Non-Equity Jeff Awards are Announced

The Jeff Awards Committee today announced 128 nominations in 24 categories of Non-Equity Jeff Awards for productions that opened between April 1, 2013, and March 31, 2014. The Non-Equity Awards honor excellence in Chicago theatres not under a union contract. Jeff judges attended opening nights of 147 productions offered by 65 Non-Equity producing organizations. The judges recommended 66 of those shows, making them eligible for Non-Equity Jeff Award nominations. Thirty theatre companies received nominations.

BoHo Theatre, with a mix of musicals and plays, earned 12 nods this year, the most of any theatre company. "Kiss of The Spider Woman," a musical of South American political prisoners surviving brutality, garnered six nominations. The company's productions of "Amadeus," a story of court politics between musical rivals Mozart and Salieri, and their mystery thriller "Veronica's Room," each earned three nominations.

The 2014 nominations also recognized a strong season at Oracle Productions, which scored 11 nominations for two works: seven for "The Mother," Brecht's story of a widow embroiled in Marxist politics, and four for "Pink Milk," the tragic tale of Alan Turing, a forefather of modern computers. Raven Theatre's nine nominations include six for "The Playboy of the Western World," an Irish yarn of exaggerated heroics.

The 2014 nominations also reward the efforts of Non-Equity theaters producing New Works and New Adaptations in Chicago, citing 11 nominations for world premieres. Six nominated new plays include Maureen Gallagher's "Comrades Mine" at City Lit Theater Company, Philip Dawkins' "Miss Marx: or the involuntary side effect of living" at Strawdog Theatre Company, Manny Tamayo's "Incident on Run #1217" at The Factory Theater, Joel Kim Booster's "Kate and Sam Are Not Breaking Up" at The New Colony, Will Dunne's "The Roper" at The Den Theatre, and Bilal Dardal's "The Sovereign Statement" at The Neo-Futurists. New Adaptations earning nominations are Christopher M. Walsh's "A Tale of Two Cities" at Lifeline Theatre, Paul Edwards' "A Study in Scarlet" at Promethean Theatre Ensemble, Sean Graney's "12 Nights" at The Hypocrites, Thom Pasculli's "Core of the Pudel/Gutting the Legend of Faust" at Trap Door Theatre, and Steve Gooch's translation of "The Mother" at Oracle Productions.

The 41st Annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, June 2, 2014, at Park West, 322 W. Armitage, Chicago. Doors open for a cash bar at 6 p.m., with a light buffet at 6:30 p.m., and the presentation ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the door. A group rate of $35 is available for parties of 10 or more. Festive cocktail attire is suggested, and the public is cordially invited. Tickets are purchased online with a credit card atwww.jeffawards.org or by mail with the downloadable mail-order form, also found at www.jeffawards.org. For more information, contact John D. Glover, Non-Equity Wing Chair, at nonequitywing@jeffawards.org. Follow live twitter feeds from the ceremony and behind the scenes at #josephjefferson.

The Jeff Awards has been honoring outstanding theater artists annually since it was established in 1968. With up to 55 members representing a wide variety of backgrounds in theatre, the Jeff Awards are committed to celebrating the vitality of Chicago area theater by recognizing excellence through its recommendations, awards, and honors. The Jeff Awards foster the artistic growth of area theaters and theater artists and promote educational opportunities, audience appreciation, and civic pride in the achievements of the theater community. Each year, the Jeff Awards evaluate over 250 theatrical productions and host two awards ceremonies annually. Originally chartered to recognize only Equity productions, the Jeff Awards established the Non-Equity Wing in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non-union theatre. The next Equity Awards ceremony, honoring productions presented under union contracts, is on Monday, October 13, 2014, at Drury Lane Oakbrook in Oakbrook Terrace.

