The production won five awards, including Outstanding Production and Outstanding Adaptation at the annual ceremony that honors the best of non-union professional theatre in the Windy City.
The Non-Equity Awards Ceremony at the Park West was emceed by composer-actor Jon Steinhagen. The Jeff Awards Committee gave out 27 Non-Equity Jeff Awards in 23 categories, in addition to a Special Award honoring Michael Menendian and JoAnn Montemurro of Raven Theatre for their lifelong contributions to Chicago theatre.
Outstanding Production – Musical went to Bailiwick Repertory Theatre's U.S. premiere of Jerry Springer – The Opera and Signal Ensemble Theatre's 1776. Directing honors went to Greg Kolack for Raven Theatre's columbinus, a stark telling of the school shootings tragedy, and Fred Anzevino for his intimate staging of Cabaret for Theo Ubique Theatre Company (which came in second among productions with four awards).
The Outstanding Ensemble award went to Teatro Luna's Machos, a depiction of the modern American male by an all-Latina cast in men's garb, based on hundreds of interviews conducted nationwide. Machos also garnered Outstanding New Work honors for Teatro Luna & Coya Paz.
Award recipients are indicated below with asterisk and in boldface type. More than one recipient is possible within categories. 2008 NON-EQUITY JEFF AWARD NOMINEES AND RECIPIENTS
PRODUCTION – PLAY
columbinus - Raven Theatre
Dolly West's Kitchen - TimeLine Theatre Company
An Ideal Husband - Circle Theatre
*The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Jitney - Pegasus Players
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui - Steep Theatre Company
PRODUCTION – MUSICAL
Cabaret - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
*Jerry Springer - The Opera - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
The Life - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
A Man of No Importance - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - Circle Theatre
*1776 - Signal Ensemble Theatre
DIRECTOR – PLAY
Paul S. Holmquist – The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Jessica Hutchinson – The Dining Room - New Leaf Theatre
*Greg Kolack – columbinus - Raven Theatre
Coya Paz – Machos - Teatro Luna
Jim Schneider – An Ideal Husband - Circle Theatre
Jonathan Wilson – Jitney - Pegasus Players
DIRECTOR – MUSICAL
*Fred Anzevino – Cabaret - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
Scott Ferguson – A Man of No Importance - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Ronan Marra – 1776 - Signal Ensemble Theatre
David Zak – Jerry Springer - The Opera - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
ENSEMBLE
columbinus - Raven Theatre
Jitney - Pegasus Players
*Machos - Teatro Luna
The Dining Room - New Leaf Theatre
Waiting for Lefty - BackStage Theatre Company
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Matt Kelly – The Collector - LiveWire Chicago Theatre
Vincent L. Lonergan – Old Wicked Songs - Signal Ensemble Theatre
Brian Parry – Three Hotels - redtwist theatre f/k/a Actors Workshop Theatre
Shawn Pfautsch – Old Wicked Songs - Signal Ensemble Theatre
Alfred H. Wilson – Jitney - Pegasus Players
*Sam Wootten – Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
Don Denton – bare - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Kevin D. Mayes – A Man of No Importance - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Jeremy Rill – Can – Can - Circle Theatre
*Jeremy Trager – Cabaret - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
Philip Winston – 1776 - Signal Ensemble Theatre
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Caren Blackmore – MiLK - MPAACT
Tien Doman – Tesla's Letters - TimeLine Theatre Company
*Vanessa Greenway – The Constant Wife - Griffin Theatre Company
Sabrina Kramnich – Gidget - City Lit Theater Company
Kelly O'Sullivan – Mr. Marmalade - Dog & Pony Theatre Company
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
*Elizabeth Lanza – Can – Can - Circle Theatre
Tawny Newsome – The Life - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Rachel Quinn – Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - Circle Theatre
Dana Tretta – Cabaret - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
*Hans Fleischmann – In a Dark Dark House - Profiles Theatre
Terry Hamilton – Widowers' Houses - TimeLine Theatre Company
Joel Stanley Huff – Tesla's Letters - TimeLine Theatre Company
Bradford R. Lund – An Ideal Husband - Circle Theatre
John Henry Roberts – Aristocrats - Strawdog Theatre Company
*Ron Wells – A Prayer for My Daughter - Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
Vincent L. Lonergan – 1776 - Signal Ensemble Theatre
Rus Rainear – Cabaret - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
*Jeremy Rill – Jerry Springer - The Opera - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
Janet Ulrich Brooks – A Lie of the Mind - Strawdog Theatre Company
Kate Harris – The Constant Wife - Griffin Theatre Company
