52nd Annual Equity Jeff Awards Nominations Announced

The Jeff Awards has announced the nominees for the 52nd annual awards for theater excellence that include 142 theater artists across 30 artistic and technical categories. The awards will be presented in an online program on Monday, November 9, 2020 at 7:00PM.

The traditional Equity season runs August 1st through July 31st however, this year, it ended March 13th due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of the 2019-2020 season, Jeff Awards members attended the openings of 78 productions. From these, 64 productions became "Jeff Recommended." With two productions having runs so short (due to the pandemic shutdown), a total of 62 productions became eligible for 2020 award nominations.

This year, the work of 28 Equity theater companies is showcased with 37 productions receiving one or more nominations. Musicals led the nominations with "An American in Paris" (12) and "Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies" (8). Five productions tied with seven nominations including "The Boys in the Band," "Bug," "Grey House," "King Hedley II," and "The Color Purple." Among theater companies, Drury Lane Productions captured the most nominations with 22, followed by Paramount Theatre (13), Porchlight Music Theatre, Court Theatre and Steppenwolf Theatre Company (all with 11), TimeLine Theatre (10), and eight nominations each for A Red Orchid Theatre, Windy City Playhouse and Writers Theatre.

The virtual awards ceremony will be presented on November 9th to recognize theater excellence over the past 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 late October.

2020 EQUITY JEFF AWARD NOMINEES

Production - Play (Large)

"Bug" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company
"The First Deep Breath" - Victory Gardens Theater
"King Hedley II" - Court Theatre
"The King's Speech" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
"Oslo" - TimeLine Theatre Company
"Stick Fly" - Writers Theatre

Production - Play (Midsize)

"The Boys in the Band" - Windy City Playhouse
"Grey House" - A Red Orchid Theatre
"His Shadow: A Parable" - 16th Street Theater
"The Leopard Play, or Sad Songs for Lost Boys" - Steep Theatre Company
"Sheepdog" - Shattered Globe Theatre

Production - Musical or Revue (Large)

"An American in Paris" - Drury Lane Productions
"Beauty and the Beast" - Paramount Theatre
"The Color Purple" - Drury Lane Productions
"Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies" - Porchlight Music Theatre
"Into the Woods" - Writers Theatre
"Something Rotten!" - Marriott Theatre

Production - Musical or Revue (Midsize)

"Always...Patsy Cline" - Firebrand Theatre
"Monty Python's Spamalot" - Mercury Theater Chicago
"Verböten" - The House Theatre of Chicago

Ensemble - Play

"The Boys in the Band" - Windy City Playhouse
"The First Deep Breath" - Victory Gardens Theater
"Grey House" - A Red Orchid Theatre
"How to Defend Yourself" - Victory Gardens Theater
"Kill Move Paradise" - TimeLine Theatre Company
"The Leopard Play, or Sad Songs for Lost Boys" - Steep Theatre Company
"Stick Fly" - Writers Theatre

Ensemble - Musical or Revue

"An American in Paris" - Drury Lane Productions
"The Color Purple" - Drury Lane Productions
"Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies" - Porchlight Music Theatre
"Into the Woods" - Writers Theatre
"Something Rotten!" - Marriott Theatre

New Work

Lee Edward Colston II - "The First Deep Breath" - Victory Gardens Theater

Steven Dietz - "How a Boy Falls" - Northlight Theatre

Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen, Michael Mahler and Alan Schmuckler
- "The Secret of My Success" - Paramount Theatre

Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon
- "The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley" - Northlight Theatre

Levi Holloway - "Grey House" - A Red Orchid Theatre

Jason Narducy and Brett Neveu - "Verböten" - The House Theatre of Chicago

Douglas Post - "Howards End" - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

Fouad Teymour - "Twice, Thrice, Frice..."
- Silk Road Rising in association with International Voices Project

Loy A. Webb - "His Shadow: A Parable" - 16th Street Theater

Director - Play (Large)

