Iceman Cometh, Follies, Hero, Disgraced, Caroline O'Connor Are 2012 Jeff Award Winners

By Kenneth Jones
October 16, 2012

The Goodman Theatre's production of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh and Chicago Shakespeare Theater's revival of Follies each took six Joseph Jefferson Awards at the Oct. 15 ceremony celebrating excellence in Chicago-area Equity theatre.

Both Follies (directed by Gary Griffin) and Iceman (directed by Robert Falls) won in production and direction categories. Brian Dennehy was named Supporting Actor for Iceman (he played Larry Slade), while Caroline O'Connor was named Actress in a Musical for playing dry Phyllis in Follies. Local star Hollis Resnik won the Supporting Actress award for playing Carlotta, who sings "I'm Still Here" in the Stephen Sondheim-James Goldman musical about a reunion of former revue performers.

Iceman, a hit for Goodman that starred Nathan Lane as Hickey, also won the Ensemble award. There was some buzz that commercial New York producers were circling the production earlier this year, but no announcement of a move has transpired.

The Production-Musical Award for midsize theatres went to The Doyle & Debbie Show, a commercial production from lonesome road productions in association with Jim Jensen and Lisselan Productions, which had a run of several months at the Royal George Theatre. Bruce Arntson, the creator of the parody of country music duos, also won the Principal Actor in a Musical award.

A Special Award was presented to Actors' Equity Association in celebration of their century of service to actors and stage managers in Chicago and across America.

In the New Work division, the existence of which usually indicates the health of a theatre community, awards for New Work-Play went to Ayad Akhtar for his drama Disgraced by American Theater Company in special arrangement with The Araca Group (the play is currently being produced by LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater in New York City), and to Sarah Gubbins' The Kid Thing produced by Chicago Dramatists and About Face Theatre. Aaron Thielen and Michael Mahler won a New Work-Musical Jeff Award for Hero the Musical at Marriott Theatre, and Oren Jacoby won New Adaptation-Play honors for his version of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man at Court Theatre in association with Christopher McElroen Productions.

The gala 44th Annual Equity Jeff Awards ceremony was held at Drury Lane Oakbrook.

The 44th Equity season of the Jeff Awards ran Aug. 1, 2011-July 31, 2012. The Jeff Awards Committee judged the opening nights of 118 productions from 55 producing organizations. Of these, 96 productions were "Jeff Recommended," which made them eligible for award nominations.

2012 Equity Jeff Award Recipients

PRODUCTION – PLAY – LARGE
The Iceman Cometh – Goodman Theatre

PRODUCTION – PLAY – MIDSIZE
The Pitmen Painters – TimeLine Theatre Company

PRODUCTION – MUSICAL – LARGE
Follies – Chicago Shakespeare Theater

PRODUCTION – MUSICAL – MIDSIZE
The Doyle & Debbie Show – lonesome road productions in association with Jim Jensen and Lisselan Productions

PRODUCTION – REVUE
We're All in This Room Together – The Second City e.t.c.

DIRECTOR – PLAY
Robert Falls – The Iceman Cometh – Goodman Theatre

DIRECTOR – MUSICAL
Gary Griffin – Follies – Chicago Shakespeare Theater

DIRECTOR – REVUE
Ryan Bernier – We're All in This Room Together – The Second City e.t.c.

ENSEMBLE
The Iceman Cometh – Goodman Theatre

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Larry Yando – Angels in America – Court Theatre

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
Bruce Arntson – The Doyle & Debbie Show – lonesome road productions in association with Jim Jensen and Lisselan Productions

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Diane D'Aquila – Elizabeth Rex – Chicago Shakespeare Theater

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
Caroline O'Connor – Follies – Chicago Shakespeare Theater

ACTOR OR ACTRESS IN A REVUE
Edgar Blackmon – Who Do We Think We Are? – The Second City

SOLO PERFORMANCE
Timothy Edward Kane – An Iliad – Court Theatre

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
Brian Dennehy – The Iceman Cometh – Goodman Theatre

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL Alex Goodrich – HERO the Musical – Marriott Theatre

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
Natalie West – The Butcher of Baraboo – A Red Orchid Theatre

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
Hollis Resnik – Follies – Chicago Shakespeare Theater

NEW WORK – PLAY (TWO RECIPIENTS)
Ayad Akhtar – Disgraced – American Theater Company in special arrangement with The Araca Group

Sarah Gubbins – The Kid Thing – Chicago Dramatists and About Face Theatre

NEW WORK – MUSICAL
Aaron Thielen and Michael Mahler – HERO the Musical – Marriott Theatre

NEW ADAPTATION – PLAY
Oren Jacoby – Invisible Man – Court Theatre in association with Christopher McElroen Productions

CHOREOGRAPHY
Tammy Mader – Hairspray – Drury Lane Productions

ORIGINAL INCIDENTAL MUSIC
Lindsay Jones – Timon of Athens – Chicago Shakespeare Theater

MUSIC DIRECTION
Brad Haak – Follies – Chicago Shakespeare Theater

SCENIC DESIGN – LARGE
Kevin Depinet – The Iceman Cometh – Goodman Theatre

SCENIC DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Brian Prather – Freud's Last Session – Carolyn Rossi Copeland, Robert Stillman, and Jack Thomas

LIGHTING DESIGN – LARGE
Natasha Katz – The Iceman Cometh – Goodman Theatre

LIGHTING DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Michael McNamara – The Turn of the Screw – First Folio Theatre

COSTUME DESIGN – LARGE
Virgil C. Johnson – Follies – Chicago Shakespeare Theater

COSTUME DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Branimira Ivanova – Cloud 9 – The Gift Theatre

SOUND DESIGN – LARGE
Mikhail Fiksel – Oedipus el Rey – Victory Gardens Theater

SOUND DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Christopher Kriz – The Turn of the Screw – First Folio Theatre

PROJECTIONS/MEDIA DESIGN
Maya Ciarrocchi – Crowns – Goodman Theatre

ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION
Dennis Watkins – Magic Design – Death and Harry Houdini – The House Theatre of Chicago

SPECIAL AWARD
Actors' Equity Association

View video highlights of Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Follies: