Raven, BoHo theater companies lead Non-Equity Jeff Award nominations field

The nominations for the 46th annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards, recognizing the best in Chicago-area non-Equity stage productions, were announced Monday.

Raven Theatre, whose season included critically acclaimed productions of “Yen,” “How I Learned to Drive” and “Crumbs from the Table of Joy” among others, leads the pack with 12 nominations, followed by 11 for BoHo Theatre, nominated for its critically acclaimed productions of “Bright Star,” “110 in the Shade” and “A Little Night Music.”

Close behind in total nominations are Haven Theatre Company with 10, and Steep Theatre and Artistic Home, each with 9.

Artistic Home’s “Requiem for a Heavyweight” and Sideshow Theatre Company’s “Tilikum” each received 7 nominations, the most for individual productions.

Fifty-one productions, representing the work of 33 companies from April 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019, received at least one nomination for the awards, which recognize outstanding work in Chicago-area, non-union productions.

The winners will be announced at a gala awards ceremony on June 3 at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport. Veteran actor/choroegrapher Breon Arzell will host. Tickets, $45-$50, are available at the Athenaeum.

Here is this year’s list of nominees:

ENSEMBLE

“Eclipsed” – Pegasus Theatre Chicago

“Haymarket” – Underscore Theatre Company

“Hooded, Or Being Black for Dummies” – First Floor Theater

“In the Blood” – Red Tape Theatre

“Plainclothes” – Broken Nose Theatre

“Red Rex” – Steep Theatre Company

Cody Jolly Photography

PRODUCTION – MUSICAL

“The Bridges of Madison County” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

“Bright Star” – BoHo Theatre

“Grand Hotel” – Kokandy Productions

“Haymarket” – Underscore Theatre Company

“The Total Bent” – Haven Theatre in association with About Face Theatre

PRODUCTION – PLAY

“Birdland” – Steep Theatre Company

“Dutch Masters” – Jackalope Theatre Company

“Eclipsed” – Pegasus Theatre Chicago

“Hooded, Or Being Black for Dummies” – First Floor Theater

“Requiem for a Heavyweight” – The Artistic Home

“Tilikum” – Sideshow Theatre Company

“Yen” – Raven Theatre

DIRECTOR – MUSICAL

Fred Anzevino – “The Bridges of Madison County” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Lili–Anne Brown – “The Total Bent” – Haven Theatre in association with About Face Theatre

Ericka Mac – “Bright Star” – BoHo Theatre

Ed Rutherford – “Evil Dead the Musical” – Black Button Eyes Productions

Nick Thornton – “Haymarket” – Underscore Theatre Company

PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL

Bridget Adams–King (Lucy Parsons) – “Haymarket” – Underscore Theatre Company

Neala Barron (Lizzie) – “110 in the Shade” – BoHo Theatre

Robert Cornelius (Joe Roy) – “The Total Bent” – Haven Theatre in association with About Face Theatre

Tessa Dettman (Jo March) – “Little Women” – Brown Paper Box Co.

Gilbert Domally (Marty Roy) – “The Total Bent” – Haven Theatre in association with About Face Theatre

Kelli Harrington (Desiree Armfeldt) – “A Little Night Music” – BoHo Theatre

Kelli Harrington (Francesca) – “The Bridges of Madison County” –

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Jordan Dell Harris (Ash) – “Evil Dead the Musical” – Black Button Eyes Productions

Tommy Thurston (Robert) – “The Bridges of Madison County” –

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Missy Wise (Alice Murphy) – “Bright Star” – BoHo Theatre

PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY

Patrick Agada (Eric) – “Dutch Masters” – Jackalope Theatre Company

Jalen Gilbert (Tru) – “Hooded, Or Being Black for Dummies” – First Floor Theater

Jyreika Guest (Hester) – “In the Blood” – Red Tape Theatre

Kenneth D. Johnson (Walter “Pops” Washington) – “Between Riverside and Crazy” –

Redtwist Theatre

marssie Mencotti (Hannah) – “The Safe House” – City Lit Theater Company

Brian Parry (Richard Nixon) – “Frost/Nixon” – Redtwist Theatre

Mark Pracht (Harlan “Mountain” McClintock) – “Requiem for a Heavyweight” –

The Artistic Home

Joel Reitsma (Paul) – “Birdland” – Steep Theatre Company

Kevin V. Smith (Volodya) – “Radio Culture” – TUTA Theatre

Eliza Stoughton (Li’l Bit) – “How I Learned to Drive” – Raven Theatre

Kendra Thulin (Linda) – “Linda” – Steep Theatre Company

Vahishta Vafadari (Anne Lister) – “I Know My Own Heart” – Pride Films and Plays

PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL

Ryan Armstrong (Buddy) – “The Last Session” – Refuge Theatre Project

Elizabeth Bollar (Vicki) – “The Last Session” – Refuge Theatre Project

Darilyn Burtley (Tryshia) – “The Last Session” – Refuge Theatre Project

Carl Herzog (Bud) – “The Bridges of Madison County” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Caitlin Jackson (Cheryl) – “Evil Dead the Musical” – Black Button Eyes Productions

Michelle Jasso (Elizaveta Grushinskaya) – “Grand Hotel” – Kokandy Productions

Stevie Love (Shelly / Annie) – “Evil Dead the Musical” – Black Button Eyes Productions

Jeff Pierpoint (Billy Cane) – “Bright Star” – BoHo Theatre

Christopher Ratliff (Jimmy) – “110 in the Shade” – BoHo Theatre

Jonathan Schwart (Otto Kringlein) – “Grand Hotel” – Kokandy Productions

Stephanie Stockstill (Countess Charlotte Malcolm) – “A Little Night Music” –

BoHo Theatre

PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY

Tiffany Bedwell (Maggie) – “Yen” – Raven Theatre

Debo Belogun (Trevor) – “Red Rex” – Steep Theatre Company

Brianna Buckley (Lily Anne Green) – “Crumbs from the Table of Joy” – Raven Theatre

August N. Forman (Gina) – “Girl in the Red Corner” – Broken Nose Theatre

Annie Hogan (Grace Miller) – “Requiem for a Heavyweight” – The Artistic Home

Evan Linder (Sam) – “Grace” – Interrobang Theatre Project

marssie Mencotti (Louise) – “Herland” – Redtwist Theatre

Jessica Dean Turner (Nicole) – “Red Rex” – Steep Theatre Company

Netta Walker (Jennifer) – “Yen” – Raven Theatre

H.B. Ward (Max) – “Rock ‘n’ Roll” – The Artistic Home

SOLO PERFORMANCE

Sam Krey (Ryan Smithson) – “Ghosts of War” – Griffin Theatre Company

NEW PLAY

Guadalís Del Carmen – “Not for Sale” – UrbanTheater Company

Kristiana Rae Colon – “Tilikum” – Sideshow Theatre Company

Spenser Davis – “Plainclothes” – Broken Nose Theatre

Philip Dawkins – “The Gentleman Caller” – Raven Theatre

Isaac Gomez – “The Displaced” – Haven Theatre Company

Ike Holter – “Red Rex” – Steep Theatre Company

Shannon O’Neill – “May the Road Rise Up” – The Factory Theater

Kristine Thatcher – “The Safe House” – City Lit Theater Company

NEW MUSICAL

Alex Higgin–Houser and David Kornfeld – “Haymarket” – Underscore Theatre Company

Cindy O’Connor and Larry Todd Cousineau – “Flies! The Musical!” –

Pride Films and Plays

MUSIC DIRECTION

Jermaine Hill – “The Total Bent” – Haven Theatre in association with About Face Theatre

Julie B. Nichols – “Bright Star” – BoHo Theatre

Robert Ollis – “Haymarket” – Underscore Theatre Company

Jeremy Ramey – “The Bridges of Madison County” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Tom Vendafreddo – “A Little Night Music” – BoHo Theatre

