Chicago’s theater community celebrated the 56th annual Jeff Awards for Equity Theater on Monday night in a gala ceremony at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace. The awards recognize excellence in Chicago’s Equity theater productions presented during the 2023-24 season.
In all, 44 award recipients were honored from among 193 nominees across 34 categories for shows from 36 producing entities. In addition, two icons of local companies — Court Theatre’s former artistic director Charels Newell and Goodman Theatre’s former executive director/CEO Roche Schulfer — were each honored with a Special Award for their achievements in Chicago theater.
Leading the field this year were the Goodman Theatre and Steppenwolf Theatre, each receiving 6 awards, the most for large theaters, followed by A Red Orchid Theatre, Drury Lane Productions and the Marriott Theatre, which each received four awards, the most in the midsize theaters categories.
The Goodman productions honored included “The Penelopiad” for best ensemble — play; and best original music in a play, Samuel Davis. “The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at the Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years” took home wins for best performer in a supporting role, E. Faye Butler (tied with Mitchell J. Fain for “The Lehman Trilogy” at TimeLine Theatre Company); and Arnel Sancianco for best scenic design. “The Matchbox Magic Flute” earned awards for best scenic design, Todd Rosenthal (tied with Sancianco), and best costume design, Ana Kuzmanic.
Steppenwolf earned three wins for its production of “Purpose,” including best play, best director Phylicia Rashad, and best new work by Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins. In addition, “Little Bear Ridge Road” was honored in the categories (including two ties with “Purpose”) of best director of a play, Joe Mantello; best performer in a principal role, Laurie Metcalf (tied with Scott Aiello for “A View from the Bridge” at Shattered Globe Theatre); and best new work, Samuel D. Hunter.
A Red Orchid received four awards for its production of “Turret,” including best production of a play— midsize; best scenic design, Grant Sabin; best lighting design — midsize, Mike Durst; and best sound design — midsize, Jeffrey Levin.
In the musicals categories, Marriott Theatre was honored for “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” including best musical — large; best director of a musical, Jessica Fisch; best performer in a principal role — musical, Kaitlyn Davis (tied with Meghan Murphy for “Anything Goes” at Porchlight Music Theatre); and Andrew Mueller for best performer in a supporting role (tied with Adrian Aguilar for “Jersey Boys” at Mercury Theater Chicago).
Drury Lane was honored for “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” which won for best ensemble of a musical; best production of a revue; best director of a revue, E. Faye Butler; and best performer in a revue, Lorenzo Rush Jr.
L. Walter Stearns and Brenda Didier took home the award for best director of a musical — midsize, for “Jersey Boys,” which also won for best musical — midsize. Justin Peck won for best choreography for “Illinoise” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in association with ArKtype/Thomas O. Kriegsmann. Best solo performance went to Hershey Felder for “Hershey Felder as Monsieur Chopin” at Writers Theatre.
Here’s the complete list of winners:
Production —Play (Large)
“Purpose” — Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Production — Play (Midsize)
“Turret” — A Red Orchid Theatre
“A View from the Bridge” — Shattered Globe Theatre
Production – Musical (Large)
“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” — Marriott Theatre
Production – Musical –(Midsize)
“Jersey Boys” — Mercury Theater Chicagox
Production – Revue
“Ain’t Misbehavin’” — Drury Lane Productions
Director – Play (Large)
Joe Mantello – “Little Bear Ridge Road” — Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Phylicia Rashad – “Purpose” — Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Director – Play (Midsize)
Louis Contey – “A View from the Bridge” — Shattered Globe Theatre
Director – Musical (Large)
Jessica Fisch – “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” — Marriott Theatre
Director – Musical (Midsize)
L. Walter Stearns and Brenda Didier – “Jersey Boys” — Mercury Theater Chicago
Director – Revue
E. Faye Butler – “Ain’t Misbehavin’” — Drury Lane Productions
Ensemble – Play
“The Penelopiad” — Goodman Theatre
Ensemble – Musical
“Ain’t Misbehavin’”- Drury Lane Productions
Performer In A Principal Role – Play
Scott Aiello – “A View from the Bridge” — Shattered Globe Theatre
Laurie Metcalf – “Little Bear Ridge Road” — Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Performer In A Principal Role – Musical
Kaitlyn Davis – “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” — Marriott Theatre
Meghan Murphy – “Anything Goes” — Porchlight Music Theatre
Performer In A Revue
Lorenzo Rush, Jr. – “Ain’t Misbehavin’” — Drury Lane Productions
Solo Performance
Hershey Felder – “Hershey Felder as Monsieur Chopin” — Writers Theatre
Performer In A Supporting Role – Play
E. Faye Butler —“The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at the Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years” — Goodman Theatre
Mitchell J. Fain – “The Lehman Trilogy” — TimeLine Theatre Company
Performer In A Supporting Role – Musical
Adrian Aguilar – “Jersey Boys” — Mercury Theater Chicago
Andrew Mueller – “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” — Marriott Theatre
New Work
Samuel D. Hunter – “Little Bear Ridge Road” — Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins – “Purpose” — Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Choreography
Dancers use intricate physical motion to interpret Sufjan Stevens’ songs in “Illinoise” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
Justin Peck – “Illinoise” — Chicago Shakespeare Theater in association with ArKtype/Thomas O. Kriegsmann
Original Music In A Play
Samuel Davis – “The Penelopiad” — Goodman Theatre
Music Direction
Nathan Koci – “Illinoise” — Chicago Shakespeare Theater in association with ArKtype/Thomas O. Kriegsmann
Scenic Design (Large)
Todd Rosenthal – “The Matchbox Magic Flute” — Goodman Theatre
Arnel Sancianco — The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at the Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years”- Goodman Theatre
Scenic Design (Midsize)
Grant Sabin – “Turret” — A Red Orchid Theatre
Lighting Design (Large)
Cat Wilson – “A Streetcar Named Desire” — Paramount Theatre
Lighting Design (Midsize)
Mike Durst – “Turret” — A Red Orchid Theatre
Costume Design (Large)
Ana Kuzmanic – “The Matchbox Magic Flute” — Goodman Theatre
Costume Design (Midsize)
Aly Greaves Amidei – “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley” — Buffalo Theatre Ensemble
Sound Design (Large)
André Pluess – “The Lehman Trilogy” — TimeLine Theatre Company
Sound Design (Midsize)
Jeffrey Levin – “Turret” — A Red Orchid Theatre
Projection Design
Mike Tutaj – “Gods and Monsters” — Frame of Reference Productions
Artistic Specialization
Timo Andres – Music Arrangements and Orchestrations – “Illinoise” — Chicago Shakespeare Theater in association with ArKtype/Thomas O. Kriegsmann
Short Run Production
“Welcome to Matteson!” — Congo Square Theatre
Short Run Production – Performer
Harry Lennix – “How I Learned What I Learned” — Congo Square Theatre in association with Goodman Theatre
Special Award
Presented to two arts leaders whose influence has extended beyond Chicago to the national stage including Tony Awards for their respective companies:
— Charles Newell, Court Theatre
— Roche Schulfer, Goodman Theatre
For more information, visit jeffawards.org.