Jeff Awards

Continuing a tradition of support for Chicago's diverse theatre community in main stage theatres, small off-Loop houses, and suburban venues, The Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee announced 119 nominations in 30 categories for Chicago Equity theatrical productions which opened between August 1, 2006 and July 31, 2007. The Jeff Awards Committee sent judges to the opening nights of 123 Equity productions offered by 49 producing organizations. From these openings, 93 were "Jeff recommended," which made them eligible for Jeff Award nominations.

Chicagoland's abundance of creativity is on display in the nominations for New Works and New Adaptations. Steppenwolf Theatre Company's "August: Osage County," by company member Tracy Letts, led all plays with 8 nominations. "August . . ." is transferring to Broadway in late October. Lookingglass Theatre Company had 2 new works recognized, Mary Zimmerman's "Argonautika; The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts" with 7 nominations, and "Black Diamond; The Years the Locusts Have Eaten" with 4 nominations. Victory Gardens Theater, continuing its mission of presenting new works, garnered nominations for 4 world premieres, "Court Martial at Fort Devens," "Denmark," "I Sailed with Magellan," and "The Snow Queen." Next Theatre Company's new chamber musical "The Adding Machine" was honored with 5 nominations. Northlight Theatre was cited for a new play, "Lady," and an adaptation of "She Stoops to Conquer."

Noteworthy among the Jeff nominations were the father & son nods for Tracy Letts (New Work) and his father, Dennis (Cameo Performance), along with Mary Ernster's nomination for the role of Anna in Drury Lane Oakbrook's "The King and I," the same role that won her a Jeff Award in Marriott Theatre's 2001 production.

Marriott Theatre's 19 nominations for 4 musicals led all theatres, with "Into the Woods" capturing 8 nominations and "The All Night Strut!" and "Shenandoah" receiving 4 each. Lookingglass Theatre had a total of 12 nominations for 3 productions: Mary Zimmerman's "Argonautika: The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts" led the Lookingglass nods with 7 nominations, followed by "Black Diamond: The Years the Locusts Have Eaten" which received 4." Goodman Theatre had 10 nominations for 5 productions, with 3 each for "King Lear" and "Mirror of the Invisible World." Chicago Shakespeare Theater had 10 nominations for 4 productions, with "The Three Musketeers" and "Troilus and Cressida" both recognized in 3 categories. Drury Lane Oakbrook, which recently suffered the loss of its owner Tony DiSantis and his daughter and producer Diane Van Lente, received 8 nominations for 4 productions. Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago's musical "Ragtime," which transferred to the Apollo Theatre for an extended run, received 7 nominations, among their total of 11.

In the Solo Performance category, Matt Sax was nominated for the hip-hop musical "Clay," produced by About Face Theatre and Lookingglass Theatre Company, and Lance Stuart Baker was selected for Theatre Wit's "Thom Pain (Based on Nothing)."

Nominations in the "Other" category, for outstanding work in unique areas, recognized fight choreography, projections, and puppet design in 6 productions. The fight choreography nomination went to Kevin Asselin for "The Three Musketeers" at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Projection design nominations included John Boesche for "Vigils" at Goodman Theatre, Stephan Mazurek for "Sonia Flew" at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and Mike Tutaj for "I Sailed with Magellan" at Victory Gardens Theater. Puppet design honors named Meredith Miller of Blair Thomas and Company for Victory Gardens Theater's "The Snow Queen," and Michael Montenegro for "The Puppetmaster of Lodz" at Writers' Theatre.

The Jeff Awards are given annually by The Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee to honor excellence in professional theatre produced in the immediate Chicago area. The committee, organized in 1968, consists of up to 45 men and women with varying backgrounds in theatre, united by an active interest and concern. Jeff members come to the committee with an academic background in theatre, significant professional experience, a history of theatre involvement, and/or years of consistent theatre attendance in Chicago and in other major theatre capitals of the world. The committee evaluates approximately 250 theatrical productions and holds two awards ceremonies annually. Originally chartered to recognize only Equity productions, the committee established the Citations (non-Equity) wing in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non-union Chicago theatre. The next Citations awards ceremony will be held on Monday, June 9, 2008, at the Park West in Chicago.

