Chicago – The Jeff Awards announced today, via a special video at: https://youtu.be/gr97FMaRv08, a total of 115 nominations in 19 categories for the 45th Annual Non–Equity Jeff Awards.
Between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018, there were 136 eligible Non–Equity productions considered for Jeff Recommendation. Of those, 63 productions (or 46%) were recommended, including 15 world premieres. There were 45 productions that received at least one nomination, which represents the work of 32 theatre companies.
Starting this year, the performance categories will be non–binary. Each performance category will have at least ten nominees and two recipients.
The 45th Annual Non–Equity Jeff Awards will be hosted by Veronica Garza and held on Monday, June 11, 2018, at the Athenaeum Theatre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with several cash bars available, and the awards will start at 7:30 p.m. Following the show, cash bars will remain open and complimentary light bites will be available.
Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 on June 11. To purchase tickets, visit the Athenaeum website (http://athenaeumtheatre.org) or TodayTix app. A group rate of $40 is available for parties of 10 or more by calling the Athenaeum box office. Individual nominees and members of nominated ensembles must email jeffawardsheadshots@gmail.com ASAP. Festive cocktail attire is suggested, and the public is cordially invited. TodayTix is an official sponsor of the 45th Annual Non–Equity Jeff Awards. For more information, contact Drew Blau, Non–Equity Wing Chair, at jeffawardsheadshots@gmail.com. Follow live tweets from the ceremony and behind the scenes at #jeffawards.
The Jeff Awards has been honoring outstanding theatre artists annually since it was established in 1968. With up to 55 members representing a wide variety of backgrounds in theatre (including producers, directors, actors, playwrights, designers, professors of theatre, entertainment lawyers and agents, and theatre lovers), the Jeff Awards is committed to celebrating the vitality of Chicago area theatre by recognizing excellence through its recommendations, awards, and honors. Opening night judges include not only the members but also Artistic & Technical theatre volunteers (the “A/T Team”), including Artistic Directors, producers, directors and artists from Chicago theatres. The Jeff Awards fosters the artistic growth of area theatres and theatre artists and promotes educational opportunities, audience appreciation, and civic pride in the achievements of the theatre community. Each year, the Jeff Awards judges over 300 theatrical productions and host two awards ceremonies. Originally chartered to recognize only Equity productions, the Jeff Awards established the Non–Equity Wing in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non–union theatre. The next Equity Awards will be held on Monday, October 22, 2018, at Drury Lane Oakbrook.
2018 NON-EQUITY JEFF AWARD NOMINEES
ENSEMBLE
| “Ideation” – Jackalope Theatre Company |
| “Insurrection: Holding History” – Stage Left Theatre |
| “Into the Empty Sky” – Trap Door Theatre |
| “Mother of the Dark Water” – MPAACT |
| “Ragtime” – Griffin Theatre Company |
| “Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery” – Pegasus Theatre Chicago |
PRODUCTION – MUSICAL
| “Bonnie & Clyde” – Kokandy Productions |
| “Marie Christine” – BoHo Theatre |
| “Ragtime” – Griffin Theatre Company |
| “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre |
| “Violet” – Griffin Theatre Company |
PRODUCTION – PLAY
| “Foxfinder” – Interrobang Theatre Project |
| “Ideation” – Jackalope Theatre Company |
| “The Invisible Hand” – Steep Theatre Company |
| “Lela & Co.” – Steep Theatre Company |
| “The Light” – The New Colony |
DIRECTOR – MUSICAL
| Fred Anzevino – “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre |
| Lili-Anne Brown – “Marie Christine” – BoHo Theatre |
| Spencer Neiman – “Bonnie & Clyde” – Kokandy Productions |
| Scott Weinstein – “Ragtime” – Griffin Theatre Company |
| Scott Weinstein – “Violet” – Griffin Theatre Company |
DIRECTOR – PLAY
| Audrey Francis – “The Invisible Hand” – Steep Theatre Company |
| Margaret Knapp – “Foxfinder” – Interrobang Theatre Project |
| Toma Langston – “The Light” – The New Colony |
| Gus Menary – “Ideation” – Jackalope Theatre Company |
