A new adaptation of Charles Dickens' Hard Times, Ann Noble's The Pagans and the musical, The Ballad of Little Jo, were big winners at the 33rd Annual Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremony Nov. 5 in Chicago. The awards celebrate the best in resident and non-resident Equity theatre in Chicago. In the category of New Work, the frontier musical, The Ballad of Little Jo, by Sarah Schlesinger and Mike Reid (by Steppenwolf Theatre Company), and Ann Noble's Irish family play, The Pagans (by Seanachai Theatre Company), both took home Jeffs. Heidi Stillman's adaptation of the Dickens novel, "Hard Times," by Lookingglass Theatre Company in association with The Actors Gymnasium, won the Jeff for both New Adaptation and Production of a Play. Marriott Lincolnshire's The King and I won for Production of a Musical.
The outstanding actor and actress in a principal role were Carmen Roman of The Goodman Theatre's Wit and Greg Vinkler of Chicago Shakespeare Theatre's King Lear, respectively.
The nominees were announced Sept. 13. The ceremony was he;d at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL. Non-resident winners (representing tours or sitdowns produced by or starring non-Chicago showfolk) were The Bomb-Itty of Errors (Production), Marilu Henner in Annie Get Your Gun (Actress in a Principal Role), Nick Garrison in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Actor in a Principal Role).
Here is the list of 2000-2001 Joseph Jefferson Award Equity and Non-Resident nominees and winners. The winners are marked in bold face.
NEW WORK
Jason Robert Brown, The Last Five Years, Northlight Theatre
Javon Johnson, Hambone, Victory Gardens Theater
McKinley Johnson and Stephanie Newsom, Being Beautiful, The Chicago Theatre Company
Ann Noble Massey, The Pagans, Seanachai Theatre Company
Mike Reid and Sarah Schlesinger, The Ballad of Little Jo, Steppenwolf Theatre Company NEW ADAPTATION
Kate Buckley, The Incident, The Next Theatre Company
Giles Havergal, David Copperfield, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Heidi Stillman, Hard Times, Lookingglass Theatre Company in association with The Actors Gymnasium
Freyda Thomas, The Gamester, Northlight Theatre
Gavin Witt, Macbett, Division 13 Productions and greasy joan & company
PRODUCTION - PLAY
And Neither Have I Wings to Fly, Michael Leavitt, Fox Theatricals and John York Noble
Hard Times, Lookingglass Theatre Company in association with The Actors Gymnasium
The Invention of Love, Court Theatre
King Lear, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
The School for Scandal, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
PRODUCTION - MUSICAL
The Ballad of Little Jo, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
big the musical, Drury Lane Oakbrook
Evita, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
The King and I, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Mame, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
DIRECTOR - PLAY
Kate Buckley, The Incident, The Next Theatre Company
David Cromer, And Neither Have I Wings to Fly, Michael Leavitt, Fox Theatricals and John York Noble
Abigail Deser, Serenading Louie, Roadworks Productions
Michael Halberstam, The Gamester, Northlight Theatre
Heidi Stillman, Hard Times, Lookingglass Theatre Company in association with The Actors Gymnasium
DIRECTOR - MUSICAL
Gary Griffin, big the musical, Drury Lane Oakbrook
Rudy Hogenmiller, Evita, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Tina Landau, The Ballad of Little Jo, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Dominic Missimi, The King and I, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Dominic Missimi, Mame, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
DIRECTOR - REVUE
Mark E. Lococo, The Taffetas, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Marc Robin, And the World Goes 'Round, Drury Lane Theatre, Evergreen Park
ENSEMBLE
And Neither Have I Wings to Fly, Michael Leavitt, Fox Theatricals and John York Noble
And the World Goes 'Round, Drury Lane Theatre, Evergreen Park
A Going Concern, Famous Door Theatre Company
The Incident, The Next Theatre Company
"Master Harold"...and the Boys, The Journeymen
The Taffetas, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY
Louise Lamson, Bash, About Face Theatre
