Both Follies (directed by Gary Griffin) and Iceman (directed by Robert Falls) won in production and direction categories. Brian Dennehy was named Supporting Actor for Iceman (he played Larry Slade), while Caroline O'Connor was named Actress in a Musical for playing dry Phyllis in Follies. Local star Hollis Resnik won the Supporting Actress award for playing Carlotta, who sings "I'm Still Here" in the Stephen Sondheim-James Goldman musical about a reunion of former revue performers.
Iceman, a hit for Goodman that starred Nathan Lane as Hickey, also won the Ensemble award. There was some buzz that commercial New York producers were circling the production earlier this year, but no announcement of a move has transpired.
The Production-Musical Award for midsize theatres went to The Doyle & Debbie Show, a commercial production from lonesome road productions in association with Jim Jensen and Lisselan Productions, which had a run of several months at the Royal George Theatre. Bruce Arntson, the creator of the parody of country music duos, also won the Principal Actor in a Musical award.
A Special Award was presented to Actors' Equity Association in celebration of their century of service to actors and stage managers in Chicago and across America.
In the New Work division, the existence of which usually indicates the health of a theatre community, awards for New Work-Play went to Ayad Akhtar for his drama Disgraced by American Theater Company in special arrangement with The Araca Group (the play is currently being produced by LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater in New York City), and to Sarah Gubbins' The Kid Thing produced by Chicago Dramatists and About Face Theatre. Aaron Thielen and Michael Mahler won a New Work-Musical Jeff Award for Hero the Musical at Marriott Theatre, and Oren Jacoby won New Adaptation-Play honors for his version of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man at Court Theatre in association with Christopher McElroen Productions. The gala 44th Annual Equity Jeff Awards ceremony was held at Drury Lane Oakbrook.
The 44th Equity season of the Jeff Awards ran Aug. 1, 2011-July 31, 2012. The Jeff Awards Committee judged the opening nights of 118 productions from 55 producing organizations. Of these, 96 productions were "Jeff Recommended," which made them eligible for award nominations.
2012 Equity Jeff Award Recipients
PRODUCTION – PLAY – LARGE
The Iceman Cometh – Goodman Theatre
PRODUCTION – PLAY – MIDSIZE
The Pitmen Painters – TimeLine Theatre Company
PRODUCTION – MUSICAL – LARGE
Follies – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
PRODUCTION – MUSICAL – MIDSIZE
The Doyle & Debbie Show – lonesome road productions in association with Jim Jensen and Lisselan Productions
PRODUCTION – REVUE
We're All in This Room Together – The Second City e.t.c.
DIRECTOR – PLAY
Robert Falls – The Iceman Cometh – Goodman Theatre
DIRECTOR – MUSICAL
Gary Griffin – Follies – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
DIRECTOR – REVUE
Ryan Bernier – We're All in This Room Together – The Second City e.t.c.
ENSEMBLE
The Iceman Cometh – Goodman Theatre
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Larry Yando – Angels in America – Court Theatre
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
Bruce Arntson – The Doyle & Debbie Show – lonesome road productions in association with Jim Jensen and Lisselan Productions
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Diane D'Aquila – Elizabeth Rex – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
Caroline O'Connor – Follies – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
ACTOR OR ACTRESS IN A REVUE
Edgar Blackmon – Who Do We Think We Are? – The Second City
SOLO PERFORMANCE
Timothy Edward Kane – An Iliad – Court Theatre
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
Brian Dennehy – The Iceman Cometh – Goodman Theatre
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL Alex Goodrich – HERO the Musical – Marriott Theatre
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
Natalie West – The Butcher of Baraboo – A Red Orchid Theatre
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
Hollis Resnik – Follies – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
NEW WORK – PLAY (TWO RECIPIENTS)
Ayad Akhtar – Disgraced – American Theater Company in special arrangement with The Araca Group
Sarah Gubbins – The Kid Thing – Chicago Dramatists and About Face Theatre
NEW WORK – MUSICAL
Aaron Thielen and Michael Mahler – HERO the Musical – Marriott Theatre
NEW ADAPTATION – PLAY
Oren Jacoby – Invisible Man – Court Theatre in association with Christopher McElroen Productions
CHOREOGRAPHY
Tammy Mader – Hairspray – Drury Lane Productions
ORIGINAL INCIDENTAL MUSIC
Lindsay Jones – Timon of Athens – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
MUSIC DIRECTION
Brad Haak – Follies – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
SCENIC DESIGN – LARGE
Kevin Depinet – The Iceman Cometh – Goodman Theatre
SCENIC DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Brian Prather – Freud's Last Session – Carolyn Rossi Copeland, Robert Stillman, and Jack Thomas
LIGHTING DESIGN – LARGE
Natasha Katz – The Iceman Cometh – Goodman Theatre
LIGHTING DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Michael McNamara – The Turn of the Screw – First Folio Theatre
COSTUME DESIGN – LARGE
Virgil C. Johnson – Follies – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
COSTUME DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Branimira Ivanova – Cloud 9 – The Gift Theatre
SOUND DESIGN – LARGE
Mikhail Fiksel – Oedipus el Rey – Victory Gardens Theater
SOUND DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Christopher Kriz – The Turn of the Screw – First Folio Theatre
PROJECTIONS/MEDIA DESIGN
Maya Ciarrocchi – Crowns – Goodman Theatre
ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION
Dennis Watkins – Magic Design – Death and Harry Houdini – The House Theatre of Chicago
SPECIAL AWARD
Actors' Equity Association
View video highlights of Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Follies:
