The Joseph Jefferson Committee announced the nominees for this year’s 44th annual Non-Equity Wing awards, honoring productions that opened between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017. Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, the Rogers Park musical troupe that’s a longtime favorite of the committee members, led the overall nominations total with 11, but the productions that topped the list with eight noms a piece were musicals from three other companies: Kokandy Productions’s The Wiz, BoHo Theatre’s Urinetown and Refuge Theatre Project’s High Fidelity.
The nonmusical plays that racked up the most nominations include Lifeline Theatre’s Northanger Abbey with five, and Broken Nose Theatre’s At the Table, Interrobang Theatre Project’s The North Pool and Jackalope Theatre Company’s Prowess with four each.
The Non-Equity Jeff Awards will be presented June 5 at the Athenaeum Theatre, a new location after years at Park West. The complete list of nominations follows.
PRODUCTION —PLAY
At the Table—Broken Nose Theatre
How We Got On—Haven Theatre Company
Miss Holmes —Lifeline Theatre
The North Pool —Interrobang Theatre Project
Our Lady of 121st Street —Eclipse Theatre Company
Prowess—Jackalope Theatre Company
PRODUCTION —MUSICAL
High Fidelity —Refuge Theatre Project
The Most Happy Fella —Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Northanger Abbey —Lifeline Theatre
Urinetown —BoHo Theatre
The Wiz —Kokandy Productions
ENSEMBLE
At the Table —Broken Nose Theatre
Bat Boy The Musical —Griffin Theatre Company
good friday —Kristiana Rae Colon and Tara Branham in collaboration with Oracle Productions
High Fidelity —Refuge Theatre Project
How We Got On —Haven Theatre Company
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui —Trap Door Theatre
truth and reconciliation —Sideshow Theatre Company
DIRECTOR —PLAY
Spenser Davis — At the Table —Broken Nose Theatre
Jonathan L. Green — truth and reconciliation —Sideshow Theatre Company
Robert Kauzlaric — Cymbeline —Strawdog Theatre Company
Victor Quezada-Perez — The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui —Trap Door Theatre
James Yost — The North Pool —Interrobang Theatre Project
DIRECTOR —MUSICAL
Fred Anzevino — The Most Happy Fella —Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Elise Kauzlaric — Northanger Abbey —Lifeline Theatre
Christopher Pazdernik — High Fidelity —Refuge Theatre Project
Stephen Schellhardt — Urinetown —BoHo Theatre
Scott Weinstein — Bat Boy The Musical —Griffin Theatre Company
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE —PLAY
Salar Ardebili (Khadim) — The North Pool —Interrobang Theatre Project
Ryan Hallahan (Dan) — The Body of an American —Stage Left Theatre
John Henry Roberts (Danny) — The Little Flower of East Orange —Eclipse Theatre Company
George Seegebrecht (Hauptmann) — Hauptmann —City Lit Theater Company
Kevin V. Smith (Vic) — Taste —Red Theater Chicago
Gage Wallace (Terry) — Taste —Red Theater Chicago
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE —MUSICAL
Maxwell J. DeTogne (Rob) — High Fidelity —Refuge Theatre Project
Henry McGinniss (Bat Boy/Edgar) — Bat Boy The Musical —Griffin Theatre Company
Henry McGinniss (Bobby Strong) — Urinetown —BoHo Theatre
Jordan Phelps (Tick) — Priscilla: Queen of the Desert —Pride Films and Plays
William Roberts (Tony Esposito) — The Most Happy Fella —Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE —PLAY
Jeannie Affelder (Marie) — The Little Flower of East Orange —Eclipse Theatre Company
Kim Boler (Mabry) — Human Terrain —Broken Nose Theatre
Elaine Carlson (Eleanor of Aquitaine) — The Lion in Winter —Promethean Theatre Ensemble
Amy Johnson (Tami) — Falling —Interrobang Theatre Project
Kat McDonnell (May) — Once in a Lifetime —Strawdog Theatre Company
Shalyn Welch (Darcy) — The Kid Thing —Nothing Without A Company
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE —MUSICAL
Sydney Charles (Dorothy) — The Wiz —Kokandy Productions
Molly Hernandez (Amy) — The Most Happy Fella —Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Amanda Horvath (Tonya Harding) — Tonya and Nancy The Rock Opera —Underscore Theatre Company
Stephanie Stockstill (Catherine Morland) — Northanger Abbey —Lifeline Theatre
Colette Todd (Diana) – Next to Normal – BoHo Theatre
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE —PLAY
Adam Bitterman (Mick) — The Seedbed —Redtwist Theatre
Matt Edmonds (Biff) — Death of a Salesman —Redtwist Theatre
Robert Koon (Riley) — Chagrin Falls —The Agency Theater Collective
D'Wayne Taylor (Lucius) — Jesus Hopped the A Train —Eclipse Theatre Company
Justin Tsatsa (Josh) — Falling —Interrobang Theatre Project
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
Chuckie Benson (Lion) — The Wiz —Kokandy Productions
Scott Danielson (Officer Lockstock) — Urinetown —BoHo Theatre
Nick Druzbanski (Barry) — High Fidelity —Refuge Theatre Project
Joe Giovannetti (Herman) — The Most Happy Fella —Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Luke Meierdiercks (Felicia) — Priscilla: Queen of the Desert —Pride Films and Plays