Martha Plimpton, Hedda Gabler, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Carmen Roman, Wit, The Goodman Theatre
Paula Scrofano, Hay Fever, Court Theatre
Mary Ann Thebus, Amy's View, Organic Theater Company
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY
Brian Bedford, The School for Scandal, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Nathan Davis, 2 1/2 Jews, Apple Tree Theatre
Frank Galati, The Drawer Boy, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Greg Vinkler, King Lear, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Paxton Whitehead, The Invention of Love, Court Theatre
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY
Susan Bennett, And Neither Have I Wings to Fly, Michael Leavitt, Fox Theatricals and John York Noble
Laura T. Fisher, Early and Often, Famous Door Theatre Company
Linda Kimbrough, The Gamester, Northlight Theatre
Molly Regan, David Copperfield, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Peggy Roeder, Fuddy Meers, Apple Tree Theatre
Ana Sferruzza, An Experiment with an Air Pump, Northlight Theatre
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY
David Darlow, Endgame, American Theater Company
Tom Irwin, Hedda Gabler, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steve Key, Blue Surge, The Goodman Theatre
Scott Parkinson, The Gamester, Northlight Theatre
Scott Parkinson, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Alan Wilder, The Weir, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL
Mary Ernster, The King and I, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Judy Kuhn, The Ballad of Little Jo, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Susie McMonagle, Evita, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Hollis Resnik, Enter the Guardsman, Northlight Theatre
Hollis Resnik, Mame, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL
Derek J. Alexander, Big River, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Norbert Leo Butz, The Last Five Years, Northlight Theatre
Kevin Gudahl, The King and I, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Nathaniel Stampley, Jr., Big River, Apple Tree Theatre
Rod Thomas, big the musical, Drury Lane Oakbrook
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL
Angela Berra, Carousel, Drury Lane Oakbrook Carol Kuykendall, The King and I, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Susan Moniz, big the musical, Drury Lane Oakbrook
Alene Robertson, Mame, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Paula Scrofano, Mame, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL
Chris Herzberger, big, Drury Lane Oakbrook
Jose Llana, The Ballad of Little Jo, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Gordon McClure, Being Beautiful, The Chicago Theatre Company
David New, The Ballad of Little Jo, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Larry Yando, Big River, Apple Tree Theatre
ACTRESS IN A REVUE
E. Faye Butler, Could It Be Magic?, Garry C. Kief, Robert E. Kief, Scott E. Nederlander, STILETTO Entertainment & JAM Theatricals
Rachel Rockwell, And the World Goes 'Round, Drury Lane Theatre, Evergreen Park
ACTOR IN A REVUE
Mark Townsend, The Nat King Cole Story, The Black Ensemble Theater
Miles Western, Pageant, Chicago, LLC, Bob Balaban, Neil Kahanovitz, and Don Kucharzyk
SCENIC DESIGN
Linda Buchanan, House, The Goodman Theatre
G.W. Mercier, The Ballad of Little Jo, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Daniel Ostling, Hard Times, Lookingglass Theatre Company in association with The Actors Gymnasium
Todd Rosenthal, An Experiment with an Air Pump, Northlight Theatre
Todd Rosenthal, The Weir, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
COSTUME DESIGN
Deborah Dryden, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Rachel Healy, The Gamester, Northlight Theatre
Judith Lundberg, An Experiment with an Air Pump, Northlight Theatre
Nancy Missimi, The King and I, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Nancy Missimi, Mame, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
LIGHTING DESIGN
Brian Sidney Bembridge, Hard Times, Lookingglass Theatre Company in association with The Actors Gymnasium
Brian Sidney Bembridge, Metamorphoses, Lookingglass Theatre Company
Donald Holder, King Lear, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Rob Murphy, The Invention of Love, Court Theatre
