Rose Rage, The Light in the Piazza, Trying, Free Man of Color, Victoria Clark, Fritz Weaver Win 2004 Jeff Awards in Chicago

By Kenneth Jones
November 2, 2004

Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Rose Rage, the potent 5-1/2 hour conflation of the three parts of Shakespeare's Henry VI, was a big winner at the 36th annual Joseph Jefferson Awards in Chicago Nov. 1.

The Edward Hall-directed production was first staged in England, and Hall later recreated his work with an all Chicago cast in 2003-04. It won Jeff Awards in the categories of Production-Play, Director-Play, Ensemble and Actor in a Supporting Role-Play (Scott Parkinson). The production recently played a New York City engagement at the Duke on 42nd Street.

CST also won in Scenic Design for James Leonard Joy's work on The Taming of the Shrew, and for Director-Musical (Gary Griffin for A Little Night Music), Actress in a Supporting Role-Musical (Samantha Spiro for A Little Night Music).

The new Adam Guettel-Craig Lucas musical, The Light in the Piazza, earned the Jeff for Production-Musical and Actress in a Principal Role-Musical (Victoria Clark). The musical will premiere in New York in 2005.

Joanna McClelland Glass received a Jeff in the non competitive category of New Work for Trying at Victory Gardens Theater (the transferred production is now playing a run Off-Broadway). Also in New Work, Charles Smith earned a Jeff for Free Man of Color, by Victory Gardens.

The Jeffs celebrate excellence in Equity-affiliated Chicago area theatre. For more information, visit www.jeffawards.org .

The nominees and winners are listed below.Winners are indicated in boldface type.

NEW WORK
Margaret Lewis, Burying the Bones, Stage Left Theatre
Charles Smith, Free Man of Color, Victory Gardens Theater
Marsha Estell, Heat, Chicago Dramatists
Ron Hutchinson, Moonlight and Magnolias, Goodman Theatre
Patricia Kane, Pulp, About Face Theatre
Joanna McClelland Glass, Trying, Victory Gardens

NEW ADAPTATION
Dermot Bolger, A Dublin Bloom, Irish Repertory of Chicago
Jim Lasko and Charles Newell, Cyrano, Court Theatre and Redmoon Theater
Eric Rosen, Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, Winesburg, Ohio, About Face Theatre

PRODUCTION — PLAY
The Doctor's Dilemma, Writers' Theatre
Our Town, Writers' Theatre
The Romance of Magno Rubio, Victory Gardens
Rose Rage, Henry VI Parts 1,2 and 3, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Trying, Victory Gardens

PRODUCTION — MUSICAL
Annie Get Your Gun, Marriott Theatre
Fiddler on the Roof, Drury Lane Oakbrook
The Light in the Piazza, Goodman
A Little Night Music, Chicago Shakespeare
The Sound of a Voice, Court
Romeo and Juliet Musical, Chicago Shakespeare and Second City Theatricals
Winesburg, Ohio, About Face

DIRECTOR — PLAY
William Brown, Our Town, Writers' Theatre
Edward Hall, Rose Rage, Chicago Shakespeare
Sandy Shinner, Trying, Victory Gardens
Chuck Smith, Yellowman, Next Theatre
Jessica Thebus, Pulp, About Face

DIRECTOR — MUSICAL
Gary Griffin, A Little Night Music, Chicago Shakespeare
Marc Robin, Annie Get Your Gun, Marriott Theatre
Bartlett Sher, The Light in the Piazza, Goodman
Jessica Thebus, Winesburg, Ohio, About Face
Ron West, Romeo and Juliet Musical, Chicago Shakespeare and Second City Theatricals

ENSEMBLE
A Chorus Line, Theatre at the Center
Pulp, About Face
The Romance of Magno Rubio, Victory Gardens
Rose Rage, Chicago Shakespeare
Winesburg, Ohio, About Face

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — PLAY
Tracy Michelle Arnold, Lady Windermere's Fan, Northlight Theatre
Kati Brazda, Trying, Victory Gardens
Rondi Reed, The Fall to Earth, Steppenwolf
Barbara Robertson, The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, Goodman
Jacqueline Williams, Yellowman, Next

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — PLAY
Brian Bedford, The Moliere Comedies, Chicago Shakespeare
Matt DeCaro, The Play About the Baby, Goodman
John Mahoney, I Never Sang for My Father, Steppenwolf
Mike Nussbaum, Tuesdays With Morrie, Northlight
David Rainey, Topdog/Underdog, Steppenwolf
Nick Sandys, The Misanthrope, Next
Fritz Weaver, Trying, Victory Gardens
E. Milton Wheeler, Our Lady of 121st Street, Steppenwolf

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — PLAY
Ivonne Coll, Electricidad, Goodman
Shelley Delaney, Free Man of Color, Victory Gardens
Lisa Dodson, King John, Chicago Shakespeare
Deanna Dunagan, I Never Sang for my Father, Steppenwolf
Paula Scrofano, Necessary Targets, Apple Tree Theatre
Demetria Thomas, Burying the Bones, Stage Left