| Robin Witt – “Lela & Co.” – Steep Theatre Company |
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
| Kyrie Courter (Marie Christine) – “Marie Christine” – BoHo Theatre |
| Max DeTogne (Clyde) – “Bonnie & Clyde” – Kokandy Productions |
| Desiree Gonzalez (Bonnie) – “Bonnie & Clyde” – Kokandy Productions |
| Matthew Huston (Stu) – “Yank! A World War II Love Story” – Pride Films and Plays |
| Jacquelyne Jones (Mrs. Lovett) – “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre |
| Nicole Laurenzi (Violet) – “Violet” – Griffin Theatre Company |
| Laura McClain (Mother) – “Ragtime” – Griffin Theatre Company |
| Jason Richards (Tateh) – “Ragtime” – Griffin Theatre Company |
| Dani Shay (Young Albert) – “The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier” – Permoveo Productions i/a/w Pride Films and Plays |
| Philip Torre (Sweeney Todd) – “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre |
| Denzel Tsopnang (Coalhouse Walker, Jr.) – “Ragtime” – Griffin Theatre Company |
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
| Lucy Carapetyan (Josephine) – “Nice Girl” – Raven Theatre Company |
| Alexandra Fisher (Judith Covey) – “Foxfinder” – Interrobang Theatre Project |
| Jeffery Owen Freelon Jr. (Rashad) – “ The Light” – The New Colony |
| Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel (Lela) – “ Lela & Co.” – Steep Theatre Company |
| Vince Kracht (Chauncey) – “The Nance” – Pride Films and Plays |
| John Mossman (Peck) – “How I Learned to Drive” – The Artistic Home |
| Tiffany Oglesby (Genesis) – “ The Light” – The New Colony |
| Sara Pavlak McGuire (Sarah) – “Time Stands Still” – AstonRep Theatre Company |
| Joel Reitsma (Nick) – “The Invisible Hand” – Steep Theatre Company |
| Alejandro Tey (Mace) – “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” – Red Theater Chicago |
| Michael B. Woods (Cyrano) – “Cyrano” – BoHo Theatre |
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
| Stephen Allen (Flick) – “Violet” – Griffin Theatre Company |
| Gina Francesca (Hetaira) – “Lysistrata Jones” – Refuge Theatre Project |
| Veronica Garza (Lisa) – “A New Brain” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre |
| Emily Goldberg (Shelby) – “The Spitfire Grill” – Refuge Theatre Project |
| Nicole Michelle Haskins (Effy) – ‘The Spitfire Grill’ – Refuge Theatre Project |
| Molly LeCaptain (Louise / Radio Singers) – “Yank! A World War II Love Story” – Pride Films and Plays |
| John Marshall Jr. (Artie) – “Yank! A World War II Love Story” – Pride Films and Plays |
| Billy Rude (Jeffrey) – “The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier” – Permoveo Productions i/a/w Pride Films and Plays |
| Katherine Thomas (Sarah) – “Ragtime” – Griffin Theatre Company |
| Missy Wise (Blanche) – “Bonnie & Clyde” – Kokandy Productions |
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
| Owais Ahmed (Bashir) – “The Invisible Hand” – Steep Theatre Company |
| Chris Chmelik (Man) – “Lela & Co.” – Steep Theatre Company |
| Gregory Fenner (Dubby) – “Megastasis” – Eclipse Theatre Company |
| Bryce Gangel (Robin) – “1980 (Or Why I’m Voting for John Anderson)” – Jackalope Theatre Company |
| Kelli Harrington (Barbara Grant) – “Perfect Arrangement” – Pride Films and Plays |
| Renee Lockett (Bernadette) – “Surely Goodness and Mercy” – Redtwist Theatre |
| Stella Martin (Sherry) – “Nice Girl” – Raven Theatre Company |
| RjW Mays (Phaedra) – “Kingdom” – Broken Nose Theatre |
| Andrew Neftali Perez (Norte) – “Water & Power” – UrbanTheater Company |
| Kathleen Ruhl (Daphne) – “I Saw My Neighbor on the Train and I Didn’t Even Smile” – Redtwist Theatre |
NEW MUSICAL
| Preston Max Allen – “Carrie 2: The Rage (An Unauthorized Musical Parody)” – Underscore Theatre Company |
| David Cerda – “Lady X: The Musical” – Hell in a Handbag Productions |
| Jay Paul Deratany, Joe Stevens, and Keaton Wooden – “The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier” – Permoveo Productions i/a/w Pride Films and Plays |
NEW PLAY
| Shepsu Aakhu – “Never the Milk and Honey” – MPAACT |
| Patricia Cotter – “1980 (Or Why I’m Voting for John Anderson)” – Jackalope Theatre Company |
| Michael Allen Harris – “Kingdom” – Broken Nose Theatre |
| Douglas Post – “Forty-Two Stories” – City Lit Theater Company |
| Lloyd Suh – “Franklinland” – Jackalope Theatre Company |
| Loy A. Webb – “The Light” – The New Colony |
