Non-Equity Jeff Award nominations announced, include non-binary performance nods

For the first time in its history, the Non-Equity Jeff Awards will feature non-binary nominations in its performance categories, it was announced Monday, along with the official list of 2018 nominees. The performance categories will now include at least 10 nominations and two winners in each category.

Leading the field among the 115 nominations for the 45th annual recognition of shows presented between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018, are Griffin Theatre with 14 nods overall, fueled by its critically acclaimed production of “Ragtime,” followed by Pride Films and Plays and Steep Theatre Company with 11 nominations apiece.

Among individual nominations, Scott Weinstein received best director nominations for his work on “Ragtime” and “Violet” at Griffin Theatre Company. Jesse Case received nominations for original music in a play and sound design for his work on “Foxfinder” at Interrobang Theatre Project.

In the category of best production of a musical, nominees include “Bonnie & Clyde” (Kokandy Productions), Marie Christine” (BoHo Theatre), “Ragtime” (Griffin Theatre Company), “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre), and “Violet” (Griffin Theatre Company).

Nominations for best production of a play include: “Foxfinder” (Interrobang Theatre Project), “Ideation” (Jackalope Theatre Company), “Lela & Co.” (Steep Theatre Company), “The Invisible Hand” (Steep Theatre Company), and “The Light” (The New Colony).

Best new musical nominations went to: “Carrie 2: The Rage (An Unauthorized Musical Parody)” at Underscore Theatre Company; “Lady X: The Musical” at Hell in a Handbag Productions; and “The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier” at Permoveo Productions in association with Pride Films and Plays.

Nominees for best new play include: “Never the Milk and Honey” at MPAACT; “1980 (Or Why I’m Voting for John Anderson)” at Jackalope Theatre Company; “Kingdom” as Broken Nose Theatre; “Forty-Two Stories” as City Lit Theater Company; “Franklinland” at Jackalope Theatre Company; and “The Light” at The New Colony.

The awards will be presented on June 11 at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport. For tickets, $45-$50, visit athenaeumtheatre.org.

The following is the list of nominees for the 2018 Non-Equity Jeff Awards:

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

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 – 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 (3 with Permoveo Productions) (with Pride Films and Plays)

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