COMPLETE LIST OF 2007 JEFF EQUITY NOMINATIONS

    Production - Play
  • "Another Part of the Forest," Writers' Theatre
  • "Argonautika: The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts, Lookingglass Theatre Company
  • "August: Osage County," Steppenwolf Theatre Company
  • "The Best Man," Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
  • "Come Back, Little Sheba," Shattered Globe Theatre "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," Congo Square Theatre Company
    Production - Musical
  • "Assassins," Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
  • "Into the Woods," Marriott Theatre
  • "Oklahoma!," American Theater Company
  • "Ragtime," Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
  • "Shenandoah," Marriott Theatre
    Production - Revue
  • "The All Night Strut!," Marriott Theatre
  • "Fire on the Mountain," Northlight Theatre
  • "Forever Plaid," Drury Lane Oakbrook
    Ensemble
  • "Argonautika: The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts," Lookingglass Theatre Company
  • "August: Osage County," Steppenwolf Theatre Company
  • "Execution of Justice," About Face Theatre in association with Jan Kallish and Rachel Weinstein
  • "Fire on the Mountain," Northlight Theatre
  • "Forever Plaid," Drury Lane Oakbrook
  • "Into the Woods," Marriott Theatre
  • "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," Congo Square Theatre Company
  • "Shenandoah," Marriott Theatre
    New Work - Play
  • Alice Austen, "Water," Chicago Dramatists
  • J. Nicole Brooks, "Black Diamond: The Years the Locusts Have Eaten," Lookingglass Theatre Company
  • Tracy Letts, "August: Osage County," Steppenwolf Theatre Company
  • Jeffrey Sweet, "Court-Martial at Fort Devens," Victory Gardens Theater
  • Craig Wright, "Lady," Northlight Theatre
    New Work - Musical
  • Joshua Schmidt & Jason Loewith, "The Adding Machine," Next Theatre Company
  • Jon Steinhagen, "The Teapot Scandals," Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
  • Michael Smith & Frank Galati, "The Snow Queen," Victory Gardens Theater
    New Adaptation
  • Claudia Allen, "I Sailed with Magellan," Victory Gardens Theater
  • William Brown, "She Stoops to Conquer," Northlight Theatre
  • David Rice, "The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story," First Folio Shakespeare Festival
  • Mary Zimmerman, "Argonautika: The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts," Lookingglass Theatre Company
    Director - Play
  • William Brown, "Another Part of the Forest," Writers' Theatre
  • David Cromer, "Come Back, Little Sheba," Shattered Globe Theatre
  • Derrick Sanders, "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," Congo Square Theatre Company
  • Anna D. Shapiro, "August: Osage County," Steppenwolf Theatre Company
  • Mary Zimmerman, "Argonautika: The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts," Lookingglass Theatre Company
    Director - Musical
  • David H. Bell, "Shenandoah," Marriott Theatre
  • David Cromer, "The Adding Machine," Next Theatre Company
  • Damon Kiely, "Oklahoma!," American Theater Company
  • Dominic Missimi, "Into the Woods," Marriott Theatre
  • L. Walter Stearns, "Ragtime," Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
  • Michael Weber, "Assassins," Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
    Director - Revue
  • Randal Myler, "Fire on the Mountain," Northlight Theatre
  • Paul Pement, "Forever Plaid," Drury Lane Oakbrook
  • Marc Robin, "The All Night Strut!," Marriott Theatre
  • Marc Warzecha, "Pratfall of Civilization," The Second City e.t.c.
    Actor in a Principal Role - Play
  • Ben Carlson, "Hamlet," Chicago Shakespeare Theater
  • Anthony Fleming III, "Denmark," Victory Gardens Theater
  • David Girolmo, "Talley's Folly," Oak Park Festival Theatre
  • John Judd, "Come Back, Little Sheba," Shattered Globe Theatre
  • Kevin McKillip, "Richard III," First Folio Shakespeare Festival