Jaymi Lee Smith, The Incident, The Next Theatre Company
Jaymi Lee Smith, The Terrible Girls, About Face Theatre
Scott Zielinski, The Ballad of Little Jo, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
SOUND DESIGN
Mike Frank and Andre Pluess, Macbett, Division 13 Productions and greasy joan & company
Lindsay Jones, The Incident, The Next Theatre Company
Ray Nardelli, King Lear, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, Hard Times, Lookingglass Theatre Company in association with The Actors Gymnasium
Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, Metamorphosis, Lookingglass Theatre Company
CHOREOGRAPHY
Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, Hard Times, Lookingglass Theatre Company in association with The Actors Gymnasium
Rudy Hogenmiller, Evita, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Jennifer Kemp Lupp, The King and I, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Marc Robin, Mame, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Nancy Teinowitz, Carousel, Drury Lane Oakbrook
ORIGINAL MUSIC
Alaric Jans, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Lindsay Jones, bee-luther-hatchee, Northlight Theatre
William Kilgore, The Amen Corner, The Goodman Theatre
Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, Hard Times, Lookingglass Theatre Company in association with The Actors Gymnasium
Andre Pluess, Ben Sussman and Laura Eason, Metamorphosis, Lookingglass Theatre Company
MUSICAL DIRECTION
Brad Haak, The Taffetas, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Tom Murray, The Last Five Years, Northlight Theatre
Tom Murray, Mame, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Ron Walters, Jr., Could It Be Magic?, Garry C. Kief, Robert E. Kief, Scott E. Nederlander, STILETTO Entertainment & JAM Theatricals
Patrick Vaccariello, The Ballad of Little Jo, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
NON-RESIDENT PRODUCTIONS
PRODUCTION - NON-RESIDENT
Annie Get Your Gun, Barry and Fran Weissler in association with Kardana/Swinsky Productions, Michael Watt and Hal Luftig
The Bomb-Itty of Errors, Marshall Cordell, Q Brothers, and Mary Lu Roffe
R. Buckminster Fuller: The History [and Mystery] of the Universe, foghouse.com
Saturday Night Fever, Robert Stigwood & Jon B. Platt
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - NON RESIDENT
Marilu Henner, Annie Get Your Gun, Barry and Fran Weissler in association with Kardana/Swinsky Productions, Michael Watt and Hal Luftig
Kathleen Turner, Tallulah, SFX Theatrical Group and James L. Nederlander in association with Duncan C. Weldon and Tony Fantozzi
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - NON RESIDENT
Richard H. Blake, Saturday Night Fever, Robert Stigwood & Jon B. Platt
Ron Campbell, R. Buckminster Fuller: The History [and Mystery] of the Universe,foghouse.com
Nick Garrison, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Susann Brinkley and Job E. Christenson in association with Samjack, LLC, Alice's Enterprises, Ltd., and J.B.F. Producing Corp., Inc.
William Paul Michals, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Radio City Entertainment and Ted Forstmann
Bronson Pinchot, Fully Committed, Michael Leavitt, Fox Theatricals, Richard Martini and Jonathan Reinis
*
Nominations represent shows that played Aug. 1, 2000 and July 31, 2001. The 45-member Jeff Committee judged 116 Equity productions offered by 49 producing organizations and nine non-resident productions. The committee recommended a total of 72 productions presented by 34 producing organizations. The final roster of 122 Jeff nominations in 25 categories represents productions from 26 producing organizations. The 11 Non Resident nominations in three categories represent eight productions offered by eight producing organizations.
Originally chartered to recognize Equity productions, the Citations Non-Equity wing was founded in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non-union Chicago theatre (the awards are presented in June). Non-Resident award categories were established in 1992 in recognition of the contributions to Chicago theatre by non-local producing organizations — usually touring shows. The committee, composed of theatre professionals and enthusiasts, evaluates approximately 200 theatrical productions and holds two awards ceremonies each year.
— By Kenneth Jones
