Nominations Announced for the 47th Annual Non–Equity Jeff Awards

With the conclusion of the 2019-2020 Chicago non-Equity theater season, the Jeff Awards announced the nominees for the 47th annual awards for theater excellence that include 120 theater artists across 21 categories. During this past season, which ended a few weeks early in mid-March due to government guidelines on public gatherings related to the COVID19 virus, Jeff Awards members attended the openings of 126 productions. From these, 52 productions became "Jeff Recommended" and therefore eligible for award nominations.

This year, the work of 31 non-Equity theater companies is showcased with 44 Productions receiving one or more nominations. Four productions tied for most nominations including "All Quiet on the Western Front," "The Ballad of Lefty & Crabbe," "Big Fish," and "P.Y.G. or The Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle," which each received seven nominations. Among theater companies, Griffin Theatre garnered the most nominations with 10, followed by Jackalope Theatre Company (9), Lifeline Theatre (8) and BoHo Theatre, Pride Films and Plays, Red Tape Theatre and Underscore Theatre (all with 7).

A virtual celebration will be held Monday, June 8, 2020 to recognize theater excellence over the past non-Equity season, announce recipients and honor the dedicated theater companies so significantly impacted during these challenging times. Details on accessing the free online program will be available in early June.

2020 NON-EQUITY JEFF AWARD NOMINEES

PRODUCTION - PLAY

"All Quiet on the Western Front" - Red Tape Theatre

"First Love is the Revolution" - Steep Theatre Company

"Middle Passage" - Lifeline Theatre

"Mlima's Tale" - Griffin Theatre Company

"P.Y.G. or The Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle" - Jackalope Theatre Company

"The Undeniable Sound of Right Now" - Raven Theatre

PRODUCTION - MUSICAL

"The Ballad of Lefty & Crabbe" - Underscore Theatre Company

"Big Fish" - BoHo Theatre

"Ghost Quartet" - Black Button Eyes Productions

"Head Over Heels" - Kokandy Productions

"Hedwig and the Angry Inch" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

ENSEMBLE

"All Quiet on the Western Front" - Red Tape Theatre

"The Ballad of Lefty & Crabbe" - Underscore Theatre Company

"Blue Stockings" - Promethean Theatre Ensemble

"Emma" - Lifeline Theatre

"Ghost Quartet" - Black Button Eyes

"P.Y.G. or The Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle" - Jackalope Theatre Company

NEW WORK

Larry Todd Cousineau & Cindy O'Connor- "All That He Was"
- Pride Films and Plays

Matt Foss - "All Quiet on the Western Front" - Red Tape Theatre

Sam Kebede - "Ethiopian America" -Definition Theatre Company

Jillian Leff & Joe Lino - "Small World" - The New Colony

Kenneth Lin - "Life On Paper" - Jackalope Theatre Company

DIRECTOR - PLAY

Lili-Anne Brown - "P.Y.G. or The Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle"
- Jackalope Theatre Company

Spenser Davis - "Blue Stockings" - Promethean Theatre Ensemble

Spenser Davis - "Labyrinth" - Broken Nose Theatre

Matt Foss- "All Quiet on the Western Front" - Red Tape Theatre

Jerrell L. Henderson - "Mlima's Tale" - Griffin Theatre Company

DIRECTOR - MUSICAL

Donterrio Johnson - "A Man of No Importance" - Pride Films and Plays

Ed Rutherford - "Ghost Quartet" - Black Button Eyes Productions

Stephen Schellhardt - "Big Fish" - BoHo Theatre

Rusty Sneary - "The Ballad of Lefty & Crabbe" - Underscore Theatre Company

Derek Van Barham & Elizabeth Swanson - "Head Over Heels" - Kokandy Productions

PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY

Laura Berner Taylor (Grace) - "Out of Love" - Interrobang Theatre Project

Dennis Bisto (Bèrenger) - "The Killer" - Trap Door Theatre

Elaine Carlson (Mrs. Kitty Warren) - "Mrs. Warren's Profession"
- Promethean Theatre Ensemble

