The 43rd Annual Equity Jeff Awards, representing work in 2010-11, were held at Drury Lane Oakbrook in Oakbrook, IL.
In the Large Theatre tier, Madness won Jeffs for Production - Play, Director Penny Metropulos and Principal Actor Harry Groener, plus design awards (Melissa Veal - Wig and Make-up Design; Susan E. Mickey - Costume Design).
In musical categories for Large Theatre, the Goodman Theatre and co-producer Shakespeare Theatre Company (DC) production of Candide won top awards. Among its five awards were honors for Production - Musical, New Adaptation for Mary Zimmerman, Principal Actor Geoff Packard and Supporting Actress and Actor, Hollis Resnik and Larry Yando.
The Midsize tier Production – Musical awards went to The Original Grease from American Theater Company. The show was a revised restaging of the 1970s Chicago-bred property that would later become a worldwide phenomenon as Grease.
Awards for new plays usually indicate the health of a theatre community. The Jeff Committee judged 28 world-premiere plays during the 2010-2011 season, eight of which were nominated for the New Work – Play award. The category, which allows more than one recipient, honored Goodman Theatre's Chinglish by David Henry Hwang and Northlight Theatre's The Outgoing Tide by Bruce Graham. Chinglish is currently running on Broadway, and a New York run is in the planning stage for The Outgoing Tide.
On behalf of the Jeff Awards, chair Glenn Hering presented the 2011 Special Award to Hedy Weiss, theatre critic of the Chicago Sun Times.
COMPLETE LIST OF JEFF EQUITY AWARD RECIPIENTS
PRODUCTION – PLAY – LARGE
The Madness of George III - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
PRODUCTION – PLAY – MIDSIZE
Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
PRODUCTION – MUSICAL – LARGE
Candide - Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company
PRODUCTION – MUSICAL – MIDSIZE
The Original Grease - American Theater Company
PRODUCTION – REVUE
Sky's the Limit (Weather Permitting) - The Second City e.t.c.
DIRECTOR – PLAY
Penny Metropulos - The Madness of George III - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
DIRECTOR – MUSICAL
Charles Newell - The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess - Court Theatre
ENSEMBLE
The Big Meal - American Theater Company
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Harry Groener - The Madness of George III – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
Geoff Packard - Candide - Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Annabel Armour - Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
Jessie Mueller - She Loves Me - Writers' Theatre
ACTOR OR ACTRESS IN A REVUE
Tim Baltz - Sky's the Limit (Weather Permitting) - The Second City e.t.c.
SOLO PERFORMANCE
Barbara Robertson - The Detective's Wife - Writers' Theatre
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
Mike Nussbaum - Broadway Bound - Drury Lane Productions
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
Larry Yando - Candide - Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
Diana Simonzadeh - Scorched - Silk Road Theatre Project
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
Hollis Resnik - Candide - Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company
NEW WORK – PLAY
Bruce Graham - The Outgoing Tide - Northlight Theatre
David Henry Hwang - Chinglish - Goodman Theatre
NEW WORK – MUSICAL OR REVUE
Tim Baltz, Aidy Bryant, Jesse Case, Matt Hovde, Brendan Jennings, Jessica Joy, Michael Lehrer, and Mary Sohn - Sky's the Limit (Weather Permitting) - The Second City e.t.c.
Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair - Murder for Two - A Killer Musical - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
NEW ADAPTATION – PLAY OR MUSICAL
Mary Zimmerman - Candide - Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company
CHOREOGRAPHY
Tammy Mader - 42nd Street - Marriott Theatre
ORIGINAL INCIDENTAL MUSIC
Andrew Hansen - To Master the Art - TimeLine Theatre Company
MUSIC DIRECTION
Doug Peck - The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess - Court Theatre
SCENIC DESIGN – LARGE
David Korins - Chinglish - Goodman Theatre
SCENIC DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Collette Pollard - The Front Page - TimeLine Theatre Company
LIGHTING DESIGN – LARGE
Jason Lyons - White Noise - Holly Way, Jay Strommen, Jimmy Mack, Deborah Taylor/Chris Bensinger, Tom Leonardis and Whoopi Goldberg
LIGHTING DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Sarah Hughey - Scorched - Silk Road Theatre Project
COSTUME DESIGN – LARGE
Susan E. Mickey - The Madness of George III - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
COSTUME DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Bill Morey - The King and I - Porchlight Music Theatre
SOUND DESIGN – LARGE
Mikhail Fiksel - Travels with My Aunt - Writers' Theatre
SOUND DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Peter J. Storms - Scorched - Silk Road Theatre Project
FIGHT / MOVEMENT DIRECTION
Rick Sordelet - Romeo and Juliet - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
PROJECTIONS / VIDEO DESIGN
John Boesche - A Twist of Water - Route 66 Theatre Company
Mike Tutaj - In Darfur - TimeLine Theatre Company
ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION
Tracy Otwell - Toy Theatre Design - The Last Act of Lilka Kadison - Lookingglass Theatre Company
Melissa Veal - Wig and Make-up Design - The Madness of George III - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
SPECIAL AWARD
Hedy Weiss
TRIBUTE AWARD
Kathryn V. Lamkey
