At the 57th anniversary celebration of Equity theater excellence, the Jeff Awards recognized 44 award recipients selected from among 214 nominees across 32 categories of excellence in theater production among shows from 40 producing entities. The awards show was co-hosted by award-winning Chicago entertainers Sean Fortunato and Alexis J. Roston, with actor Janet Ulrich Brooks as announcer, in a program featuring performances from seven nominated productions and dozens of local theater artists as presenters. Johanna McKenzie Miller directed the awards program with music direction by Dr. Michael McBride.
Court Theatre received the most awards (seven) among three productions and two additional honors shared for its co-production with TimeLine Theatre Company (“Falsettos”). Its production of “Berlin” received honors for Production (Play – Large), Ensemble, Director (Charles Newell) and New Work (Mickle Maher). Charles Newell picked up a second directing award for the Short Run Production “An Iliad” which also recognized Timothy Edward Kane as Short Run Production Performer, and AnJi White (“East Texas Hot Wings”) took home the award for Performer in a Supporting Role. In the Court Theatre co-production with Timeline Theatre Company, Stephen Schellhardt and Sarah Bockel ("Falsettos") were recognized respectively as Performer in a Principal Role and Performer in a Supporting Role (Musical).
Shattered Globe Theatre also received seven awards across two productions. Its “Lobby Hero” was awarded Production (Play – Midsize), Director (Nate Santana), and Performer in a Principal Role (Elliot Esquivel). The theater’s production of “A Tale of Two Cities” also garnered awards for Director (Mikael Burke), Original Music (Christopher Kriz), Costume Design (Kotryna Hilko) and Lighting Design (Eric Watkins).
“Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” (Writers Theatre) was the most awarded single production (five) including Production (Musical – Large), Ensemble, Director (Kate Spelman), Lighting Design (Yael Lubetzky) and Costume Design (Raquel Adorno).
Drury Lane Productions received six awards among which were three in the Revue category for “Always…Patsy Cline” including Production, Director (Scott Weinstein) and Performer in a Principal Role (Bri Sudia). For "Disney’s The Little Mermaid," Sawyer Smith was recognized as Performer in a Supporting Role (Musical) along with an Artistic Specialization award for puppet design.
Additional performance awards were given to Brittney Mack for "The Color Purple" (Goodman Theatre) and Rae Gray in “Prayer for the French Republic” (Northlight Theatre and Theater Wit). Jean Claudio received the Solo Performance award for "Memorabilia" (Teatro Vista).
The Jeff Awards New Work category recognized authors of two new productions including Atra Asdou ("Iraq, But Funny" at Lookingglass Theatre Company), for which she also received an award as Performer in a Principal Role, and Mickle Maher ("Berlin").
Among technical awards, "Cats” from Paramount Theatre garnered three for Kasey Alfonso (Choreography), and Artistic Specialization for Katie Cordts (Wig, Hair and Makeup Design) and Sylvia Hernandez DiStasi (Circus Choreography). Additional awards were presented to the "Titanic The Musical" (Marriott Theatre) team for Music Direction (Ryan T. Nelson) and Sound Design – Large (Michael Daly). Lauren M. Nichols (Scenic Design – Midsize) and Satya Chávez (Sound Design – Midsize) earned the technical awards for "Memorabilia" (Teatro Vista). Awards were shared for Scenic Design – Large between Christopher Oram ("Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil The Musical" – Goodman Theatre) and Jeffrey D. Kmiec ("Million Dollar Quartet" – Paramount Theatre) and for Projection Design with Anthony Churchill and Mike Tutaj ("The Da Vinci Code" – Drury Lane Productions) and Michael Salvatore Commendatore ("Iraq, But Funny" – Lookingglass Theatre Company).
The 57th Equity Special Awards were presented to five theaters, honoring their remarkable legacies of inspiring theater artists, providing creative opportunities, entertaining audiences, and helping build Chicago’s reputation as a theater powerhouse. A unique spotlight was shone on The Goodman Theatre, the city’s largest non-profit theater, honored for its 100th anniversary, along with special recognition for four institutions all celebrating their 50th anniversaries this year, including Marriott Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Oak Park Festival Theatre, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
Laura D. Glenn from Steppenwolf Theatre Company was the inaugural recipient of the Equity Jeff Impresario Award, honoring excellence in stage management. This new award was based on nominations by theater companies to recognize this key role that has been a vital part of the behind-the-scenes work bringing Chicago productions to life over the past season.
In its 57th Anniversary season, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, the Jeff Awards membership judged the opening nights of 93 productions. From these, 81 productions became “Jeff Recommended” which made them eligible for award nominations.
