Theatre News Wire

The Jeff Awards announced today, via a special video at: 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.

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