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — PLAY
Shawn Douglass, Major Barbara, Remy Bumppo
Tarell Alvin McCraney, Blue/Orange, Northlight
Kevin McKillip, A Midsummer Night's Dream, First Folio Shakespeare Festival
Scott Parkinson, Rose Rage, Chicago Shakespeare
John Sanders, Burying the Bones, Stage Left

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — MUSICAL
Victoria Clark, The Light in the Piazza, Goodman
Deborah Lew, West Side Story, Marriott
Susie McMonagle, Annie Get Your Gun, Marriott
Nicole Parker, Romeo and Juliet Musical, Chicago Shakespeare and Second City Theatricals
Barbara Robertson, A Little Night Music, Chicago Shakespeare

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — MUSICAL
Tony Duwon, The House That Rocked, Black Ensemble
Timothy Gregory, Cotton Patch Gospel, Provision Theater Company
Scott Alan Jones, The Rocky Horror Show, Chicago Center for the Performing Arts Keegan-Michael Key, Romeo and Juliet Musical, Chicago Shakespeare and Second City Theatricals
Ross Lehman, A Man of No Importance, Apple Tree

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — MUSICAL
Mary Ernster, A Man of No Importance, Apple Tree
Janice Lorraine, Cookin' at The Cookery, Northlight
Rachel Rockwell, The Pajama Game, Marriott
Alene Robertson, The Pajama Game, Marriott
Samantha Spiro, A Little Night Music, Chicago Shakespeare

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — MUSICAL
Michael Cerveris, A Little Night Music, Chicago Shakespeare
Jeff Dumas, Winesburg, Ohio, About Face
Mark Harelik, The Light in the Piazza, Goodman
Rob Moore, The Shaggs, Lookingglass
Roger Mueller, Annie Get Your Gun, Marriott
Evan Pappas, The Pajama Game, Marriott

ACTOR IN A REVUE
Eugene Fleming, Ain't Misbehavin', Marriott
Joseph Plummer, Jammin' With Pops, Apple Tree

SCENIC DESIGN
James Leonard Joy, The Taming of the Shrew, Chicago Shakespeare
Robert C. Martin, Lend Me a Tenor, Theatre at the Center
Matthew J. York, The Misanthrope, Next
Jacqueline and Richard Penrod, My Old Lady, Apple Tree
John Musial, Great Men of Science, Nos. 21 & 22, Lookingglass.

COSTUME DESIGN
Mara Blumenfeld, A Little Night Music, Chicago Shakespeare
Rachel Anne Healy, Lady Windermere's Fan, Northlight Theatre
Jane Greenwood, The Moliere Comedies, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Michael Pavelka, Rose Rage, Chicago Shakespeare
Nancy Missimi, Show Boat, Marriott

LIGHTING DESIGN
Christopher Akerlind, Electricidad, Goodman
Christopher Akerlind, The Light in the Piazza, Goodman
Ken Billington, A Little Night Music, Chicago Shakespeare
Ben Ormerod, Rose Rage, Chicago Shakespeare
T.J. Gerckens, The Secret in the Wings, Lookingglass
Jaymi Lee Smith, Yellowman, Next
Diane Ferry Williams, West Side Story, Marriott.

SOUND DESIGN
Ray Nardelli and Joshua Horvath, Electricidad, Goodman
Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, The Secret in the Wings, Lookingglass
Robert Steel, Drink Me or, The Strange Case of Alice Times Three, Seanachai Theatre Company
David Van Tieghem, King John, Chicago Shakespeare
Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, Cyrano, Court and Redmoon
Joshua Horvath and Ray Nardelli, Fraulein Else, Court

CHOREOGRAPHY
Rudy Hogenmiller, A Chorus Line, Theatre at the Center
Tammy Mader, Singin' in the Rain, Theatre at the Center
Marc Robin, Annie Get Your Gun, Marriott
Marc Robin, West Side Story, Marriott
Patti Wilcox, The Pajama Game, Marriott

ORIGINAL MUSIC
Henry Marsh, The Taming of the Shrew, Chicago Shakespeare
Henry Marsh, A Midsummer Night's Dream, First Folio
Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, The Secret in the Wings, Lookingglass
Patricia Kane, Amy Warren and Andre Pluess, Pulp, About Face
Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, Winesburg, Ohio, About Face

MUSICAL DIRECTION
Margaret James, Fiddler on the Roof, Drury Lane Oakbrook
Alan Johnson, The Sound of a Voice, Court
Thomas Murray, A Little Night Music, Chicago Shakespeare
Rick Sims, The Shaggs, Lookingglass
Robert Reddrick, The House That Rocked, Black Ensemble
Jimmy Tilman, Mama Said There'll Be Days Like This, Black Ensemble

OTHER CATEGORY
David Pleasant, Crowns, Goodman (Special Achievement in Percussion)
Scott Pondrom, Cyrano, Court and Redmoon (Property Effects)
John Boesche, Great Men of Science, Nos. 21 & 22, Lookingglass (Projections)