Nick Bowling - "Oslo" - TimeLine Theatre Company
Wardell Julius Clark - "Kill Move Paradise" - TimeLine Theatre Company
David Cromer - "Bug" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Ron OJ Parson - "King Hedley II" - Court Theatre
Vanessa Stalling - "Roe" - Goodman Theatre

Director - Play (Midsize)

Laura Alcalá Baker - "The Leopard Play, or Sad Songs for Lost Boys"
- Steep Theatre Company
Wardell Julius Clark - "His Shadow: A Parable" - 16th Street Theater
Wardell Julius Clark - "Sheepdog" - Shattered Globe Theatre
Carl Menninger - "The Boys in the Band" - Windy City Playhouse
Shade Murray - "Grey House" - A Red Orchid Theatre
Nick Sandys - "Howards End" - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
Randy White - "Midsummer (A Play with Songs)"
- The Greenhouse Theater Center

Director - Musical or Revue (Large)

Lili-Anne Brown - "The Color Purple" - Drury Lane Productions
Brenda Didier & Florence Walker-Harris
- "Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies" - Porchlight Music Theatre
Gary Griffin - "Into the Woods" - Writers Theatre
Lynne Kurdziel-Formato - "An American in Paris" - Drury Lane Productions
Scott Weinstein - "Something Rotten!" - Marriott Theatre

Director - Musical or Revue (Midsize)

Nathan Allen - "Verböten" - The House Theatre of Chicago
Brigitte Ditmars - "Always...Patsy Cline" - Firebrand Theatre
L. Walter Stearns - "Monty Python's Spamalot" - Mercury Theater Chicago

Performer in a Principal Role - Play

Carrie Coon (Agnes White) - "Bug" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Chaon Cross (Helena) - "Midsummer (A Play with Songs)"
- The Greenhouse Theater Center

Charles Andrew Gardner (Teeny) - "His Shadow: A Parable"
- 16th Street Theater

Harry Hadden-Paton (Bertie) - "The King's Speech"
- Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Patrick Mulvey (Bob) - "Midsummer (A Play with Songs)"
- The Greenhouse Theater Center

Kelvin Roston, Jr. (Hedley) - "King Hedley II" - Court Theatre

Leslie Ann Sheppard (Amina) - "Sheepdog" - Shattered Globe Theatre

Julia Siple (Jenny) - "Mosquitoes" - Steep Theatre Company

Namir Smallwood (Peter Evans) - "Bug" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Eliza Stoughton (Margaret Schlegel) - "Howards End"
- Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

Bri Sudia (Mona Juul) - "Oslo" - TimeLine Theatre Company

Performer in a Principal Role - Musical

Josh Drake (Jerry Mulligan) - "An American in Paris" - Drury Lane Productions

Leigh-Ann Esty (Lise Dassin) - "An American in Paris" - Drury Lane Productions

Lucy Godinez (Nancy) - "Oliver!" - Marriott Theatre

Beth Stafford Laird (Belle) - "Beauty and the Beast" - Paramount Theatre

Eben K. Logan (Celie) - "The Color Purple" - Drury Lane Productions

Emilie Lynn (Mary Poppins) - "Mary Poppins" - Drury Lane Productions

Alex Prakken (Jack Kelly) - "Disney's Newsies" - Paramount Theatre

Hollis Resnik (Norma Desmond) - "Sunset Boulevard"
- Porchlight Music Theatre

Billy Harrigan Tighe (Brantley Foster) - "The Secret of My Success"
- Paramount Theatre

Jonah D. Winston (King Arthur) - "Monty Python's Spamalot"
- Mercury Theater Chicago

Solo Performance

Deirdre O'Connell (Dana H.) - "Dana H." - Goodman Theatre

Rebecca Spence (Narrator) - "Every Brilliant Thing"
- Windy City Playhouse

Performer in a Revue

Harmony France / Christina Hall (Patsy Cline / Louise Seger)
- "Always...Patsy Cline" - Firebrand Theatre

