Jeff Award nominations announced
The 2019 Non-Equity Jeff noms are here—see the full list
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The nominations are here for the 2019 Joseph Jefferson Awards, Non-Equity edition. The 46th annual non-Equity ceremony on June 3 will feature nominees from 51 productions that opened between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019. The nominations represent offerings by 33 different theater companies.
Raven Theatre leads the noms, with a dozen spread across five productions. BoHo Theatre and Haven Theatre follow, with 11 and 10, respectively. Among individual productions, Sideshow Theatre Company’s world premiere of Kristiana Rae Colón’s Tilikum (a play that was definitely about a whale) and the Artistic Home’s revival of Requiem for a Heavyweight tied for the most nominations with seven each.
Looking at the list as a whole, I’m quite pleased with how the nominations turned out. In its third go-round with gender-neutral acting categories, the Jeff committee seems to be ironing out some of the kinks we saw in last summer’s Equity Wing nominations. The four performance categories here are well balanced by gender (though the nominees are still predominantly white), while the nominations for playwrights, directors and designers are appreciably diverse.
Whether that’s all to the credit of the Jeff committee or whether it also reflects an ongoing shift in the theater community’s values—and the storefront scene is almost certainly moving faster on that front than the city’s big-money institutions—is hard to say. But to read the list generously, the heavy presence of challenging productions like Tilikum, The Total Bent, In the Blood, The Displaced and Hooded, Or Being Black for Dummies might suggest that the awards body’s ingrained bent toward what you might call feel-good literalism—similar to the Academy inclination that got us Green Book as Best Picture—is undergoing its own evolution.
While I can’t say who I’d knock off the list to make room, there are a handful of personal favorites I’d have liked to see named today: Salar Ardebili’s performance in I Call My Brothers at Interrobang; Raphael Diaz’s performance and Sotirios Livaditis’s scenic design for Griffin Theatre’s The Harvest; both Curtis Edward Jackson and Rudy Galvan for Raven’s The Gentleman Caller. Also nice would have been any recognition at all for Red Tape Theatre’s The Shipment, Jackalope’s In the Canyon, or Sideshow’s HeLa, all of which were inexplicably not recommended by the Jeffs’ opening-night judges and thus ineligible for consideration. (I also loved First Floor Theater’s Mike Pence Sex Dream, which also went unrecommended, but I’m less surprised that it wasn’t up the opening-night judges’ alley.)
Breon Arzell will host the awards ceremony on June 3 at the Athenaeum Theatre. Visit jeffawards.org for ticket information.
Here’s the full list of nominations:
ENSEMBLE
Eclipsed — Pegasus Theatre Chicago
Haymarket — Underscore Theatre Company
Hooded, Or Being Black for Dummies — First Floor Theater
In the Blood — Red Tape Theatre
Plainclothes — Broken Nose Theatre
Red Rex — Steep Theatre Company
PRODUCTION — MUSICAL
The Bridges of Madison County — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Bright Star — BoHo Theatre
Grand Hotel — Kokandy Productions
Haymarket — Underscore Theatre Company
The Total Bent — Haven Theatre Company in association with About Face Theatre
PRODUCTION — PLAY
Birdland — Steep Theatre Company
Dutch Masters — Jackalope Theatre Company
Eclipsed — Pegasus Theatre Chicago
Hooded, Or Being Black for Dummies — First Floor Theater
Requiem for a Heavyweight — The Artistic Home
Tilikum — Sideshow Theatre Company
Yen — Raven Theatre
Gregory Geffrard and Sigrid Sutter in Tilikum. Photograph: Jonathan L. Green
DIRECTOR — MUSICAL
Fred Anzevino — The Bridges of Madison County — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Lili-Anne Brown — The Total Bent — Haven Theatre Company in association with About Face Theatre
Ericka Mac — Bright Star — BoHo Theatre
Ed Rutherford — Evil Dead the Musical — Black Button Eyes Productions
Nick Thornton — Haymarket — Underscore Theatre Company
DIRECTOR — PLAY
Jonathan Berry — Birdland — Steep Theatre Company
Lili-Anne Brown — Tilikum — Sideshow Theatre Company
Mikael Burke — Hooded, Or Being Black for Dummies — First Floor Theater
Wardell Julius Clark — Dutch Masters — Jackalope Theatre Company
Ilesa Duncan — Eclipsed — Pegasus Theatre Chicago
Elly Green — Yen — Raven Theatre
John Mossman — Requiem for a Heavyweight — The Artistic Home
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — MUSICAL
Bridget Adams-King (Lucy Parsons) — Haymarket — Underscore Theatre Company
Neala Barron (Lizzie) — 110 in the Shade — BoHo Theatre
Robert Cornelius (Joe Roy) — The Total Bent — Haven Theatre Company in association with About Face Theatre
Tessa Dettman (Jo March) — Little Women — Brown Paper Box Co.
