Broadway Musical. Photo by Jeanine Hill.
Explore the UCI Drama 2026-27 season at arts.uci.edu/events. Learn more about UC Irvine's New Swan Shakespeare Festival at newswanshakespeare.com.
