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By Kenneth Jones
09 Jun 2008

Nominee Dana Tretta in the Jeff-nominated Cabaret.

The best work in Chicago's non-union theatre community between April 2007 and March 2008 will be celebrated June 9 at the 35th Annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards Ceremony.

The Jeff Awards Committee announced 113 nominations May 2. Chicago is the rare major city where non-union and union work is reviewed and respected equally by critics and audiences, and where adventurous work — not just "safe" titles — is explored with gusto.

Among producing organizations, Bailiwick Repertory Theatre and Circle Theatre led the nominees with 13 and 12, respectively. The top-nominated productions were Lifeline Theatre's world-premiere adaptation of The Island of Dr. Moreau with nine, and the musical Cabaret (Theo Ubique Theatre Company in association with Beverle Bloch & Michael James) with eight: "Both performed in small spaces just a few steps from each other in the emerging Glenwood Avenue Arts District in the far north Rogers Park neighborhood," according to the committee.

TimeLine Theatre Company, which recently signed a contract with Actors' Equity Association, snagged eight nominations during its last season as a non-Equity company.

Producing artistic director Michael Menendian and co-artistic director JoAnn Montemurro, of the 25-year-old Raven Theatre, will receive a Special Award at the ceremony, honoring their contributions to Chicago theatre.

Among individual nominees, Mike Tutaj received three nominations — one for Sound Design and two for Projections Design for his work on columbinus (Raven Theatre) and Tesla's Letters (TimeLine Theatre Company). Vincent L. Lonergan was nominated twice — as Actor in a Principal Role (Play) for his work in Old Wicked Songs and Actor in a Supporting Role (Musical) for 1776 (both with Signal Ensemble Theatre). Also nominated twice was Jeremy Rill, as Actor in a Principal Role (Musical) for Can-Can (Circle Theatre) and as Actor in a Supporting Role (Musical) for his turn as the announcer-turned-devil in Bailiwick Repertory Theatre's Jerry Springer – The Opera.

Additional double nominations were earned by Terry McCabe, Victoria DeIorio, Jared Moore, Kimberly G. Morris and Kevin O'Donnell.

New plays were also honored: There were four noms in the New Work category and four in the New Adaptation Category.

The Jeff Awards — named after famed actor Joseph Jefferson — will be held at the Park West, 322 W. Armitage, Chicago, IL. For more information, visit www.jeffawards.org.

2008 NON-EQUITY JEFF AWARD NOMINEES

PRODUCTION – PLAY
columbinus - Raven Theatre
Dolly West's Kitchen - TimeLine Theatre Company
An Ideal Husband - Circle Theatre
The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Jitney - Pegasus Players
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui - Steep Theatre Company

PRODUCTION – MUSICAL
Cabaret - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
Jerry Springer - The Opera - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
The Life - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
A Man of No Importance - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - Circle Theatre
1776 - Signal Ensemble Theatre

DIRECTOR – PLAY
Paul S. Holmquist – The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Jessica Hutchinson – The Dining Room - New Leaf Theatre
Greg Kolack – columbinus - Raven Theatre
Coya Paz – Machos - Teatro Luna
Jim Schneider – An Ideal Husband - Circle Theatre
Jonathan Wilson – Jitney - Pegasus Players

DIRECTOR – MUSICAL
Fred Anzevino – Cabaret - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
Scott Ferguson – A Man of No Importance - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Ronan Marra – 1776 - Signal Ensemble Theatre
David Zak – Jerry Springer - The Opera - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre

ENSEMBLE
columbinus - Raven Theatre
Jitney - Pegasus Players
Machos - Teatro Luna
The Dining Room - New Leaf Theatre
Waiting for Lefty - BackStage Theatre Company

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Matt Kelly – The Collector - LiveWire Chicago Theatre
Vincent L. Lonergan – Old Wicked Songs - Signal Ensemble Theatre
Brian Parry – Three Hotels - redtwist theatre f/k/a Actors Workshop Theatre
Shawn Pfautsch – Old Wicked Songs - Signal Ensemble Theatre
Alfred H. Wilson – Jitney - Pegasus Players
Sam Wootten – Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
Don Denton – bare - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Kevin D. Mayes – A Man of No Importance - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Jeremy Rill – Can – Can - Circle Theatre
Jeremy Trager – Cabaret - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
Philip Winston – 1776 - Signal Ensemble Theatre

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Caren Blackmore – MiLK - MPAACT
Tien Doman – Tesla's Letters - TimeLine Theatre Company
Vanessa Greenway – The Constant Wife - Griffin Theatre Company
Sabrina Kramnich – Gidget - City Lit Theater Company
Kelly O'Sullivan – Mr. Marmalade - Dog & Pony Theatre Company

