Production Team Set for 51st Anniversary Non-Equity Jeff Awards Ceremony

At the 51st Anniversary Joseph Jefferson Awards for Non-Equity Theater, more than 100 recognized artists and new emerging faces and voices will be honored in a program under the artistic direction of Adrian Abel Azevedo with music direction under Dr. Michael McBride, returning for the third year to artistically guide the popular awards show. Co-hosts of the night are Frankie Leo Bennett and NK Gutiérrez. They are joined by Tommy Novak as announcer. Patrick Newson Jr. and William Anthony Sebastian Rose II, who shared honors as last year’s Non-Equity Jeff Awards recipients for their principal roles in the Refracted Theatre production of Tambo and Bones, will welcome nominees on the red carpet preceding the program. Brittany Chhutani, Jeff Awards Non-Equity Wing Chair, and Johnny Buranosky, former Jeff Awards Non-Equity Wing Chair, are producers of the awards show.  

The 2024 Non-Equity Jeff Awards nominees include 138 theater artists across 23 categories of excellence in theater production among shows from 29 companies. Four companies received more than 11 nominations each including Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre (22 from three productions), Kokandy Productions (14 from two productions), Invictus Theatre Company (12) City Lit Theater Company (11).  “Into the Woods” (Kokandy Productions) and “A Secret Garden” (Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre) tied for the largest number of nominations for a single production (10). Among New Work, eight world premiere plays and musicals are in award consideration.

The ceremony will be held Monday, March 24th 7:00pm (CDT) at the Harris Theater at 205 E. Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601. The show will be preceded by a red carpet walk featuring award nominees and theater community members beginning at 5:30pm.