Bailey Castle (Barbara, Barbara's Mom, Barbara's Dad) - "Iron Kisses"
- Theatre Above the Law

Bilal Dardai (Samir) - "Language Rooms" - Broken Nose Theatre

Eric Gerard (Blacky Blackerson) - "P.Y.G. or The Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle"
- Jackalope Theatre Company

David Goodloe (Mlima) - "Mlima's Tale" - Griffin Theatre Company

Jacqueline Grandt (Du) - "Keely and Du" - Redtwist Theatre

Tracey Greenwood (Vivie Warren)- "Mrs. Warren's Profession"
- Promethean Theatre Ensemble

Brookelyn Hébert (Ada Byron Lovelace) - "Ada and the Engine" - The Artistic Home

Mary Williamson (Ida) - "Life on Paper" - Jackalope Theatre Company

PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL

Jeremiah Alsop (Musidorus) - "Head Over Heels" - Kokandy Productions

Amanda Giles (Elizabeth) - "If/Then" - Brown Paper Box Co.

Ryan Lanning (Alfie Byrne) - "A Man of No Importance" - Pride Films and Plays

Will Lidke (Hedwig) - "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Amanda Raquel Martinez (Pearl, The Victim, Lady Usher, Soldier, Scheherazade)
- "Ghost Quartet" - Black Button Eyes Productions

Shea Pender (James "Crabbe" Hathaway) - "The Ballad of Lefty & Crabbe"
- Underscore Theatre Company

Kyle Ryan (Theodore "Lefty" Childs) - "The Ballad of Lefty & Crabbe"
- Underscore Theatre Company

Tommy Thurston (Edward Bloom) - "Big Fish" - BoHo Theatre

SOLO PERFORMANCE

Scott Gryder (Alex More) - "Buyer & Cellar" - Pride Films and Plays

Scott Sawa (Henry) - "Here Lies Henry" - Interrobang Theatre Project

Megan Wells (Atina Diffley) - "Turn Here - Sweet Corn" - Saltbox Theatre Collective

PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY

Lynne Baker (Charlotte) - "Beyond Therapy" - Eclipse Theatre Company

Shenise Brown (Michilla Thomas) - "Spoken Word" - MPAACT

Elaine Carlson (Luella) - "Why Torture Is Wrong and the People Who Love Them"
- Eclipse Theatre Company

Renee Lockett (Aunt Mama) - "Sugar In Our Wounds" - First Floor Theater

Marika Mashburn (Eva Ardsley) - "For Services Rendered" - Griffin Theatre Company

John Mossman (Charles Babbage) - "Ada and the Engine" - The Artistic Home

Krystal Ortiz (Lois Ardsley) - "For Services Rendered" - Griffin Theatre Company

Madeline Pell (Actor 4/Harriet Smith and others) - "Emma" - Lifeline Theatre

Shariba Rivers (Candylady) - "Hoodoo Love" - Raven Theatre

Michael Turrentine (Geedi, Wamwara, Hassan Abdulla) - "Mlima's Tale"
- Griffin Theatre Company

Kevin Webb (Èduoard) - "The Killer" - Trap Door Theatre

PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL

Bridget Adams-King (Kate) - "If/Then" - Brown Paper Box Co.

Kyrie Anderson (Sandra Bloom) - "Big Fish" - BoHo Theatre

Brittney Brown (The Girlfriend) - "All That He Was" - Pride Films and Plays

Parker Guidry (Pythio) - "Head Over Heels" - Kokandy Productions

Parker Guidry (Lucas) - "If/Then" - Brown Paper Box Co.