Steven Perkins (Tin Man) — The Wiz —Kokandy Productions
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE —PLAY
Echaka Agba (Lauren) — At the Table —Broken Nose Theatre
JoAnn Montemurro (Faye) — The Assembled Parties —Raven Theatre Company
Deanna Reed-Foster (Trudy) — Even Longer and Farther Away —The New Colony
Kelli Strickland (Bananas) — The House of Blue Leaves —Raven Theatre Company
Kendra Thulin (Lisa) — Wastwater —Steep Theatre Company
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE —MUSICAL
Veronica Garza (Nancy/Tonya's Mom) — Tonya and Nancy The Rock Opera —Underscore Theatre Company
Nicole Michelle Haskins (Aunt Em/Evillene) — The Wiz —Kokandy Productions
Courtney Jones (Cleo) — The Most Happy Fella —Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Anne Sheridan Smith (Meredith Parker) — Bat Boy The Musical —Griffin Theatre Company
Jenifer Tyler (Mrs. Allen/Mrs. Tilney) — Northanger Abbey —Lifeline Theatre
Honey West (Bernadette) — Priscilla: Queen of the Desert —Pride Films and Plays
SOLO PERFORMANCE
Philip Dawkins (Performer) — The Happiest Place on Earth —Greenhouse Theater Center i/a/w Sideshow Theatre Company
Sarah Gise (Performer) — The Amish Project —Interrobang Theatre Project
ACTOR/ACTRESS IN A REVUE
Averis I. Anderson (Performer) — An Anthony Newley-Leslie Bricusse Songbook —Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Ian Rigg (Performer) — Oh, Coward! —Dead Writers Theatre Collective
Graham Thomas Heacock (Performer) — An Anthony Newley-Leslie Bricusse Songbook —Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Colette Todd (Angela) — Honky Tonk Angels —Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Leryn Turlington (Darlene) — Honky Tonk Angels —Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
NEW PLAY
Shepsu Aakhu — Feral —MPAACT
Philip Dawkins — The Happiest Place on Earth —Greenhouse Theater Center i/a/w Sideshow Theatre Company
Zeljko Djukic — Gentle —TUTA Theatre Chicago
Jerre Dye — Distance —Strawdog Theatre Company
Ike Holter — Prowess —Jackalope Theatre Company
Alex Lubischer — Bobbie Clearly —Steep Theatre Company
Heather McNama and Nancy Nyman — Resolution —Pride Films and Plays
NEW ADAPTATION
Alex Higgin-Houser and David Kornfeld — Haymarket: The Anarchist's Songbook —Underscore Theatre Company
Robert Kauzlaric and George Howe — Northanger Abbey —Lifeline Theatre
CHOREOGRAPHY
Aubrey Adams — Urinetown —BoHo Theatre
Breon Arzell — The Wiz —Kokandy Productions
Jon Martinez — Priscilla: Queen of the Desert —Pride Films and Plays
Christopher Pazdernik — High Fidelity —Refuge Theatre Project
ORIGINAL MUSIC IN A PLAY
Natasha Bogojevich — Gentle —TUTA Theatre Chicago
Andrew Hansen — Cymbeline —Strawdog Theatre Company
Andrew Hansen — Miss Holmes —Lifeline Theatre
Ben Sutherland — The Lion in Winter —Promethean Theatre Ensemble
Shawn Wallace — Rutherford's Travels —Pegasus Theatre Chicago
MUSIC DIRECTION
Jimmy Morehead — The Wiz —Kokandy Productions
Robert Ollis — Priscilla: Queen of the Desert —Pride Films and Plays
Jeremy Ramey — The Most Happy Fella —Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Charlotte Rivard-Hoster — Urinetown —BoHo Theatre
Jon Schneidman — High Fidelity —Refuge Theatre Project
SCENIC DESIGN
Kurtis Boetcher — Gentle —TUTA Theatre Chicago
Kevin Hagan — Our Lady of 121st Street —Eclipse Theatre Company
Jeffrey D. Kmiec — The Assembled Parties —Raven Theatre Company
Michelle Manni — High Fidelity —Refuge Theatre Project
Greg Pinsoneault — The North Pool —Interrobang Theatre Project
Ashley Ann Woods — Miss Holmes —Lifeline Theatre
LIGHTING DESIGN
Erik Barry — Haymarket: The Anarchist's Songbook —Underscore Theatre Company
Kevin D. Gawley — A Wrinkle in Time —Lifeline Theatre
G. Max Maxin IV — Urinetown —BoHo Theatre
Alexander Ridgers — Winterset —Griffin Theatre Company
Brandon Wardell — Bat Boy The Musical —Griffin Theatre Company
COSTUME DESIGN
Aly Renee Amidei — Northanger Abbey —Lifeline Theatre
John Nasca — Priscilla: Queen of the Desert —Pride Films and Plays
Rachel M. Sypniewski — The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui —Trap Door Theatre
Virginia Varland — The Wiz —Kokandy Productions
Elizabeth Wislar — Urinetown —BoHo Theatre
SOUND DESIGN
Eric Backus — A Wrinkle in Time —Lifeline Theatre
Thomas Dixon — peerless —First Floor Theater
Thomas Dixon — Wastwater —Steep Theatre Company
Stephen Ptacek — How We Got On —Haven Theatre Company
Stephen Ptacek — In To America —Griffin Theatre Company
Matthew Reich — The Promise of a Rose Garden —Babes With Blades
PROJECTION DESIGN
Brock Alter — In To America —Griffin Theatre Company
Anthony Churchill — The Body of an American —Stage Left Theatre
Michael Stanfill — Prowess —Jackalope Theatre Company
FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY
Ryan Bourque — Prowess —Jackalope Theatre Company
Matt Hawkins — Cymbeline —Strawdog Theatre Company
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