Maybe the time has come to dub Glenwood Avenue in the Rogers Park neighborhood as Chicago’s answer to off-Broadway. Certainly that’s the conclusion to be reached if you tally up the nominations for the Non-Equity Jeff Awards announced today.
Among the top nominees are two theaters who make their home on that narrow railroad street — Lifeline Theatre (which garnered a total of 14 nominations for its productions of “The Mark of Zorro,” “Mariette in Ecstasy” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray”) and Theo Ubique Theatre Company (which received 13, for “Jacques Brel’s Lonesome Losers of the Night” and “Evita,” the latter now in an extended run through May 31).
Of course that’s only one part of the panoramic picture suggested by these awards, which are designed to honor the creative excellence displayed by the city’s many and varied theaters operating without a union contract (often a euphemism for “great work that is done even if no one can be paid a living wage).
The companies nominated in the principal categories of best play and musical of the season that ran April 1, 2008, through March 31, 2009, operate in all corners of the city and even a bit beyond, with Steep Theatre in the Edgewater area, The Hypocrites on the near North side, The House Theatre in Wicker Park/Bucktown, Griffin Theatre and Bailiwick Repertory in Lake View, Blindfaith in Lincoln Park and Circle Theatre in suburban Forest Park.
And, as it happens, one of the directors nominated this season was even catapulted to New York fame. David Cromer, whose production of “Our Town” (for The Hypocrites) was subsequently reinvented off-Broadway, has been tapped to direct a pair of Neil Simon revivals on Broadway this fall. So while the pay at non-Equity theaters might be lousy, the exposure is invaluable.
Here are the nominees:
Production - Play
“Enchanted April” - Circle Theatre
“In Arabia We'd All Be Kings” - Steep Theatre Company
“Mariette in Ecstasy” - Lifeline Theatre
“The Mark of Zorro” - Lifeline Theatre
“Our Town” - The Hypocrites
“Rose and the Rime” - The House Theatre of Chicago
Production – Musical OR REVUE
“The Christmas Schooner” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
“Evita” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
“Jacques Brel's Lonesome Losers of the Night” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
“The Robber Bridegroom” - Griffin Theatre Company
“Woody Guthrie's American Song” - Blindfaith Theatre
Director – Play
Nathan Allen – “Rose and the Rime” - The House Theatre of Chicago
David Cromer – “Our Town” - The Hypocrites
Elise Kauzlaric – “Mariette in Ecstasy” - Lifeline Theatre
Joanie Schultz – “In Arabia We'd All Be Kings” - Steep Theatre Company
Rick Snyder – “Men of Tortuga” - Profiles Theatre
Director - Musical or revue
Fred Anzevino – “Evita” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
Fred Anzevino – “Jacques Brel's Lonesome Losers of the Night” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
Mary Beidler Gearen – “The Christmas Schooner” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Paul S. Holmquist – “The Robber Bridegroom” - Griffin Theatre Company
Nicolas Minas – “Woody Guthrie's American Song” - Blindfaith Theatre
Ensemble
“Evita” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
“In Arabia We'd All Be Kings” - Steep Theatre Company
“Mariette in Ecstasy” - Lifeline Theatre
“Men of Tortuga” - Profiles Theatre
“Our Bad Magnet” - Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company
“Woody Guthrie's American Song” - Blindfaith Theatre
Actor in a Principal Role – Play
Don Bender – “Old Times” - City Lit Theater Company
Esteban Andres Cruz – “Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train” - Raven Theatre
James Elly – “The Mark of Zorro” - Lifeline Theatre
Ryan Jarosch – “Torch Song Trilogy” - Hubris Productions
Brian Parry – “Shadowlands” - Redtwist Theatre
Brian Plocharczyk – “After Ashley” - Stage Left Theatre
Bradford Stevens – “Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train” - Raven Theatre
Actor in a Principal Role - Musical
Courtney Crouse – “Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical” - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Chris Damiano – “Evita” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
Actress in a Principal Role – Play
Brenda Barrie – “Mariette in Ecstasy” - Lifeline Theatre
Laura Coover – “Blue Surge” - Eclipse Theatre Company
Cameron Feagin – “Private Lives” - City Lit Theater Company
Nancy Freidrich – “The Dastardly Ficus and Other Comedic Tales of Woe and Misery” - The Strange Tree Group
Betsy Zajko – “Beholder” - Trap Door Theatre
Actress in a Principal Role - Musical
Laura McClain – “The Christmas Schooner” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Maggie Portman – “Evita” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
Rachel Quinn – “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” - Circle Theatre
Bethany Thomas – “Belle Barth: If I Embarrass You Tell Your Friends” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
SOLO PERFORMANCE
Janet Ulrich Brooks – “Golda's Balcony” - Pegasus Players
Alice Wedoff – “The Shape of a Girl” - Pegasus Players