Saren Nofs-Snyder – An Ideal Husband - Circle Theatre
*Kathleen Ruhl – Dolly West's Kitchen - TimeLine Theatre Company
Nicolle Van Dyke – A View from the Bridge - The GreyZelda Theatre Group
Rebekah Ward-Hays – Waiting for Lefty - BackStage Theatre Company
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL OR REVUE
*Danielle Brothers – Cabaret - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
Nancy Kolton – A Man of No Importance - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Bethany Thomas – The Life - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
NEW WORK
Mia McCullough – Spare Change - Stage Left Theatre
Mary Scruggs – Missing Man - Live Bait Theatre
*Teatro Luna & Coya Paz – Machos - Teatro Luna
Teatro Luna & Tanya Saracho – lunatic(a)s - Teatro Luna
NEW ADAPTATION
*Robert Kauzlaric – The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Terry McCabe and Marissa McKown – Gidget - City Lit Theatre Company
Terry McCabe – The Hound of the Baskervilles - City Lit Theatre Company
Jake Minton & Phillip C. Klapperich – The Nutcracker - The House Theatre of Chicago
CHOREOGRAPHY
Kevin Bellie –Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - Circle Theatre
*Brenda Didier – The Life - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Lisa Johnson-Willingham – Trouble the Water - MPAACT
Maggie Portman – Cabaret - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
ORIGINAL MUSIC
*Victoria DeIorio – The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
*Gregor Mortis & Mikhail Fiksel – A Lie of the Mind - Strawdog Theatre Company
*Kevin O'Donnell – The Nutcracker - The House Theatre of Chicago
Kevin O'Donnell – Desire Under the Elms - The Hypocrites
MUSIC DIRECTION
*Joshua Stephen Kartes – Cabaret - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
James Morehead – bare - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Robert Ollis – A Man of No Importance - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Gary Powell – Jerry Springer - The Opera - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Jon Steinhagen – The Life - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
SCENIC DESIGN
Brian Sidney Bembridge – Dolly West's Kitchen - TimeLine Theatre Company
Tom Burch – The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Bob Knuth – An Ideal Husband - Circle Theatre
Timothy Mann – Jitney - Pegasus Players
*Michael Menendian & Leif Olsen – The Night of the Iguana - Raven Theatre
Tracy Otwell – Desire Under the Elms - The Hypocrites
Grant Sabin – Mr. Marmalade - Dog & Pony Theatre Company
LIGHTING DESIGN
Charles Cooper – Sueño - Greasy Joan & Co.
*Kevin D. Gawley – The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Lee Keenan – Hope Springs Infernal - The House Theatre of Chicago
Jared Moore – Jerry Springer - The Opera - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Jared Moore – Desire Under the Elms - The Hypocrites
COSTUME DESIGN
Laura M. Dana – 1776 - Signal Ensemble Theatre
Rachel Anne Healy – Widowers' Houses - TimeLine Theatre Company
Jeff Jones – Jerry Springer - The Opera - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Kimberly G. Morris – The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Jesus Perez – Can – Can - Circle Theatre
*Elizabeth Shaffer – An Ideal Husband - Circle Theatre
SOUND DESIGN
Victoria DeIorio – The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Michael Griggs – Hope Springs Infernal - The House Theatre of Chicago
*Stephen Ptacek – Faster - the side project
Peter J. Storms - The Night of the Iguana - Raven Theatre
Mike Tutaj – columbinus - Raven Theatre
OTHER
Puppet Design – Allison Daniel – The Nutcracker - The House Theatre of Chicago
*Mask Design - Kimberly G. Morris – The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Projections Design – Mike Tutaj – columbinus - Raven Theatre
Projections Design – Mike Tutaj – Tesla's Letters - TimeLine Theatre Company
*
The Jeff Awards Committee website, www.jeffawards.org, lists all the current Non-Equity Jeff Award recipients, nominees and statistics, along with previous recipients and nominees and other Jeff Awards Committee information and news.
The Jeff Awards are given annually by the Jeff Awards Committee to honor excellence in professional theatre produced in the immediate Chicago area. The Committee, organized in 1968, consists of up to 50 men and women with varying backgrounds in theatre, but united by their commitment to Chicagoland’s theatre community. The Committee evaluates over 250 theatrical productions and holds two awards ceremonies annually. Originally chartered to recognize only Equity productions, the Committee established the Non-Equity Wing in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non-union Chicago theatre. The 40th Anniversary Equity Awards Ceremony, honoring productions presented under union contracts, will be held on Oct. 20, at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie.