2014 NON-EQUITY JEFF AWARD NOMINEES

PRODUCTION - PLAY

"Great Expectations" - Strawdog Theatre Company

"Incident on Run #1217" - The Factory Theater

"The Knowledge" - Steep Theatre Company

"The Mother" - Oracle Productions

"The Playboy of the Western World" - Raven Theatre

"Veronica's Room" - BoHo Theatre

PRODUCTION - MUSICAL

"Dessa Rose" - Bailiwick Chicago

"Kiss of the Spider Woman" - BoHo Theatre

"Monty Python's Spamalot" - NightBlue Performing Arts Company

"Passion" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

"Sweet Smell of Success" - Kokandy Productions

DIRECTOR - PLAY

Jonathan Berry - "The Knowledge" - Steep Theatre Company

Matt Engle - "Incident on Run #1217" - The Factory Theater

Jason Gerace - "Great Expectations" - Strawdog Theatre Company

Elly Green - "Rabbit" - Stage Left Theatre

Max Truax - "The Mother" - Oracle Productions

DIRECTOR - MUSICAL OR REVUE

Fred Anzevino - "Passion" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Lili-Anne Brown - "Dessa Rose" - Bailiwick Chicago

Peter Marston Sullivan - "Kiss of the Spider Woman" - BoHo Theatre

Derek van Barham - "Songs From an Unmade Bed" - Pride Films and Plays

David E. Walters - "Monty Python's Spamalot" - NightBlue Performing Arts Company

ENSEMBLE

"Clybourne Park" - Redtwist Theatre

"Core of the Pudel/Gutting the Legend of Faust" - Trap Door Theatre

"Great Expectations" - Strawdog Theatre Company

"The Killer Angels" - Lifeline Theatre

"The Knowledge" - Steep Theatre Company

"The Mother" - Oracle Productions

"Pink Milk" - Oracle Productions i/a/w White Elephant

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY

Chris Ballou (Mozart) - "Amadeus" - BoHo Theatre

Patrick Gannon (Dave/Mint/Candy) - "The Tennessee Williams Project" - The Hypocrites

Fred Geyer (Presley Stray) - "Pitchfork Disney" - Interrobang Theatre Project

Steve O'Connell (Salieri) - "Amadeus" - BoHo Theatre

Joel Reitsma (Danny) - "Motortown" - Steep Theatre Company

Nate Santana (Joe) - "Golden Boy" - Griffin Theatre Company

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL

Nathan Carroll (Molina) - "Kiss of the Spider Woman" - BoHo Theatre

Jim DeSelm (Jamie Wallerstein) - "The Last Five Years" - Kokandy Productions

Evan Tyrone Martin (Valentin) - "Kiss of the Spider Woman" - BoHo Theatre

Jordan Phelps (Performer) - "Songs From an Unmade Bed" - Pride Films and Plays

David Schlumpf (Sidney Falcone) - "Sweet Smell of Success" - Kokandy Productions

Kevin Webb (Performer) - "Songs From an Unmade Bed" - Pride Films and Plays

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY

Sally Eames (Susan) - "Woman in Mind" - Eclipse Theatre Company

Kelli Harrington (Maria Callas) - "Master Class" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Katherine Keberlein (The Mother) - "The Mother" - Oracle Productions

Caroline Neff (Zoe) - "The Knowledge" - Steep Theatre Company

Mary Williamson (June) - "Reverb" - Redtwist Theatre

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL

Molly Brennan (Madam Barker) - "The Life and Death of Madam Barker" - Red Tape Theatre

Sydney Charles (Dessa Rose) - "Dessa Rose" - Bailiwick Chicago

Harmony France (Ruth) - "Dessa Rose" - Bailiwick Chicago

Allison Hendrix (Catherine Hiatt) - "The Last Five Years" - Kokandy Productions

Danni Smith (Fosca) - "Passion" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY

Matt Edmonds (Aaron) - "All-American" - Redtwist Theatre

Jose Antonio Garcia (Happy) - "Fallow" - Steep Theatre Company

Dennis William Grimes (Richard) - "Rabbit" - Stage Left Theatre

Joseph Wiens (Brad) - "Orange Flower Water" - Interrobang Theatre Project

Norm Woodell (Bonaparte) - "Golden Boy" - Griffin Theatre Company

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL

Tommy Bullington (Smee) - "Return of Neverland" - Quest Theatre Ensemble

Daniel Desmarais (Leaf Coneybear) - "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" - Griffin Theatre Company

Greg Foster (Patsy/French Taunter) - "Monty Python's Spamalot" - NightBlue Performing Arts Company