  • Larry Neumann, Jr., "The Puppetmaster of Lodz," Writers' Theatre
  • Nick Sandys, "The Real Thing," Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
    Actor in a Principal Role - Musical
  • Jayson Brooks, "Ragtime," Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
  • Matthew Brumlow, "Oklahoma!," American Theater Company
  • Joseph Anthony Foronda, "The King and I," Drury Lane Oakbrook
  • Joel Hatch, "The Adding Machine," Next Theatre Company
  • David Hess, "Shenandoah," Marriott Theatre
    Actress in a Principal Role - Play
  • Deanna Dunagan, "August: Osage County," Steppenwolf Theatre Company
  • Michele Graff, "Landscape of the Body," The Artistic Home
  • Danai Gurira, "In the Continuum," Primary Stages/Perry Street Theatre/Goodman Theatre
  • Amy Morton, "August: Osage County," Steppenwolf Theatre Company
  • Linda Reiter, "Come Back, Little Sheba," Shattered Globe Theatre
  • Claire Elizabeth Saxe, "The Diary of Anne Frank," Steppenwolf Theatre Company
  • Tiffany Scott, "Beast on the Moon," Provision Theater Company
  • Mary Ann Thebus, "The Beauty Queen of Leenane," The Gift Theatre
    Actress in a Principal Role - Musical
  • Charissa Armon, "Ragtime," Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
  • Mary Ernster, "The King and I," Drury Lane Oakbrook
  • Ernestine Jackson, "Raisin," Court Theatre
  • Susan Moniz, "Into the Woods," Marriott Theatre
  • Vikki Omega Stokes, "Don't Shed a Tear (The Story of Billie Holiday)," Black Ensemble Theater
    Solo Performance
  • Lance Stuart Baker, "Thom Pain (based on nothing)," Theater Wit
  • Matt Sax, "Clay," About Face Theatre and Lookingglass Theatre Company
    Actor in a Supporting Role - Play
  • Anthony Chisholm, "Radio Golf," Goodman Theatre
  • Maury Cooper, "The Price," Shattered Globe Theatre
  • Allen Gilmore, "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," Congo Square Theatre Company
  • Timothy Edward Kane, "Uncle Vanya," Court Theatre
  • Michael Shannon, "The Pillowman, " Steppenwolf Theatre Company
    Actor in a Supporting Role - Musical
  • Larry Adams, "Cats," Theatre at the Center
  • Casey Campbell, "Oklahoma!," American Theater Company
  • Juan Chioran, "The Three Musketeers," Chicago Shakespeare Theater
  • Aaron Graham, "Ragtime," Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
    Cameo Performance
  • James Harms, "Hamlet," Chicago Shakespeare Theater
  • Dennis Letts, "August: Osage County," Steppenwolf Theatre Company
  • Douglas Vickers, "The Best Man," Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
    Actress in a Supporting Role - Play
  • Cheryl Lynn Bruce, "Flyin' West," Court Theatre
  • Elizabeth Ledo, "Uncle Vanya," Court Theatre
  • Linda Reiter, "The Price," Shattered Globe Theatre
  • Tiffany Scott, "The Two Noble Kinsmen," Chicago Shakespeare Theater
  • Penny Slusher, "Another Part of the Forest," Writers' Theatre
    Actress in a Supporting Role - Musical
  • Brandy McClendon, "Grease," Marriott Theatre
  • Brandy McClendon, "Into the Woods," Marriott Theatre
  • Susie McMonagle, "Into the Woods," Marriott Theatre
  • Liz Pazik, "Something's Afoot," Drury Lane Oakbrook
  • Sara R. Sevigny, "Assassins," Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
  • Amy Warren, "The Adding Machine," Next Theatre Company
    Actor in a Revue
  • Roger Anderson, "Ben Bagley's The Decline and Fall of the Entire World as Seen Through the Eyes of Cole Porter," Light Opera Works
  • "Mississippi" Charles Bevel, "Fire on the Mountain," Northlight Theatre
  • Andy St. Clair, "Disposable Nation," The Second City e.t.c.
    Actress in a Revue
  • Molly Andrews, "Fire on the Mountain," Northlight Theatre
  • Rebecca Finnegan, "Ben Bagley's The Decline and Fall of the Entire World as Seen Through the Eyes of Cole Porter," Light Opera Works
  • Niki Lindgren, "Pratfall of Civilization," The Second City e.t.c.
    Choreography
  • Brenda Didier, "Ragtime," Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
