Michael and Mona Heath to be Honored by The Jeff Awards

The Joseph Jefferson Awards will honor arts philanthropists Michael and Mona Heath at the 50th Anniversary Non-Equity Awards celebration Monday, March 25, 2024 at Park West in Chicago.

Over the last decade, Michael and Mona Heath have emerged as outstanding pillars of support for storefront Chicago theater. Their passion for the arts lives through a remarkable commitment to attending hundreds of shows annually as well as generous contributions made by the Michael and Mona Heath Fund, which has provided vital financial assistance to countless theaters and artists.

“Having seen thousands of theater performances, the Heaths know from experience that theater can change lives,” said John Glover, chair of the Jeff Awards. “They have been leaders in helping inspire others to nurture artistic excellence, promote inclusiveness, and respond to the current times that call for new voices articulating previously untold stories with investments in supporting more risky new play development.”

The Heaths have been instrumental in shaping the cultural landscape of Chicago theater. Beyond their generous financial support, they have actively fostered artistic growth that enables companies to pursue projects that might have otherwise been unattainable from production support and equipment to make performances accessible to people with disabilities to workshops for play development, advocacy for diversity and inclusion and financing the Heath Mainstage at The Den Theatre. In 2023, their production sponsorship garnered six Non-Equity Jeff Awards for artists in shows produced by Blank Theatre Company, First Floor Theater and The Story Theatre.

Additionally, the couple’s commitment helps recognize the challenges artists face making a living as artists. The Heaths continue to advocate for better wages for artists and have made instrumental efforts to improve the financial lives of theater artists and ensure the long-term vibrancy of the theater community.

The couple jointly have backgrounds in technology. Michael is a retired computer science professor and Mona an IT professional. Their mutual passion for theater found full fruition after they retired from the University of Illinois in 2012, so that they could see multiple shows per week (except for a 600+ day interruption during the pandemic). In 2019, 2022, and 2024 Newcity named the Heaths as part of its annual “Players 50” list in the Advocates and Changemakers category.

The 50th Anniversary Non-Equity Awards celebration will be held Monday, March 25, 2024, at Park West in Chicago, IL, beginning at 7:00pm CST.  The ceremony will be directed by Adrian Abel Azevedo, hosted by Neala Barron and Ari Gato, and under the musical direction of Dr. Michael McBride.

Photo credit: Joe Mazza / Brave Lux