Winners Announced at the 46th Annual Equity Jeff Awards Gala

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