Kokandy Productions was honored with five Non-Equity Jeff Awards on Monday night, leading the pack of award winners at the 51st annual celebration of Chicago’s Non-Equity live theater productions.
The Kokandy Productions staging of “Into the Woods” was honored as best production (musical or revue), best ensemble (musical or revue), best direction (musical or revue), best musical director (musical/revue), and artistic specialization (orchestrations).
Open Space Arts received four honors, including two for “Cock,” which received awards for best production (short run), and best performer in a supporting role (short run) for Sonya Robinson; and “Light Switch,” which earned awards for best director (short run) for Michael D. Graham, and best performer in a principal role (short run) for Philip Andrew Monnett.
The award for best production of a play went to City Lit Theater Company’s staging of August Wilson’s “Seven Guitars,” which also netted the award for best performer in a supporting role (play) for Robert Howard. The company’s production of “Murder in the Cathedral” received the award for best costume design by Patti Roeder.
Refracted Theatre Company also received three awards, for its production of “Coronation,” including best performer in a supporting role (play) for Jodi Gage, best lighting design by Garrett Bell, and best production design by Abboye Lawrence.
Directing honors recognized Rebecca Willingham, who received the award for best director of a play for First Floor Theater’s world-premiere production of “Pro-Am.” Derek Van Barham received the award for best director of a musical for “Into the Woods” at Kokandy Productions.
The awards were announced at a gala event held at the Harris Theater in the Loop, co-hosted by Frankie Leo Bennett and NK Gutiérrez. Thirty-three award recipients were honored from among 138 artist nominations across 25 artistic and technical categories.
Here is the full list of the awards:
THE 2024 NON-EQUITY JEFF AWARD RECIPIENTS
PRODUCTION – PLAY
- “August Wilson’s Seven Guitars” – City Lit Theater Company
PRODUCTION – MUSICAL OR REVUE
- “Into the Woods” – Kokandy Productions
ENSEMBLE – PLAY
- “Attempts on Her Life” – TUTA Theatre
ENSEMBLE – MUSICAL OR REVUE
- “Into the Woods” – Kokandy Productions
NEW WORK
- Brynne Frauenhoffer, “Pro–Am” – First Floor Theater
- Erik Gernand, “The Totality of All Things” – Redtwist Theatre
DIRECTOR – PLAY
- Rebecca Willingham, “Pro–Am” – First Floor Theater
DIRECTOR – MUSICAL
- Derek Van Barham, “Into the Woods” – Kokandy Productions
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — PLAY
- Bide Akande, “Rhinoceros” – Theatre Y
- Jacqueline Grandt, “The Totality of All Things” – Redtwist Theatre
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — MUSICAL
- Tyler Anthony Smith, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” – Haven Theatre
- Colette Todd, “A Little Night Music” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — PLAY
- Jodi Gage, “Coronation” – Refracted Theatre Company
- Robert Howard, “August Wilson’s Seven Guitars” – City Lit Theater Company
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
- Alicia Berneche, “On the Twentieth Century” – Blank Theatre Company
- Maya Rowe, “A Little Night Music” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
PRODUCTION — SHORT RUN
- “Cock” – Open Space Arts
DIRECTOR — SHORT RUN
- Michael D. Graham, “Light Switch” – Open Space Arts
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — SHORT RUN
- Philip Andrew Monnett, “Light Switch” – Open Space Arts
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — SHORT RUN
- Sonya Robinson, “Cock” – Open Space Arts
ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION — SHORT RUN
- Diane Fairchild (Lighting Design), “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” – Lifeline Theatre
SCENIC DESIGN
- Marvin Tate, “Rhinoceros” — Theatre Y
COSTUME DESIGN
- Patti Roeder, “Murder in the Cathedral” — City Lit Theater Company
SOUND DESIGN
- Christopher Kriz, “The Singularity Play” — Jackalope Theatre Company
- L.J. Luthringer, “The Tempest” — Idle Muse Theatre Company
LIGHTING DESIGN
- Garrett Bell, “Coronation” — Refracted Theatre Company
PROJECTION DESIGN
- Abboye Lawrence, “Coronation” – Refracted Theatre Company
MUSIC DIRECTION
- Nick Sula, “Into the Woods” — Kokandy Productions
ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION
- Ariana Miles, Evelyn Ryan and Nick Sula (Orchestrations), “Into the Woods” – Kokandy Productions
SPECIAL AWARD
NON-EQUITY JEFF IMPRESARIO AWARD (honoring excellence in stage management)
- Kyle Aschbrenner – Blank Theatre Company