Gilbert Domally (Marty Roy) — The Total Bent — Haven Theatre Company in association with About Face Theatre
Kelli Harrington (Desiree Armfeldt) — A Little Night Music — BoHo Theatre
Kelli Harrington (Francesca) — The Bridges of Madison County — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Jordan Dell Harris (Ash) — Evil Dead the Musical — Black Button Eyes Productions
Tommy Thurston (Robert) — The Bridges of Madison County — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Missy Wise (Alice Murphy) — Bright Star — BoHo Theatre
Robert Cornelius in The Total Bent. Photograph: Austin D. Oie
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — PLAY
Patrick Agada (Eric) — Dutch Masters — Jackalope Theatre Company
Jalen Gilbert (Tru) — Hooded, Or Being Black for Dummies — First Floor Theater
Jyreika Guest (Hester) — In the Blood — Red Tape Theatre
Kenneth D. Johnson (Walter “Pops” Washington) — Between Riverside and Crazy — Redtwist Theatre
marssie Mencotti (Hannah) — The Safe House — City Lit Theater Company
Brian Parry (Richard Nixon) — Frost/Nixon — Redtwist Theatre
Mark Pracht (Harlan “Mountain” McClintock) — Requiem for a Heavyweight — The Artistic Home
Joel Reitsma (Paul) — Birdland — Steep Theatre Company
Kevin V. Smith (Volodya) — Radio Culture — TUTA Theatre
Eliza Stoughton (Li'l Bit) — How I Learned to Drive — Raven Theatre
Kendra Thulin (Linda) — Linda — Steep Theatre Company
Vahishta Vafadari (Anne Lister) — I Know My Own Heart — Pride Films and Plays
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — MUSICAL
Ryan Armstrong (Buddy) — The Last Session — Refuge Theatre Project
Elizabeth Bollar (Vicki) — The Last Session — Refuge Theatre Project
Darilyn Burtley (Tryshia) — The Last Session — Refuge Theatre Project
Carl Herzog (Bud) — The Bridges of Madison County — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Caitlin Jackson (Cheryl) — Evil Dead the Musical — Black Button Eyes Productions
Michelle Jasso (Elizaveta Grushinskaya) — Grand Hotel — Kokandy Productions
Stevie Love (Shelly / Annie) — Evil Dead the Musical — Black Button Eyes Productions
Jeff Pierpoint (Billy Cane) — Bright Star — BoHo Theatre
Christopher Ratliff (Jimmy) — 110 in the Shade — BoHo Theatre
Jonathan Schwart (Otto Kringlein) — Grand Hotel — Kokandy Productions
Stephanie Stockstill (Countess Charlotte Malcolm) — A Little Night Music — BoHo Theatre
August N. Forman, left, and Elise Marie Davis in Girl in the Red Corner. Photograph: Austin D. Oie
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — PLAY
Tiffany Bedwell (Maggie) — Yen — Raven Theatre
Debo Belogun (Trevor) — Red Rex — Steep Theatre Company
Brianna Buckley (Lily Anne Green) — Crumbs from the Table of Joy — Raven Theatre
August N. Forman (Gina) — Girl in the Red Corner — Broken Nose Theatre
Annie Hogan (Grace Miller) — Requiem for a Heavyweight — The Artistic Home
Evan Linder (Sam) — Grace — Interrobang Theatre Project
marssie Mencotti (Louise) — Herland — Redtwist Theatre
Jessica Dean Turner (Nicole) — Red Rex — Steep Theatre Company
Netta Walker (Jennifer) — Yen — Raven Theatre
H.B. Ward (Max) — Rock 'n' Roll — The Artistic Home
SOLO PERFORMANCE
Sam Krey (Ryan Smithson) — Ghosts of War — Griffin Theatre Company
NEW PLAY
Guadalís Del Carmen — Not for Sale — UrbanTheater Company
Kristiana Rae Colón — Tilikum — Sideshow Theatre Company
Spenser Davis — Plainclothes — Broken Nose Theatre
Philip Dawkins — The Gentleman Caller — Raven Theatre
Isaac Gomez — The Displaced — Haven Theatre Company
Ike Holter — Red Rex — Steep Theatre Company
Shannon O'Neill — May the Road Rise Up — The Factory Theater
Kristine Thatcher — The Safe House — City Lit Theater Company
Rudy Galvan, left, and Curtis Edward Jackson in The Gentleman Caller. Photograph: Michael Brosilow
NEW MUSICAL
Alex Higgin-Houser and David Kornfeld — Haymarket — Underscore Theatre Company
