The Joseph Jefferson Committee announced the nominees this morning for this year’s 45th annual Non-Equity Wing awards, honoring productions that opened between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018. Griffin Theatre Company led the nominations with 14, split between its productions of the musicals Ragtime (which scored 10 nods, the most of any single show) and Violet (with four). (Both shows were directed by Scott Weinstein, who will compete with himself in the direction of a musical category.)
Pride Films & Plays came in with 11 nominations spread across four different productions (The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier, The Nance, Yank! and Perfect Arrangement), tying with Steep Theatre, which split its 11 nominations between the plays Lela & Co. and The Invisible Hand.
One major change for the Jeffs in this round: The performance categories are no longer divided along a gender binary. There will be four acting categories (principal role and supporting, musical and play), each with at least 10 nominees of all genders and two recipients. A representative for the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee confirmed that this category change will also apply to the Equity Awards going forward beginning when those nominations are announced in August; the committee will re-evaluate this change in two years.
The Non-Equity Jeff Awards will be presented June 11 at the Athenaeum Theatre. The complete list of nominations follows.
Ensemble
Ideation, Jackalope Theatre Company
Insurrection: Holding History, Stage Left Theatre
Into the Empty Sky, Trap Door Theatre
Mother of the Dark Water, MPAACT
Ragtime, Griffin Theatre Company
Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery, Pegasus Theatre Chicago
Production—Musical
Bonnie & Clyde, Kokandy Productions
Marie Christine, BoHo Theatre
Ragtime, Griffin Theatre Company
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Violet, Griffin Theatre Company
Production—Play
Foxfinder, Interrobang Theatre Project
Ideation, Jackalope Theatre Company
Lela & Co., Steep Theatre Company
The Invisible Hand, Steep Theatre Company
The Light, The New Colony
Director—Musical
Fred Anzevino, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Lili-Anne Brown, Marie Christine, BoHo Theatre
Spencer Neiman, Bonnie & Clyde, Kokandy Productions
Scott Weinstein, Ragtime, Griffin Theatre Company
Scott Weinstein, Violet, Griffin Theatre Company
Director—Play
Audrey Francis, The Invisible Hand, Steep Theatre Company
Margaret Knapp, Foxfinder, Interrobang Theatre Project
Toma Langston, The Light, The New Colony
Gus Menary, Ideation, Jackalope Theatre Company
Robin Witt, Lela & Co., Steep Theatre Company
Performer in a Principal Role—Musical
Kyrie Courter (Marie Christine), Marie Christine, BoHo Theatre
Max DeTogne (Clyde), Bonnie & Clyde, Kokandy Productions
Desiree Gonzalez (Bonnie), Bonnie & Clyde, Kokandy Productions
Matthew Huston (Stu), Yank! A World War II Love Story, Pride Films and Plays
Jacquelyne Jones (Mrs. Lovett), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Nicole Laurenzi (Violet), Violet, Griffin Theatre Company
Laura McClain (Mother), Ragtime, Griffin Theatre Company
Jason Richards (Tateh), Ragtime, Griffin Theatre Company
Dani Shay (Young Albert), The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier, Permoveo Productions i/a/w Pride Films and Plays
Philip Torre (Sweeney Todd), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Denzel Tsopnang (Coalhouse Walker, Jr.), Ragtime, Griffin Theatre Company
Performer in a Principal Role—Play
Lucy Carapetyan (Josephine), Nice Girl, Raven Theatre Company
Alexandra Fisher (Judith Covey), Foxfinder, Interrobang Theatre Project
Jeffery Owen Freelon Jr. (Rashad), The Light, The New Colony
Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel (Lela), Lela & Co., Steep Theatre Company
Vince Kracht (Chauncey), The Nance, Pride Films and Plays
John Mossman (Peck), How I Learned to Drive, The Artistic Home
Tiffany Oglesby (Genesis), The Light, The New Colony
Sara Pavlak McGuire (Sarah), Time Stands Still, AstonRep Theatre Company
Joel Reitsma (Nick), The Invisible Hand, Steep Theatre Company
Alejandro Tey (Mace), The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Red Theater Chicago
Michael B. Woods (Cyrano), Cyrano, BoHo Theatre
Performer in a Supporting Role—Musical