The 57th Anniversary Equity Award recipients are:
Production – Play – Large
"Berlin" - Court Theatre
Production – Play – Midsize
"Lobby Hero" - Shattered Globe Theatre
Production – Musical – Large – THE SUSAN AND HARLAN HAIMES AWARD
"Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812" - Writers Theatre
Production – Revue
"Always...Patsy Cline" - Drury Lane Productions
Director – Play – Large – THE MICHAEL MAGGIO AWARD
Charles Newell - "Berlin" - Court Theatre
Director – Play – Midsize
Mikael Burke - "A Tale of Two Cities" - Shattered Globe Theatre
Nate Santana - "Lobby Hero" - Shattered Globe Theatre
Director – Musical – Large
Katie Spelman - "Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812" - Writers Theatre
Director – Revue
Scott Weinstein - "Always... Patsy Cline" - Drury Lane Productions
Ensemble – Play
"Berlin" - Court Theatre
Ensemble – Musical or Revue
"Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812" - Writers Theatre
Performer in a Principal Role – Play
Atra Asdou - "Iraq, But Funny" - Lookingglass Theatre Company
Elliot Esquivel - "Lobby Hero" - Shattered Globe Theatre
Performer in a Principal Role – Musical
Brittney Mack - "The Color Purple" - Goodman Theatre
Stephen Schellhardt - "Falsettos" - Court Theatre and TimeLine Theatre Company
Performer in a Revue
Bria Sudia - “Always…Patsy Cline”- Drury Lane Productions
Solo Performance
Jean Claudio - "Memorabilia" - Teatro Vista
Performer in a Supporting Role – Play
Rae Gray - "Prayer for the French Republic" - Northlight Theatre and Theater Wit
AnJi White - "East Texas Hot Links" - Court Theatre
Performer in a Supporting Role – Musical
Sarah Bockel - "Falsettos" - Court Theatre and TimeLine Theatre Company
Sawyer Smith - "Disney's The Little Mermaid" - Drury Lane Productions
New Work – THE LIBBY ADLER MAGES AWARD
Atra Asdou - "Iraq, But Funny" - Lookingglass Theatre Company
Mickle Maher - "Berlin" - Court Theatre
Choreography
Kasey Alfonso - "Cats" - Paramount Theatre
Original Music in a Play
Christopher Kriz - "A Tale of Two Cities" - Shattered Globe Theatre
Music Direction
Ryan T. Nelson - "Titanic The Musical" - Marriott Theatre
Scenic Design – Large
Jeffrey D. Kmiec - "Million Dollar Quartet" - Paramount Theatre
Christopher Oram - "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil The Musical" - Goodman Theatre
Scenic Design – Midsize
Lauren M. Nichols - "Memorabilia" - Teatro Vista
Lighting Design – Large
Yael Lubetzky - "Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812" - Writers Theatre
Lighting Design – Midsize
Eric Watkins - "A Tale of Two Cities" - Shattered Globe Theatre
Costume Design – Large
Raquel Adorno - "Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812" - Writers Theatre
Costume Design – Midsize
Kotryna Hilko - "A Tale of Two Cities" - Shattered Globe Theatre
Sound Design – Large
Michael Daly - "Titanic The Musical" - Marriott Theatre
Sound Design – Midsize
Satya Chávez - "Memorabilia" - Teatro Vista
Projection Design
Anthony Churchill and Mike Tutaj - "The Da Vinci Code" - Drury Lane Productions
Michael Salvatore Commendatore - "Iraq, But Funny" - Lookingglass Theatre Company
Artistic Specialization
Chicago Puppet Studio, Lead Designers Caitlin McLeod and Zachary Sun - Puppet Design - "Disney's The Little Mermaid" - Drury Lane Productions
Katie Cordts - Wig, Hair, and Makeup Design - "Cats" - Paramount Theatre
Sylvia Hernandez-DeStasi - Circus Choreography - "Cats" - Paramount Theatre
Short Run – Direction
Charles Newell - "An Iliad" - Court Theatre
Short Run – Performer
Timothy Edward Kane (The Poet) - "An Iliad" - Court Theatre
Special Milestone Award
100th Anniversary
- Goodman Theatre
50th Anniversary
- Marriott Theatre
- Northlight Theatre
- Oak Park Festival Theatre
- Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Impresario Award, Honoring Excellence in Stage Management
Laura D. Glenn, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
MULTIPLE AWARD RECIPIENTS
By Theater Company
Court Theatre - 7
Shattered Globe Theatre - 7
Drury Lane Productions - 6
Writers Theatre - 5
Paramount Theatre - 4
Lookingglass Theatre Company - 3
Teatro Vista - 3
Court Theatre and TimeLine Theatre Company - 2 (co-production)
Goodman Theatre - 2
Marriott Theatre - 2
By Production
"Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812" - 5
"Berlin" - 4
"A Tale of Two Cities" - 4
"Always... Patsy Cline" - 3
"Cats" - 3
"Iraq, But Funny" - 3
"Lobby Hero" - 3
"Memorabilia" - 3
“Disney’s The Little Mermaid” - 2
"Falsettos" - 2
"An Iliad"- 2
"Titanic The Musical" - 2
By Individual
Atra Asdou - 2
Charles Newell - 2