Nathan Gardner (Dallas) - "Sweet Smell of Success" - Kokandy Productions

David Schlumpf (Nehemiah) - "Dessa Rose" - Bailiwick Chicago

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY

Eleanor Katz (Jessie Mae Watts) - "The Trip to Bountiful" - Raven Theatre

Ashleigh LaThrop (Jade) - "Motortown" - Steep Theatre Company

Nina O'Keefe (Lorna) - "Golden Boy" - Griffin Theatre Company

Nora Lise Ulrey (Mary Tilford) - "The Children's Hour" - Pride Films and Plays

Sarah Wellington (Performer) - "Veronica's Room" - BoHo Theatre

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL

Victoria Blade (Susan) - "Sweet Smell of Success" - Kokandy Productions

Charlotte Mae Ellison (Olive Ostrovsky) - "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" - Griffin Theatre Company

Jasondra Johnson (Dorcas) - "Dessa Rose" - Bailiwick Chicago

Laura McClain (Rona Lisa Peretti) - "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" - Griffin Theatre Company

Katie Miller (Lady of the Lake) - "Monty Python's Spamalot" - NightBlue Performing Arts Company

Colette Todd (Clara) - "Passion" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

NEW WORK

Joel Kim Booster - "Kate and Sam Are Not Breaking Up" - The New Colony

Bilal Dardai - "The Sovereign Statement" - The Neo-Futurists

Phillip Dawkins - "Miss Marx: or the involuntary side effect of living" - Strawdog Theatre Company

Will Dunne - "The Roper" - The Den Theatre

Maureen Gallagher - "Comrades Mine" - City Lit Theater Company

Manny Tamayo - "Incident on Run #1217" - The Factory Theater

NEW ADAPTATION

Steve Gooch (translator) - "The Mother" - Oracle Productions

Sean Graney - "12 Nights" - The Hypocrites

Thom Pasculli - "Core of the Pudel/ Gutting the Legend of Faust" - Trap Door Theatre

Christopher M. Walsh - "A Tale of Two Cities" - Lifeline Theatre

Paul Edwards - "A Study in Scarlet" - Promethean Theatre Ensemble

CHOREOGRAPHY

Linda Fortunato - "Kiss of the Spider Woman" - BoHo Theatre

Kelsey Overberg and Christopher Pazdernik - "Monty Python's Spamalot" - NightBlue Performing Arts Company

Brandon Powers - "Pink Milk" - Oracle Productions i/a/w White Elephant

Steven Spanopoulos - "Sweet Smell of Success" - Kokandy Productions

ORIGINAL MUSIC IN A PLAY

Josh Brechner - "Pink Milk" - Oracle Productions i/a/w White Elephant

Mad Dan Caffrey and the Tabletop Joes - "Heist Play" - The Ruckus

Jonathan Guillen and Nicholas Tonozzi - "The Mother" - Oracle Productions

Andrew Hansen - "A Tale of Two Cities" - Lifeline Theatre

Leif Olsen - "The Playboy of the Western World" - Raven Theatre

MUSIC DIRECTION

Aaron Benham - "Sweet Smell of Success" - Kokandy Productions

Kory Danielson - "Passion" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Elizabeth Doran - "Kiss of the Spider Woman" - BoHo Theatre

James Morehead - "Dessa Rose" - Bailiwick Chicago

Robert Ollis - "Songs From an Unmade Bed" - Pride Films and Plays

SCENIC DESIGN

Buck Blue - "Lascivious Something" - Signal Ensemble Theatre

Andrei Onegin - "The Playboy of the Western World" - Raven Theatre

Amanda Rozmiarek - "Brighton Beach Memoirs" - Raven Theatre

Jameson Sanford - "Veronica's Room" - BoHo Theatre

Adam Veness - "Passion" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Carolyn Voss - "Through the Leaves" - the side project