  • Stacey Flaster, "Cats," Theatre at the Center
  • Stacey Flaster, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," Theatre at the Center
  • Marc Robin, Beverly Durand, Mark Stuart Eckstein, Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, & Sasha Vargas, "The All Night Strut!," Marriott Theatre
  • Rachel Rockwell, "The King and I," Drury Lane Oakbrook
    Scenic Design
  • Brian Sidney Bembridge, "Ten Little Indians," Drury Lane Oakbrook
  • Kevin Hagan, "Come Back, Little Sheba," Shattered Globe Theatre
  • Kevin Hagan, "The Price," Shattered Globe Theatre
  • Daniel Ostling, "Argonautika: The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts," Lookingglass Theatre Company
  • Jacqueline & Richard Penrod, "Oklahoma!," American Theater Company
  • Todd Rosenthal, "August: Osage County," Steppenwolf Theatre Company
  • James Schuette, "Oedipus Complex," Goodman Theatre
  • Walt Spangler, "King Lear," Goodman Theatre
    Costume Design
  • Mara Blumenfeld, "Mirror of the Invisible World," Goodman Theatre
  • Linda Cho, "The Two Noble Kinsmen," Chicago Shakespeare Theater
  • Rachel Anne Healy, "Another Part of the Forest," Writers' Theatre
  • Nancy Missimi, "Into the Woods," Marriott Theatre
  • Mariann Verheyen, "The Three Musketeers," Chicago Shakespeare Theater
    Sound Design
  • Cecil Averett, "Into the Woods," Marriott Theatre
  • Victoria DeIorio, "Frozen," Next Theatre Company
  • Lindsay Jones, "Troilus and Cressida," Chicago Shakespeare Theater
  • Andre Pluess, Kevin O'Donnell, & Michael Griggs, "Black Diamond: The Years the Locusts Have Eaten," Lookingglass Theatre Company
  • Andre Pluess & Ben Sussman, "Argonautika: The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts," Lookingglass Theatre Company
  • Richard Woodbury, "King Lear," Goodman Theatre
    Lighting Design
  • John Culbert, "Argonautika: The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts," Lookingglass Theatre Company
  • John Culbert, "Mirror of the Invisible World," Goodman Theatre
  • Brian Sidney Bembridge, "Black Diamond: The Years the Locusts Have Eaten," Lookingglass Theatre Company
  • Keith Parham, "The Adding Machine," Next Theatre Company
  • Michael Philippi, "King Lear," Goodman Theatre
  • Robert Wierzel, "Troilus and Cressida," Chicago Shakespeare Theater
  • Diane Ferry Williams, "The All Night Strut!," Marriott Theatre
    Musical Direction
  • Eugene Dizon, "Ragtime," Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
  • Doug Peck, "The All Night Strut!," Marriott Theatre
  • Doug Peck, "Shenandoah," Marriott Theatre
  • Malcolm Ruhl, "Oklahoma!," American Theater Company
  • Jimmy Tillman, "Don't Shed a Tear (The Story of Billie Holiday)," Black Ensemble Theater
  • Jimmy Tillman, "Memphis Soul (The Story of Stax Records)," Black Ensemble Theater
    Original Incidental Music
  • Todd Barton, "Oedipus Complex," Goodman Theatre
  • Michael Bodeen, "Mirror of the Invisible World," Goodman Theatre
  • Andrew Hansen, "She Stoops to Conquer," Northlight Theatre
  • Josh Horvath & Ray Nardelli, "Flyin' West," Court Theatre
  • Andy Jones, "Execution of Justice," About Face Theatre in association with Jan Kallish and Rachel Weinstein
  • Andre Pluess & Kevin O'Donnell, "Black Diamond: The Years the Locusts Have Eaten, " Lookingglass Theatre Company
  • George Stiles, "Troilus and Cressida," Chicago Shakespeare Theater
    Other
  • Kevin Asselin, Fight Coordinator, "The Three Musketeers," Chicago Shakespeare Theater
  • John Boesche, Projections Design, "Vigils," Goodman Theatre
  • Stephan Mazurek, Projections Design, "Sonia Flew," Steppenwolf Theatre Company
  • Meredith Miller of Blair Thomas and Company, Puppet Design, "The Snow Queen," Victory Gardens Theater
  • Michael Montenegro, Puppet Design, "The Puppetmaster of Lodz," Writers' Theatre
  • Mike Tutaj, Projections Design, "I Sailed with Magellan," Victory Gardens Theater