Donica Lynn (The Chanteuse) - "Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies"
- Porchlight Music Theatre

Lorenzo Rush Jr. (The Raconteur) - "Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies"
- Porchlight Music Theatre

Performer in a Supporting Role - Play

Kierra Bunch (Tonya) - "King Hedley II" - Court Theatre

Lisa Dawn (Jen) - "The Cake" - Buffalo Theatre Ensemble

Anish Jethmalani (Ahmed Qurie) - "Oslo" - TimeLine Theatre Company

Dan Klarer (Egbert Bakewell) - "Jeeves Saves the Day" - First Folio Theatre

James Leaming (Ronald Reagan) - "Five Presidents" - American Blues Theater

Marcus D. Moore (Kodak/Man) - "His Shadow: A Parable" - 16th Street Theater

Deanna Reed-Foster (Pearl Thomas ) - "The First Deep Breath"
- Victory Gardens Theater

Sadieh Rifai (Eva) - "Do You Feel Anger?" - A Red Orchid Theatre

James Seol (Wen Chang) - "The Great Leap" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

A.C. Smith (Elmore) - "King Hedley II" - Court Theatre

John Tufts (Edmond Rostand) - "Bernhardt/Hamlet" - Goodman Theatre

Celeste Williams (Ruth Jones) - "The First Deep Breath"
- Victory Gardens Theater

Larry Yando (Constant Coquelin) - "Bernhardt/Hamlet" - Goodman Theatre

Performer in a Supporting Role - Musical

Ephie Aardema (Harriet Smith) - "Emma" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Larry Adams (Max von Mayerling) - "Sunset Boulevard"
- Porchlight Music Theatre

Skyler Adams (Adam Hochberg) - "An American in Paris"
- Drury Lane Productions

Sydney Charles (Shug Avery) - "The Color Purple" - Drury Lane Productions

Erica Evans (Milo Davenport) - "An American in Paris" - Drury Lane Productions

Jackson Evans (Lumiere) - "Beauty and the Beast" - Paramount Theatre

Jason Grimm (Hines) - "The Pajama Game" - Theatre at the Center

Nicole Michelle Haskins (Sofia) - "The Color Purple" - Drury Lane Productions

Heidi Kettenring (Vera Prescott) - "The Secret of My Success"
- Paramount Theatre

Ross Lehman (Nostradamus) - "Something Rotten!" - Marriott Theatre

Meghan Murphy (Lady of the Lake) - "Monty Python's Spamalot"
- Mercury Theater Chicago

Scenic Design - Large

William Boles - "Disney's Newsies" - Paramount Theatre

William Boles - "The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley"
- Northlight Theatre

Linda Buchanan - "Stick Fly" - Writers Theatre

Regina Garcia - "King Hedley II" - Court Theatre

Takeshi Kata - "Bug" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Jeffrey D. Kmiec - "Beauty and the Beast" - Paramount Theatre

Scenic Design - Midsize

Kurtis Boetcher - "Grey House" - A Red Orchid Theatre

William Boles - "The Boys in the Band" - Windy City Playhouse

José Manuel Díaz-Soto - "Twice, Thrice, Frice..."
- Silk Road Rising in association with International Voices Project

Angela Weber Miller - "Sherlock's Last Case" - First Folio Theatre

Joe Schermoly - "The Gulf" - About Face Theatre

Costume Design - Large

Karl Green - "An American in Paris" - Drury Lane Productions

Theresa Ham - "Beauty and the Beast" - Paramount Theatre

Theresa Ham - "Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies"
- Porchlight Music Theatre

Theresa Ham - "Something Rotten!" - Marriott Theatre

Robin L. McGee - "Mary Poppins" - Drury Lane Productions

Alison Siple - "The Mousetrap" - Court Theatre

Costume Design - Midsize

Uriel Gomez - "The Boys in the Band" - Windy City Playhouse

Kristy Leigh Hall - "Howards End" - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