Actor in a Supporting Role - Play
Paul S. Holmquist – “The Picture of Dorian Gray” - Lifeline Theatre
Matthew Sherbach – “The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler” - Dog & Pony Theatre Company
Kevin V. Smith – “Our Bad Magnet” - Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company
Madrid St. Angelo – “A Passage to India” - Premiere Theatre & Performance i/a/w Vitalist Theatre
Jon Steinhagen – “Plaza Suite” - Eclipse Theatre Company
Nathaniel Swift – “Blue Surge” - Eclipse Theatre Company
Actor in a Supporting Role - Musical
Chris Damiano – “Jacques Brel's Lonesome Losers of the Night” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
Chris Froseth – “Woody Guthrie's American Song” - Blindfaith Theatre
Jim Sherman – “The Christmas Schooner” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Actress in a Supporting Role - Play
Susan Veronika Adler – “Torch Song Trilogy” - Hubris Productions
Jeannette Blackwell – “The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler” - Dog & Pony Theatre Company
Nora Fiffer – “The Autumn Garden” - Eclipse Theatre Company
Mary Hollis Inboden – “Torch Song Trilogy” - Hubris Productions
Elise Kauzlaric – “On the Shore of the Wide World” - Griffin Theatre Company
Lily Mojekwu – “Greensboro: A Requiem” - Steep Theatre Company
Rinska Prestinary – “In Arabia We'd All Be Kings” - Steep Theatre Company
Mary Redmon – “Enchanted April” - Circle Theatre
Actress in a Supporting Role – Musical or revue
Amanda Hartley – “The Robber Bridegroom” - Griffin Theatre Company
New Work
Tony Fiorentino – “All My Love” - Diamante Productions
Robert Koon – “Odin's Horse” - Infamous Commonwealth Theatre
Frank Maugeri & Seth Bockley – “Boneyard Prayer” – Redmoon Theater
Andrew Park – “The People's History of the United States” - Quest Theatre Ensemble
Ken Prestininzi – “Beholder” - Trap Door Theatre
New Adaptation
Fred Anzevino, Arnold Johnston & Joshua Stephen Kartes – “Jacques Brel's Lonesome Losers of the Night” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
Cristina Calvit – “Mariette in Ecstasy” - Lifeline Theatre
Robert Kauzlaric – “The Picture of Dorian Gray” - Lifeline Theatre
William Massolia – “Be More Chill” - Griffin Theatre Company
Terry McCabe – “Scoundrel Time” - City Lit Theater Company
Katie McLean – “The Mark of Zorro” - Lifeline Theatre
Choreography
Kevin Bellie – “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” - Circle Theatre
Brenda Didier – “Evita” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
Tommy Rapley – “Rose and the Rime” - The House Theatre of Chicago
Original incidental Music
Lara Golan – “Dr. Egg and the Man with No Ear” - Redmoon Theater
Charles Kim & Seth Bockley – “Boneyard Prayer” - Redmoon Theater
Kevin O'Donnell – “Rose and the Rime” - The House Theatre of Chicago
Music Direction
Ryan Brewster – “Evita” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
Mark Elliott – “The Robber Bridegroom” - Griffin Theatre Company
Joshua Stephen Kartes – “Jacques Brel's Lonesome Losers of the Night” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
Jeremy Ramey – “The Christmas Schooner” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Shaun Whitley – “Woody Guthrie's American Song” – Blindfaith Theatre
Scenic Design
Alan Donahue – “Mariette in Ecstasy” – Lifeline Theatre
Anders Jacobson – “Red Angel” - LiveWire Chicago Theatre
Bob Knuth – “Enchanted April” - Circle Theatre
Bob Knuth – “Hay Fever” - Circle Theatre
Richard & Jacqueline Penrod – “The Shape of a Girl” - Pegasus Players
Emily Schwartz & Kate Nawrocki – “The Dastardly Ficus and Other Comedic Tales of Woe and Misery” – The Strange Tree Group
Lighting Design
John Horan – “Dr. Egg and the Man with No Ear” -Redmoon Theater
Denise Karczewski – “Golda's Balcony” - Pegasus Players
Lee Keenan – “Rose and the Rime” - The House Theatre of Chicago
Jared B. Moore – “Touch” - New Leaf Theatre
Costume Design
Debbie Baer – “Rose and the Rime” - The House Theatre of Chicago
Michelle Julazadeh – “Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical” - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Suzanne Mann – “Hay Fever” - Circle Theatre
Suzanne Mann – “Enchanted April” - Circle Theatre
John Nasca – “Die! Mommie Die!” - Hell in a Handbag Productions
Jesus Perez – “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” - Circle Theatre
Sound Design
Victoria DeIorio – “The Mark of Zorro” - Lifeline Theatre
Mikhail Fiksel – “Winter Pageant Redux” - Redmoon Theater
Tim Hill – “Mariette in Ecstasy” - Lifeline Theatre
Joshua Horvath – “Rose and the Rime” - The House Theatre of Chicago
Nick Keenan – “Touch” - New Leaf Theatre
Stephen Ptacek – “God's Ear” - Dog & Pony Theatre Company
ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION
Mask Design – Amanda Church – “The People's History of the United States” - Quest Theatre Ensemble
Animation – Jamie Clennett – “Dr. Egg and the Man with No Ear” - Redmoon Theater
Fight Choreography – Geoff Coates - “The Mark of Zorro” - Lifeline Theatre
Puppets - Graeme Davis – “Dr. Egg and the Man with No Ear” - Redmoon Theater
Puppets – Jesse Mooney-Bullock – “Boneyard Prayer” - Redmoon Theater