MUSIC DIRECTION
| John Cockerill – “Bonnie & Clyde” – Kokandy Productions |
| Jermaine Hill and Ellen Morris – “Ragtime” – Griffin Theatre Company |
| Robert Ollis – “Yank! A World War II Love Story” – Pride Films and Plays |
| Jeremy Ramey – “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre |
| Jon Schneidman – “The Spitfire Grill” – Refuge Theatre Project |
CHOREOGRAPHY
| William Carlos Angulo – “Ragtime” – Griffin Theatre Company |
| Breon Arzell – “Marie Christine” – BoHo Theatre |
| Kevin Bellie – “Bullets Over Broadway” – NightBlue Performing Arts |
| Jenna Schoppe – “Yank! A World War II Love Story” – Pride Films and Plays |
| Shanna VanDerwerker – “Lysistrata Jones” – Refuge Theatre Project |
FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY
| Jon Beal – “Cyrano” – BoHo Theatre |
| David Blixt – “Her Majesty’s Will” – Lifeline Theatre |
| Kyle Encinas – “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” – Red Theater Chicago |
ORIGINAL MUSIC IN A PLAY
| Jesse Case – “Foxfinder” – Interrobang Theatre Project |
| Red Clay, Desta Sound – “Never the Milk and Honey” – MPAACT |
| Jeffrey Levin – “Her Majesty’s Will” – Lifeline Theatre |
| Mike Mazzocca – “Into the Empty Sky” – Trap Door Theatre |
| Nicholas Tonozzi – “Round Heads and Pointed Heads” – Red Tape Theatre |
SOUND DESIGN
| Jesse Case – “Foxfinder” – Interrobang Theatre Project |
| Thomas Dixon – “The Invisible Hand” – Steep Theatre Company |
| Justin Glombicki – “In the Soundless Awe” – Saltbox Theatre Collective |
| Morgan Lake – “Pillars of the Community” – Strawdog Theatre Company |
| Michael J. Patrick – “Bonnie & Clyde” – Kokandy Productions |
COSTUME DESIGN
| Beth Laske-Miller – “Shockheaded Peter” – Black Button Eyes Productions |
| Bill Morey – “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre |
| John Nasca – “The Nance” – Pride Films and Plays |
| Rachel Sypniewski – “Ragtime” – Griffin Theatre Company |
| Zachery Wagner – “The School for Lies” – The Artistic Home |
LIGHTING DESIGN
| Heather Gilbert – “Marie Christine” – BoHo Theatre |
| John Kelly – “Foxfinder” – Interrobang Theatre Project |
| James Kolditz – “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre |
| G. “Max” Maxin IV – “Cyrano” – BoHo Theatre |
| Brandon Wardell – “Lela & Co.” – Steep Theatre Company |
SCENIC DESIGN
| Jeffrey D. Kmiec – “American Hero” – First Floor Theater |
| Eric Luchen – “Foxfinder” – Interrobang Theatre Project |
| Joe Schermoly – “Lela & Co.” – Steep Theatre Company |
| Ray Toler – “Choir Boy” – Raven Theatre Company |
| John Wilson – “The Light” – The New Colony |
MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS
BY THEATRE
14 – Griffin Theatre Company
11 – Pride Films and Plays (3 with Permoveo Productions)
11 – Steep Theatre Company
8 – BoHo Theatre
8 – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
7 – Interrobang Theatre Project
7 – Kokandy Productions
6 – Jackalope Theatre Company
6 – The New Colony
5 – Refuge Theatre Project
3 – MPAACT
3 – Permoveo Productions (with Pride Films and Plays)
3 – Raven Theatre Company
2 – The Artistic Home
2 – Broken Nose Theatre
2 – Lifeline Theatre
2 – Red Theater Chicago
2 – Redtwist Theatre
BY PRODUCTION
10 – Ragtime – Griffin Theatre Company
7 – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
7 – Foxfinder – Interrobang Theatre Project
6 – Bonnie & Clyde – Kokandy Productions
6 – Lela & Co. – Steep Theatre Company
6 – The Light – The New Colony
6 – Marie Christine – BoHo Theatre
5 – The Invisible Hand – Steep Theatre Company
5 – Yank: A World War II Love Story – Pride Films and Plays
4 – Violet – Griffin Theatre Company
3 – The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier – Permoveo Productions i/a/w Pride Films and Plays
3 – Cyrano – BoHo Theatre
3 – Ideation – Jackalope Theatre Company
3 – The Spitfire Grill – Refuge Theatre Project
2 – 1980 (Or Why I’m Voting for John Anderson) – Jackalope Theatre Company
2 – The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Diety – Red Theater Chicago
2 – Her Majesty’s Will – Lifeline Theatre
2 – Kingdom – Broken Nose Theatre
2 – Lysistrata Jones – Refuge Theatre Project
2 – The Nance – Pride Films and Plays
2 – Never the Milk and Honey – MPAACT
2 – Nice Girl – Raven Theatre Company
BY ARTIST
2 – Jesse Case
2 – Scott Weinstein
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