Cindy O'Connor and Larry Todd Cousineau — Flies! The Musical! — Pride Films and Plays
MUSIC DIRECTION
Jermaine Hill — The Total Bent — Haven Theatre Company in association with About Face Theatre
Julie B. Nichols — Bright Star — BoHo Theatre
Robert Ollis — Haymarket — Underscore Theatre Company
Jeremy Ramey — The Bridges of Madison County — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Tom Vendafreddo — A Little Night Music — BoHo Theatre
Haymarket. Photograph: Michael Brosilow
ORIGINAL MUSIC IN A PLAY
Coco Elysses — Tilikum — Sideshow Theatre Company
Jonathan Guillen — Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde — Promethean Theatre Ensemble
Andrew Hansen — Neverwhere — Lifeline Theatre
Christopher Kriz — The Man Who Was Thursday — Lifeline Theatre
M. Anthony Reimer — Melancholy Play — Organic Theater Company
CHOREOGRAPHY
Breon Arzell — The Total Bent — Haven Theatre Company in association with About Face Theatre
Brenda Didier — Grand Hotel — Kokandy Productions
Ericka Mac — Bright Star — BoHo Theatre
Derek Van Barham — Evil Dead the Musical — Black Button Eyes Productions
FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY
Samantha Kaufman — The Lady Demands Satisfaction — Babes With Blades Theatre Company
John Mossman — Requiem for a Heavyweight — The Artistic Home
Almanya Narula — Monsieur D'Eon Is a Woman — Trap Door Theatre
Jaq Seifert — Not One Batu — Nothing Without a Company and Aloha Center Chicago
John Tovar — Girl in the Red Corner — Broken Nose Theatre
Tom Jansson and Elana Elyce in The Goat Or, Who Is Sylvia? Photograph: Emily Schwartz
SCENIC DESIGN
Kerry Lee Chipman — The Goat Or, Who Is Sylvia? — Interrobang Theatre Project
Ryan Emens — Dutch Masters — Jackalope Theatre Company
Joanna Iwanicka — Suddenly Last Summer — Raven Theatre
Jeffrey D. Kmiec — The Gentleman Caller — Raven Theatre
Jacqueline Penrod — Eclipsed — Pegasus Theatre Chicago
Samantha Rausch — The Dark at the Top of the Stairs — Eclipse Theatre Company
PROJECTION DESIGN
Tony Churchill — How I Learned to Drive — Raven Theatre
Paul Deziel — Tilikum — Sideshow Theatre Company
Liviu Pasare — Not for Sale — UrbanTheater Company
Michael Stanfill — Ghosts of War — Griffin Theatre Company
Michelle Underwood — Neverwhere — Lifeline Theatre
LIGHTING DESIGN
Erik S. Barry — The Displaced — Haven Theatre Company
Claire Chrzan — Fun Harmless Warmachine — The New Colony
Claire Chrzan — Yen — Raven Theatre
Jared Gooding — Tilikum — Sideshow Theatre Company
Brandon Wardell — Birdland — Steep Theatre Company
Fun Harmless Warmachine. Photograph: Emily Schwartz
COSTUME DESIGN
Aly Renee Amedei — Neverwhere — Lifeline Theatre
Leah Hummel — The Revolutionists — Strawdog Theatre Company
Beth Laske-Miller — Nightmares and Nightcaps: The Stories of John Collier — Black Button Eyes Productions
Caitlin McLeod and Anna Wooden — The Man Who Was Thursday — Lifeline Theatre
John Nasca — Grand Hotel — Kokandy Productions
Rachel M. Sypniewski — Monsieur D'Eon Is a Woman — Trap Door Theatre
SOUND DESIGN
Victoria Deiorio — Tilikum — Sideshow Theatre Company
Sarah D. Espinoza — The Displaced — Haven Theatre Company
Robert Hornbostel — Nightmares and Nightcaps: The Stories of John Collier — Black Button Eyes Productions
Steve Labedz — Dutch Masters — Jackalope Theatre Company
Peter Wahlback — Requiem for a Heavyweight — The Artistic Home
ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION
Jeremiah Barr (Puppet Design) — Nightmares and Nightcaps: The Stories of John Collier — Black Button Eyes Productions
Rachel Flesher (Rigging Design) — The Displaced — Haven Theatre Company
Sam Hubbard (Violence and Intimacy Direction) — Yen — Raven Theatre
John LaFlamboy (Makeup Design) — Requiem for a Heavyweight — The Artistic Home
Adam McAleavey (Puppet Design) — Flies! The Musical! — Pride Films and Plays
Mary O'Dowd (Properties Design) — Rock 'n' Roll — The Artistic Home
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