ORIGINAL MUSIC IN A PLAY

Coco Elysses – “Tilikum” – Sideshow Theatre Company

Jonathan Guillen – “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde” –

Promethean Theatre Ensemble

Andrew Hansen – “Neverwhere” – Lifeline Theatre

Christopher Kriz – “The Man Who Was Thursday” – Lifeline Theatre

M. Anthony Reimer – “Melancholy Play” – Organic Theater Company

CHOREOGRAPHY

Breon Arzell – “The Total Bent” – Haven Theatre in association with About Face Theatre

Brenda Didier – “Grand Hotel” – Kokandy Productions

Ericka Mac – “Bright Star” – BoHo Theatre

Derek Van Barham – “Evil Dead the Musical” – Black Button Eyes Productions

FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY

Samantha Kaufman – “The Lady Demands Satisfaction” –

Babes With Blades Theatre Company

John Mossman – “Requiem for a Heavyweight” – The Artistic Home

Almanya Narula – “Monsieur D’Eon Is a Woman” – Trap Door Theatre

Jaq Seifert – “Not One Batu” – Nothing Without a Company and Aloha Center Chicago

John Tovar – “Girl in the Red Corner” – Broken Nose Theatre

SCENIC DESIGN

Kerry Lee Chipman – “The Goat Or, Who Is Sylvia?” – Interrobang Theatre Project

Ryan Emens – “Dutch Masters” – Jackalope Theatre Company

Joanna Iwanicka – “Suddenly Last Summer” – Raven Theatre

Jeffrey D. Kmiec – “The Gentleman Caller” – Raven Theatre

Jacqueline Penrod – “Eclipsed” – Pegasus Theatre Chicago

Samantha Rausch – “The Dark at the Top of the Stairs” – Eclipse Theatre Company

PROJECTION DESIGN

Tony Churchill – “How I Learned to Drive” – Raven Theatre

Paul Deziel – “Tilikum” – Sideshow Theatre Company

Liviu Pasare – “Not for Sale” – UrbanTheater Company

Michael Stanfill – “Ghosts of War” – Griffin Theatre Company

Michelle Underwood – “Neverwhere” – Lifeline Theatre

LIGHTING DESIGN

Erik S. Barry – “The Displaced” – Haven Theatre Company

Claire Chrzan – “Fun Harmless Warmachine” – The New Colony

Claire Chrzan – “Yen” – Raven Theatre

Jared Gooding – “Tilikum” – Sideshow Theatre Company

Brandon Wardell – “Birdland” – Steep Theatre Company

COSTUME DESIGN

Aly Renee Amedei – “Neverwhere” – Lifeline Theatre

Leah Hummel – “The Revolutionists” – Strawdog Theatre Company

Beth Laske–Miller – “Nightmares and Nightcaps: The Stories of John Collier” –

Black Button Eyes Productions

Caitlin McLeod and Anna Wooden – “The Man Who Was Thursday” – Lifeline Theatre

John Nasca – “Grand Hotel” – Kokandy Productions

Rachel M. Sypniewski – “Monsieur D’Eon Is a Woman” – Trap Door Theatre

SOUND DESIGN

Victoria Deiorio – “Tilikum” – Sideshow Theatre Company

Sarah D. Espinoza – “The Displaced” – Haven Theatre Company

Robert Hornbostel – “Nightmares and Nightcaps: The Stories of John Collier” –

Black Button Eyes Productions

Steve Labedz – “Dutch Masters” – Jackalope Theatre Company

Peter Wahlback – “Requiem for a Heavyweight” – The Artistic Home

ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION

Jeremiah Barr (Puppet Design) – “Nightmares and Nightcaps: The Stories of

John Collier” – Black Button Eyes Productions

Rachel Flesher (Rigging Design) – “The Displaced” – Haven Theatre Company

Sam Hubbard (Violence and Intimacy Direction) – “Yen” – Raven Theatre

John LaFlamboy (Makeup Design) – “Requiem for a Heavyweight” – The Artistic Home

Adam McAleavey (Puppet Design) – “Flies! The Musical!” – Pride Films and Plays

Mary O’Dowd (Properties Design) – “Rock ‘n’ Roll” – The Artistic Home