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
Elizabeth Lanza – Can – Can - Circle Theatre
Tawny Newsome – The Life - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Rachel Quinn – Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - Circle Theatre
Dana Tretta – Cabaret - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
Hans Fleischmann – In a Dark Dark House - Profiles Theatre
Terry Hamilton – Widowers' Houses - TimeLine Theatre Company
Joel Stanley Huff – Tesla's Letters - TimeLine Theatre Company
Bradford R. Lund – An Ideal Husband - Circle Theatre
John Henry Roberts – Aristocrats - Strawdog Theatre Company
Ron Wells – A Prayer for My Daughter - Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
Vincent L. Lonergan – 1776 - Signal Ensemble Theatre
Rus Rainear – Cabaret - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
Jeremy Rill – Jerry Springer - The Opera - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
Janet Ulrich Brooks – A Lie of the Mind - Strawdog Theatre Company
Kate Harris – The Constant Wife - Griffin Theatre Company
Saren Nofs-Snyder – An Ideal Husband - Circle Theatre
Kathleen Ruhl – Dolly West's Kitchen - TimeLine Theatre Company
Nicolle Van Dyke – A View from the Bridge - The GreyZelda Theatre Group
Rebekah Ward-Hays – Waiting for Lefty - BackStage Theatre Company

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL OR REVUE
Danielle Brothers – Cabaret - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
Nancy Kolton – A Man of No Importance - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Bethany Thomas – The Life - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble

NEW WORK
Mia McCullough – Spare Change - Stage Left Theatre
Mary Scruggs – Missing Man - Live Bait Theatre
Teatro Luna & Coya Paz – Machos - Teatro Luna
Teatro Luna & Tanya Saracho – lunatic(a)s - Teatro Luna

NEW ADAPTATION
Robert Kauzlaric – The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Terry McCabe and Marissa McKown – Gidget - City Lit Theatre Company
Terry McCabe – The Hound of the Baskervilles - City Lit Theatre Company
Jake Minton & Phillip C. Klapperich – The Nutcracker - The House Theatre of Chicago

CHOREOGRAPHY
Kevin Bellie –Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - Circle Theatre
Brenda Didier – The Life - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Lisa Johnson-Willingham – Trouble the Water - MPAACT
Maggie Portman – Cabaret - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James

ORIGINAL MUSIC
Victoria DeIorio – The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Gregor Mortis & Mikhail Fiksel – A Lie of the Mind - Strawdog Theatre Company
Kevin O'Donnell – The Nutcracker - The House Theatre of Chicago
Kevin O'Donnell – Desire Under the Elms - The Hypocrites

MUSIC DIRECTION
Joshua Stephen Kartes – Cabaret - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
James Morehead – bare - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Robert Ollis – A Man of No Importance - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Gary Powell – Jerry Springer - The Opera - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Jon Steinhagen – The Life - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble

SCENIC DESIGN
Brian Sidney Bembridge – Dolly West's Kitchen - TimeLine Theatre Company
Tom Burch – The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Bob Knuth – An Ideal Husband - Circle Theatre
Timothy Mann – Jitney - Pegasus Players
Michael Menendian & Leif Olsen – The Night of the Iguana - Raven Theatre
Tracy Otwell – Desire Under the Elms - The Hypocrites
Grant Sabin – Mr. Marmalade - Dog & Pony Theatre Company

LIGHTING DESIGN
Charles Cooper – Sueρo - Greasy Joan & Co.
Kevin D. Gawley – The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Lee Keenan – Hope Springs Infernal - The House Theatre of Chicago
Jared Moore – Jerry Springer - The Opera - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Jared Moore – Desire Under the Elms - The Hypocrites

COSTUME DESIGN
Laura M. Dana – 1776 - Signal Ensemble Theatre
Rachel Anne Healy – Widowers' Houses - TimeLine Theatre Company
Jeff Jones – Jerry Springer - The Opera - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Kimberly G. Morris – The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Jesus Perez – Can – Can - Circle Theatre
Elizabeth Shaffer – An Ideal Husband - Circle Theatre

SOUND DESIGN
Victoria DeIorio – The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Michael Griggs – Hope Springs Infernal - The House Theatre of Chicago
Stephen Ptacek – Faster - the side project
Peter J. Storms - The Night of the Iguana - Raven Theatre
Mike Tutaj – columbinus - Raven Theatre

OTHER
Puppet Design – Allison Daniel – The Nutcracker - The House Theatre of Chicago
Mask Design - Kimberly G. Morris – The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lifeline Theatre
Projections Design – Mike Tutaj – columbinus - Raven Theatre
Projections Design – Mike Tutaj – Tesla's Letters - TimeLine Theatre Company

*

The Jeff Awards are given annually by The Jeff Awards Committee to honor excellence in professional theatre produced in the immediate Chicago area. The Committee, organized in 1968, consists of up to 50 men and women with varying backgrounds in theatre, but united by their commitment to Chicagoland's theatre community. The Committee evaluates over 250 theatrical productions and holds two awards ceremonies annually. Originally chartered to recognize only Equity productions, the Committee established the Non-Equity Wing in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non-union Chicago theatre.

The 40th Anniversary Equity Awards Ceremony, honoring productions presented under union contracts, will be held on Oct. 20, 2008, at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL.

Nigel Patterson, Phil Timberlake and Yosh Hayashi in Jeff-nominated The Island of Dr. Moreau.

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