Winners Announced at the 46th Annual Equity Jeff Awards Gala
(© Joe Mazza)
The 46th Annual Equity Jeff Awards gala was held at Drury Lane Oakbrook on Monday evening to celebrate excellence in Chicago theater throughout the past season of productions. The Jeff Awards Committee judged the opening nights of 134 productions from 49 producing organizations, 94 of which were "Jeff Recommended," making them eligible for award nominations.
American Blues Theatre, the Goodman Theatre, and Writers Theatre led the field, earning five awards each, followed by Drury Lane Productions and Porchlight Music Theatre with four awards each, and the House Theatre of Chicago, Lookingglass Theatre Company, and TimeLine Theatre Company
with two awards each.
The 2014 Ensemble Award, sponsored by Actors’ Equity Association, was presented to The Seafarer, written by Irish playwright Conor McPherson and presented by the Seanachaí Theatre Company (newly renamed Irish Theatre of Chicago). The cast featured Brad Armacost, Ira Amyx, Shane Kenyon, Kevin Theis, and Dan Waller.
Read the complete list of winners below:
PRODUCTION – PLAY – LARGE
The Dance of Death – Writers Theatre
PRODUCTION – PLAY – MIDSIZE
The Normal Heart – TimeLine Theatre Company
PRODUCTION – MUSICAL – LARGE
Brigadoon – Goodman Theatre
PRODUCTION – MUSICAL – MIDSIZE
Hank Williams: Lost Highway – American Blues Theater
PRODUCTION – REVUE
Ain’t Misbehavin’ – Porchlight Music Theatre
DIRECTOR – PLAY
Nick Bowling – The Normal Heart – TimeLine Theatre Company
DIRECTOR – MUSICAL
William Osetek – Next to Normal – Drury Lane Productions
DIRECTOR – REVUE
Brenda Didier – Ain’t Misbehavin’ – Porchlight Music Theatre
ENSEMBLE
The Seafarer – Seanachaí Theatre Company
ACTOR IN A PRINICPAL ROLE – PLAY
Larry Yando – The Dance of Death – Writers Theatre
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
Matthew Brumlow – Hank Williams: Lost Highway – American Blues Theater
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Shannon Cochran – The Dance of Death – Writers Theatre
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
Susie McMonagle – Next to Normal – Drury Lane Productions
ACTOR IN A REVUE
John Hartman – Depraved New World – The Second City
ACTRESS IN A REVUE
Renee Matthews – Old Jews Telling Jokes – Daniel Okrent & Peter Gethers, Richard Frankel, Tom Viertel, Steven Baruch, and Marc Routh
SOLO PERFORMANCE
Gwendolyn Whiteside – Grounded – American Blues Theater
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
Mike Nussbaum – Smokefall – Goodman Theatre and South Coast Repertory
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
Mark David Kaplan – "Les Misérables" – Drury Lane Productions
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
Sandra Marquez – A View From the Bridge – Teatro Vista
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
Jessica Rush – Gypsy – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
NEW WORK
Rebecca Gilman – Luna Gale – Goodman Theatre
NEW ADAPTATION
John Mossman – The Goddess – The Artistic Home
CHOREOGRAPHY
Rachel Rockwell – Brigadoon – Goodman Theatre
ORIGINAL MUSIC IN A PLAY
PigPen Theatre Co. – The Old Man and the Old Moon – Writers Theatre
MUSIC DIRECTION
Malcolm Ruhl – Hank Williams: Lost Highway – American Blues Theater
SCENIC DESIGN – LARGE
Collette Pollard – In the Garden: A Darwinian Love Story – Lookingglass Theatre Company
SCENIC DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Katie-Bell Springmann – Cock – Profiles Theatre
LIGHTING DESIGN – LARGE
William Kirkham – The Little Prince – Lookingglass Theatre Company
in association with The Actors Gymnasium
LIGHTING DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Rebecca A. Barrett and Lee Keenan – Dorian – The House Theatre of Chicago
COSTUME DESIGN – LARGE
Mara Blumenfeld – Brigadoon – Goodman Theatre
COSTUME DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Bill Morey – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying –
Porchlight Music Theatre
SOUND DESIGN – LARGE
Mikhail Fiksel – The Old Man and the Old Moon – Writers Theatre
SOUND DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Lindsay Jones – Grounded – American Blues Theater
PROJECTIONS / MEDIA DESIGN
Sage Marie Carter – Les Misérables – Drury Lane Productions
ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION
Austin Cook – Piano/Conductor – Ain’t Misbehavin’ – Porchlight Music Theatre
Jeff Klapperich – Portrait Artist – Dorian – The House Theatre of Chicago