Rachel Lambert - "Jeeves Saves the Day" - First Folio Theatre

Sound Design - Large

Mikhail Fiksel - "Dana H." - Goodman Theatre
Christopher M. LaPorte - "King Hedley II" - Court Theatre
Jeffrey Levin - "Kill Move Paradise" - TimeLine Theatre Company
André Pluess and Christopher LaPorte - "Oedipus Rex" - Court Theatre
Josh Schmidt - "Bug" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Sound Design - Midsize

Grover Hollway - "Verböten" - The House Theatre of Chicago
Christopher Kriz - "Sheepdog" - Shattered Globe Theatre
Jeffrey Levin - "Grey House" - A Red Orchid Theatre
Sarah D. Espinoza - "The Boys in the Band" - Windy City Playhouse

Lighting Design - Large

Lee Fiskness - "An American in Paris" - Drury Lane Productions
Lee Fiskness - "Into the Woods" - Writers Theatre
Heather Gilbert - "Bug" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Jesse Klug - "Beauty and the Beast" - Paramount Theatre
Keith Parham - "The Great Leap" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Keith Parham - "Oedipus Rex" - Court Theatre

Lighting Design - Midsize

Erik S. Barry - "The Boys in the Band" - Windy City Playhouse
Mike Durst - "Howards End" - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
Mike Durst and Claire Chrzan - "Grey House" - A Red Orchid Theatre
David Goodman-Edberg - "His Shadow: A Parable" - 16th Street Theater
Rachel Levy - "The Gulf" - About Face Theatre
Jason Lynch - "Sheepdog" - Shattered Globe Theatre

Choreography

Joshua Blake Carter - "Disney's Newsies" - Paramount Theatre

Brenda Didier & Florence Walker-Harris - "Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies"
- Porchlight Music Theatre

Linda Fortunato - "Irving Berlin's White Christmas" - Theatre at the Center

Lynne Kurdziel-Formato - "An American in Paris" - Drury Lane Productions

Alex Sanchez - "Something Rotten!" - Marriott Theatre

Original Music in a Play

John Gromada - "The King's Speech" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Pornchanok Kanchanabanca - "The Great Leap" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Ladysmith Black Mambazo - "Lindiwe" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Jeffrey Levin - "Kill Move Paradise" - TimeLine Theatre Company
Joanna Lynne Staub - "Bernhardt/Hamlet" - Goodman Theatre

Musical Direction

Matt Deitchman - "Into the Woods" - Writers Theatre

Jermaine Hill - "The Color Purple" - Drury Lane Productions

Jermaine Hill - "Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies"
- Porchlight Music Theatre

Chris Sargent - "An American in Paris" - Drury Lane Productions

Andra Velis Simon - "Always...Patsy Cline" - Firebrand Theatre

William Underwood - "Almost Heaven: John Denver's America"
- Theatre at the Center

Projection Design

Anthony Churchill - "Sunset Boulevard" - Porchlight Music Theatre
Hana Kim - "The King's Speech" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Kevan Loney - "An American in Paris" - Drury Lane Productions
Kevan Loney - "Mary Poppins" - Drury Lane Productions
Mike Tutaj - "Oslo" - TimeLine Theatre Company
Mike Tutaj - "The Secret of My Success" - Paramount Theatre

Artistic Specialization

Breon Arzell (Movement Choreographer) - "Kill Move Paradise"
- TimeLine Theatre Company

Steve Cuiffo (Illusion and Lip Sync Consultant) - "Dana H."
- Goodman Theatre

Micah Figueroa (Intimacy & Violence Director)
- "The Leopard Play, or Sad Songs for Lost Boys" - Steep Theatre Company

Matt Hawkins (Fight Choreography) - "How to Defend Yourself"
- Victory Gardens Theater

Wendy A. Huber and Margaret Garofalo (Properties Design)
- "Sherlock's Last Case" - First Folio Theatre

Erin Kilmurray (Movement Design) - "Oedipus Rex" - Court Theatre

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