2007 EQUITY NOMINEE STATISTICS (MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS)

    PRODUCTIONS
  • "August: Osage County" - 8
  • "Into the Woods" - 8
  • "Argonautika: The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts" - 7
  • "Ragtime" - 7
  • "Oklahoma!" - 6
  • "The Adding Machine" - 5
  • "The All Night Strut!" - 5
  • "Come Back, Little Sheba" - 5
  • "Fire on the Mountain" - 5
  • "Shenandoah" - 5
  • "Another Part of the Forest" - 4
  • "Black Diamond: The Years the Locusts Have Eaten" - 4
  • "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" - 4
  • "Assassins" - 3
  • "Forever Plaid" - 3
  • "The King and I" - 3
  • "King Lear" - 3
  • "Mirror of the Invisible World" - 3
  • "The Price" - 3
  • "The Three Musketeers" - 3
  • "Troilus and Cressida" - 3
  • "Ben Bagley's The Decline and Fall of the Entire World as Seen Through the Eyes of Cole Porter" - 2
  • "The Best Man" - 2
  • "Cats" - 2
  • "Don't Shed a Tear (The Story of Billie Holiday)" - 2
  • "Execution of Justice" - 2
  • "Flyin' West" - 2
  • "Hamlet" - 2
  • "I Sailed With Magellan" - 2
  • "Oedipus Complex" - 2
  • "Pratfall of Civilization" - 2
  • "The Puppetmaster of Lodz" - 2
  • "She Stoops To Conquer" - 2
  • "The Snow Queen" - 2
  • "The Two Noble Kinsmen" - 2
  • "Uncle Vanya" - 2
    PRODUCING ORGANIZATIONS
  • Marriott Theatre - 19
  • Lookingglass Theatre Company - 12
  • Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago - 11
  • Steppenwolf Theatre Company - 11
  • Goodman Theatre - 11
  • Chicago Shakespeare Theater - 10
  • Drury Lane Oakbrook - 8
  • Northlight Theatre - 8
  • Shattered Globe Theatre - 8
  • American Theater Company - 6
  • Next Theatre Company - 6
  • Victory Gardens Theater - 6
  • Writers' Theatre - 6
  • Court Theatre - 5
  • Congo Square Theatre Company - 4
  • Black Ensemble Theater - 3
  • The Second City e.t.c. - 3
  • Remy Bumppo Theatre Company - 3
  • Theatre at the Center - 3
  • About Face Theatre in association with Jan Kallish and Rachel Weinstein - 2
  • First Folio Shakespeare Festival - 2
  • Light Opera Works - 2
    INDIVIDUALS
  • Andre Pluess - 3
  • Brian Sidney Bembridge - 2
  • William Brown - 2
  • David Cromer - 2
  • John Culbert - 2
  • Stacey Flaster - 2
  • Kevin Hagan - 2
  • Brandy McClendon - 2
  • Kevin O'Donnell - 2
  • Doug Peck - 2
  • Linda Reiter - 2
  • Marc Robin - 2
  • Tiffany Scott - 2
  • Jimmy Tillman - 2
  • Mary Zimmerman - 2

The 39th Annual Jeff Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, October 29, at The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Boulevard. A pre-show Appetizer Buffet and Martini Bar runs from 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m., and the Awards Ceremony begins at 7:30 p.m. Advance purchase tickets, which include the ceremony and the pre-show buffet, are $65 ($50 for members of Actors' Equity Association, United Scenic Artists, Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and the Dramatists Guild of America). The evening is black-tie optional, and the public is cordially invited to attend. To purchase tickets, visit the Jeff Awards Committee's website at www.jeffawards.org.