LIGHTING DESIGN

Jessica Carson - "Pink Milk" - Oracle Productions i/a/w White Elephant

Diane D. Fairchild - "A Tale of Two Cities" - Lifeline Theatre

Brian Hoehne - "Dessa Rose" - Bailiwick Chicago

John Kelly - "Great Expectations" - Strawdog Theatre Company

Jared Moore - "Ivywild" - The Hypocrites

Kurt Ottinger - "The Playboy of the Western World" - Raven Theatre

COSTUME DESIGN

Theresa Ham - "Amadeus" - BoHo Theatre

Izumi Inaba - "The Life and Death of Madam Barker" - Red Tape Theatre

Beth Laske-Miller - "A Study in Scarlet" - Promethean Theatre Ensemble

Alaina Moore - "The Playboy of the Western World" - Raven Theatre

Kate Setzer Kamphausen - "Christmas Dearest" - Hell In A Handbag Productions

Mieka van der Ploeg - "Golden Boy" - Griffin Theatre Company

SOUND DESIGN

Andrew Hansen - "A Tale of Two Cities" - Lifeline Theatre

Kevin O'Donnell - "Ivywild" - The Hypocrites

Stephen Ptacek - "The Killer Angels" - Lifeline Theatre

Danny Rockett and Cooper Forsman - "Core of the Pudel/Gutting the Legend of Faust" - Trap Door Theatre

Rick Sims - "Golden Boy" - Griffin Theatre Company

FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY

Ryan Bourque - "Reverb" - Redtwist Theatre

Matt Hawkins - "The Three Musketeers" - Lifeline Theatre

John Moran and Matt Engle - "Incident on Run #1217" - The Factory Theater

David Woolley - "The Playboy of the Western World" - Raven Theatre

ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION

Jeremy Clark - Video Design - "The Mother" - Oracle Productions

John Fournier - Music and Lyrics - "The Life and Death of Madam Barker" - Red Tape Theatre

Megan Hovany, Nick Rupard and Luke Verkamp - Puppet Design - "The People's A Christmas Wish" - Quest Theatre Ensemble

Scott C. Lamps and Andrew Park - Music and Lyrics - "The People's A Christmas Wish" - Quest Theatre Ensemble

Mary O'Dowd - Properties/Set Dressing - "Brighton Beach Memoirs" - Raven Theatre

MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS

BY THEATER

BoHo Theatre	12
Oracle Productions	11
Raven Theatre	9
Bailiwick Chicago	8
Griffin Theatre Company	8
Kokandy Productions	8
Lifeline Theatre	7
Steep Theatre Company	7
Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre	7
NightBlue Performing Arts Company	5
Pride Films & Plays	5
Strawdog Theatre Company	5
The Factory Theatre	4
The Hypocrites	4
Redtwist Theatre	4
Quest Theatre Ensemble	3
Red Tape Theatre Company	3
Trap Door Theatre	3
Interrobang Theatre Project	2
Promethean Theatre Ensemble	2
Stage Left Theatre Company	2

BY PRODUCTION

Dessa Rose	8
The Mother	7
Kiss of the Spider Woman	6
Passion	6
Playboy of the Western World	6
Sweet Smell of Success	6
Golden Boy	5
Monty Python's Spamalot	5
Great Expectations	4
Incident on Run #1217	4
The Knowledge	4
Pink Milk	4
Songs From An Unmade Bed	4
A Tale of Two Cities	4
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee	3
Amadeus	3
Core of the Pudel/Gutting the Legend of Faust	3
The Life and Death of Madam Barker	3
Veronica's Room	3
Brighton Beach Memoirs	2
Ivywild	2
The Killer Angels	2
The Last Five Years	2
Motortown	2
The People's A Christmas Wish	2
Rabbit	2
Reverb	2
A Study in Scarlet	2

BY ARTIST

Matt Engle	2
Andrew Hansen	2
David Schlumpf	2

SPECIAL NOTICE TO NEWS MEDIA Your complimentary ticket to the 41st Annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards ceremony will be held at the News Media Table at the Park West only if you make a reservation in advance with Jeffrey Marks at 312.606.0400or media@jeffawards.org. Names of award recipients will be released immediately following the presentation ceremony June 2, by email and on our website. Photos from the event will be available on our website. A Media Curtain is available for your own photos. We will also have an interview area available to you, and will assist in bringing interviewees to that area. If you need a quote or interview with any Jeff Awards committee member, please call or e-mail Jeffrey Marks at 312-606-0400 or media@jeffawards.org. The Jeff Awards Committee website, www.jeffawards.org, lists all the current Non-Equity nominees and statistics, along with previous recipients and nominees and other Jeff Awards information and news. Contact: Jeffrey Marks - Media Chair, 312-606-0400 or media@jeffawards.org or John Glover - Non-Equity Wing Chair, nonequitywing@jeffawards.org

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