CHICAGO: The 46th Annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards were held Monday, June 3rd, at the Athenaeum Theatre. Theo Ubique Cabaret’s production of The Bridges of Madison County and the Artistic Home’s Requiem for a Heavyweight brought home four awards each. Trap Door Theatre took home a Special Award for “opening the door to an evocative and surreal world for 25 years.” Other big winners were Kokandy Production’s Grand Hotel, Sideshow Theatre Company’s Tilikum, Jackalope Theatre Company’s Dutch Masters, Broken Nose Theatre’s Girl in the Red Corner, and Raven Theatre’s Yen.
A total of 144 non-Equity productions were submitted for Jeff Recommendation, and of those, 51 productions received at least one nomination, representing the work of 33 theatre companies.
The Jeff Awards, established in 1968 and named after actor Joseph Jefferson, celebrate Chicago theatre. There are two Jeff ceremonies each year, one for Equity productions, the other for non-Equity. The Equity Jeff Awards, honoring union productions, will take place October 21 at the Drury Lane Oakbrook in Oakbrook Terrace.
The complete winners list is below:
ENSEMBLE
Plainclothes, Broken Nose Theatre
PRODUCTION – MUSICAL
The Bridges of Madison County, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
PRODUCTION – PLAY
Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Artistic Home
DIRECTOR – MUSICAL
Fred Anzevino, The Bridges of Madison County, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
DIRECTOR – PLAY
John Mossman, Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Artistic Home
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
Kelli Harrington (Francesca), The Bridges of Madison County, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Missy Wise (Alice Murphy), Bright Star, BoHo Theatre
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Patrick Agada (Eric), Dutch Masters, Jackalope Theatre Company
Mark Pracht (Harlan “Mountain” McClintock), Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Artistic Home
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
Michelle Jasso (Elizaveta Grushinskaya), Grand Hotel, Kokandy Productions
Jonathan Schwart (Otto Kringlein), Grand Hotel, Kokandy Productions
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
Brianna Buckley (Lily Anne Green), Crumbs from the Table of Joy, Raven Theatre
August N. Forman (Gina), Girl in the Red Corner, Broken Nose Theatre
Netta Walker (Jennifer), Yen, Raven Theatre
SOLO PERFORMANCE
Sam Krey (Ryan Smithson), Ghosts of War, Griffin Theatre Company
NEW MUSICAL
Alex Higgin–Houser and David Kornfeld, Haymarket, Underscore Theatre Company
NEW PLAY
Kristiana Rae Colon, Tilikum, Sideshow Theatre Company
Philip Dawkins, The Gentleman Caller, Raven Theatre
MUSIC DIRECTION
Jeremy Ramey, The Bridges of Madison County, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
CHOREOGRAPHY
Breon Arzell, The Total Bent, Haven Theatre Company in association with About Face Theatre
FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY
John Tovar, Girl in the Red Corner, Broken Nose Theatre
ORIGINAL MUSIC IN A PLAY
Coco Elysses, Tilikum, Sideshow Theatre Company
PROJECTION DESIGN
Paul Deziel, Tilikum, Sideshow Theatre Company
SOUND DESIGN
Petter Wahlback, Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Artistic Home
COSTUME DESIGN
John Nasca, Grand Hotel, Kokandy Productions
LIGHTING DESIGN
Erik S. Barry, The Displaced, Haven Theatre Company
SCENIC DESIGN
Ryan Emens, Dutch Masters, Jackalope Theatre Company
ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION
Sam Hubbard (Violence and Intimacy Direction), Yen, Raven Theatre