Stephen Allen (Flick), Violet, Griffin Theatre Company
Gina Francesca (Hetaira), Lysistrata Jones, Refuge Theatre Project
Veronica Garza (Lisa), A New Brain, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Emily Goldberg (Shelby), The Spitfire Grill, Refuge Theatre Project
Nicole Michelle Haskins (Effy), The Spitfire Grill, Refuge Theatre Project
Molly LeCaptain (Louise / Radio Singers), Yank! A World War II Love Story, Pride Films and Plays
John Marshall Jr. (Artie), Yank! A World War II Love Story, Pride Films and Plays
Billy Rude (Jeffrey), The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier, Permoveo Productions i/a/w Pride Films and Plays
Katherine Thomas (Sarah), Ragtime, Griffin Theatre Company
Missy Wise (Blanche), Bonnie & Clyde, Kokandy Productions
Performer in a Supporting Role—Play
Owais Ahmed (Bashir), The Invisible Hand, Steep Theatre Company
Chris Chmelik (Man), Lela & Co., Steep Theatre Company
Gregory Fenner (Dubby), Megastasis, Eclipse Theatre Company
Bryce Gangel (Robin), 1980 (Or Why I'm Voting for John Anderson), Jackalope Theatre Company
Kelli Harrington (Barbara Grant), Perfect Arrangement, Pride Films and Plays
Renee Lockett (Bernadette), Surely Goodness and Mercy, Redtwist Theatre
Stella Martin (Sherry), Nice Girl, Raven Theatre Company
RjW Mays (Phaedra), Kingdom, Broken Nose Theatre
Andrew Neftali Perez (Norte), Water & Power, UrbanTheater Company
Kathleen Ruhl (Daphne), I Saw My Neighbor on the Train and I Didn’t Even Smile, Redtwist Theatre
New Musical
Preston Max Allen, Carrie 2: The Rage (An Unauthorized Musical Parody), Underscore Theatre Company
David Cerda, Lady X: The Musical, Hell in a Handbag Productions
Jay Paul Deratany, Joe Stevens and Keaton Wooden, The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier, Permoveo Productions i/a/w Pride Films and Plays
New Play
Shepsu Aakhu, Never the Milk and Honey, MPAACT
Patricia Cotter, 1980 (Or Why I'm Voting for John Anderson), Jackalope Theatre Company
Michael Allen Harris, Kingdom, Broken Nose Theatre
Douglas Post, Forty-Two Stories, City Lit Theater Company
Lloyd Suh, Franklinland, Jackalope Theatre Company
Loy A. Webb, The Light, The New Colony
Music Direction
John Cockerill, Bonnie & Clyde, Kokandy Productions
Jermaine Hill and Ellen Morris, Ragtime, Griffin Theatre Company
Robert Ollis, Yank! A World War II Love Story, Pride Films and Plays
Jeremy Ramey, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Jon Schneidman, The Spitfire Grill, Refuge Theatre Project
Choreography
William Carlos Angulo, Ragtime, Griffin Theatre Company
Breon Arzell, Marie Christine, BoHo Theatre
Kevin Bellie, Bullets Over Broadway, NightBlue Performing Arts
Jenna Schoppe, Yank! A World War II Love Story, Pride Films and Plays
Shanna VanDerwerker, Lysistrata Jones, Refuge Theatre Project
Fight Choreography
Jon Beal, Cyrano, BoHo Theatre
David Blixt, Her Majesty’s Will, Lifeline Theatre
Kyle Encinas, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Red Theater Chicago
Original Music in a Play
Jesse Case, Foxfinder, Interrobang Theatre Project
Red Clay, Desta Sound, Never the Milk and Honey, MPAACT
Jeffrey Levin, Her Majesty’s Will, Lifeline Theatre
Mike Mazzocca, Into the Empty Sky, Trap Door Theatre
Nicholas Tonozzi, Round Heads and Pointed Heads, Red Tape Theatre
Sound Design
Jesse Case, Foxfinder, Interrobang Theatre Project
Thomas Dixon, The Invisible Hand, Steep Theatre Company
Justin Glombicki, In the Soundless Awe, Saltbox Theatre Collective
Morgan Lake, Pillars of the Community, Strawdog Theatre Company
Michael J. Patrick, Bonnie & Clyde, Kokandy Productions
Costume Design
Beth Laske-Miller, Shockheaded Peter, Black Button Eyes Productions
Bill Morey, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
John Nasca, The Nance, Pride Films and Plays
Rachel Sypniewski, Ragtime, Griffin Theatre Company
Zachery Wagner, The School for Lies, The Artistic Home
Lighting Design
Heather Gilbert, Marie Christine, BoHo Theatre
John Kelly, Foxfinder, Interrobang Theatre Project
James Kolditz, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
G. “Max” Maxin IV, Cyrano, BoHo Theatre
Brandon Wardell, Lela & Co., Steep Theatre Company
Scenic Design
Jeffrey D. Kmiec, American Hero, First Floor Theater
Eric Luchen, Foxfinder, Interrobang Theatre Project
Joe Schermoly, Lela & Co., Steep Theatre Company
Ray Toler, Choir Boy, Raven Theatre Company
John Wilson, The Light, The New Colony