Brian Huther (Gene Sherman) - "The Ballad of Lefty & Crabbe"
- Underscore Theatre Company

Jeff Pierpoint (Will Bloom) - "Big Fish" - BoHo Theatre

SCENIC DESIGN

Alan Donahue - "Middle Passage" - Lifeline Theatre

Alan Donahue - "Whose Body?" - Lifeline Theatre

Jeffrey D. Kmiec - "The Undeniable Sound of Right Now" - Raven Theatre

Sotirios Livaditis - "For Services Rendered" - Griffin Theatre Company

Manuel Ortiz - "Last Night in Karaoke Town" - The Factory Theater

Sydney Lynne Thomas - "Hoodoo Love" - Raven Theatre

COSTUME DESIGN

Aly Renee Amidei - "For Services Rendered" - Griffin Theatre Company

Stefani Azores-Gococo - "P.Y.G. or The Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle"
- Jackalope Theatre Company

Robert S. Kuhn - "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Uriel Gomez - "Head Over Heels" - Kokandy Productions

Rachel M. Sypniewski - "Blue Stockings" - Promethean Theatre Ensemble

Mieka van der Ploeg - "First Love is the Revolution" - Steep Theatre Company

SOUND DESIGN

Barry Bennett - "Middle Passage" - Lifeline Theatre

Sam Clapp - "Sugar In Our Wounds" - First Floor Theater

L.J. Luthringer- "Mlima's Tale" - Griffin Theatre Company

Dan Poppen - "All Quiet on the Western Front" - Red Tape Theatre

Erik Siegling - "Small World" - The New Colony

LIGHTING DESIGN

Michelle Benda - "Out of Love" - Interrobang Theatre Project

Simean "Sim" Carpenter & Scott Tobin - "Middle Passage" - Lifeline Theatre

Jared Gooding - "Mlima's Tale" - Griffin Theatre Company

Stephen Sakowski - "All Quiet on the Western Front" - Red Tape Theatre

Eric Watkins - "Sugar in Our Wounds" - First Floor Theater

CHOREOGRAPHY

Breon Arzell - "Head Over Heels" - Kokandy Productions

Megan Farley - "Big Fish" - BoHo Theatre

Jesse Hoisington - "The Killer" - Trap Door Theatre

Jenna Schoppe - "The Ballad of Lefty & Crabbe" - Underscore Theatre Company

Leah Urzendowski - "All Quiet on the Western Front" - Red Tape Theatre

ORIGINAL MUSIC IN A PLAY

Ben Chang - "The Hound of the Baskervilles" - City Lit Theatre

Jeffrey Levin - "Hoodoo Love" - Raven Theatre

Jeffrey Levin - "Kiss" - Haven Theatre

Aaron Stephenson - "P.Y.G. or The Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle"
- Jackalope Theatre Company
Shawn Wallace and Desta Sound - "Spoken Word" -MPAACT

MUSICAL DIRECTION

Michael McBride - "Big Fish" - BoHo Theatre

Robert Ollis - "A Man of No Importance" - Pride Films and Plays

Jeremy Ramey - "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Jeremy Ramey - "Hello Again" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Nick Sula - "Ghost Quartet" - Black Button Eyes Productions

FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY

Rachel Flesher & Zack Payne - "First Love Is the Revolution" - Steep Theatre Company

Maya Vinice Prentiss - "Ethiopian America" - Definition Theatre Company

Maureen Yasko & Chris Smith - "Non-Player Character" - Red Theater Chicago

PROJECTION DESIGN

Clare Brennan, Aaron Sawyer, & Beth Wolf - "Non-Player Character"
- Red Theater Chicago

Paul Deziel - "P.Y.G. or The Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle"
- Jackalope Theatre Company

Paul Deziel & Alex J. Gendal - "Middle Passage" - Lifeline Theatre

Yeaji Kim - "The Effect" - Strawdog Theatre Company

G. "Max" Maxin IV - "Ghost Quartet" - Black Button Eyes Productions

ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION

Uriel Gomez (Make-up Design) - "Small World" - The New Colony

Keith Ryan (Wig Design) - "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
- Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Robert-Eric West (Wig and Makeup Design) - "Casa Valentina"
- Pride Films and Plays

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