15 Chicago Theaters Cut Ties With Jeff Awards
Two committee members have also resigned as the Jeff Awards announces a working group to review its voting practices.
At least 15 Chicago theater companies have publicly cut ties with the Joseph Jefferson Awards after the organization named Invictus Theatre Artistic Director Charles Askenaizer "Best Director" at its Non-Equity ceremony on March 23, 2026. Askenaizer is the subject of an ongoing independent investigation into allegations of emotional abuse and harassment. He has denied the allegations.
Askenaizer won for Invictus Theatre's 2025 production of Angels in America. The award was finalized in mid-January, before the Jeff Awards committee was made aware of the most recent public allegations, according to a statement from the organization.
The allegations stem from Invictus Theatre's 2021 production of Hamlet, in which Askenaizer directed and played the title role. Actor and director Ebby Offord, who played Ophelia, first raised concerns in a closed Facebook group for the Chicago theater community in 2023. In January 2026, Offord posted a public video on Instagram detailing her account of the rehearsal process, which included allegations of emotional abuse, sexual harassment, and non-consensual physical contact during scene work.
Following Offord's January post, four cast members withdrew from Invictus Theatre's planned production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which Askenaizer was set to direct as the company's season opener. In February, the Invictus board hired a third-party investigator to conduct an independent analysis of the allegations. Askenaizer agreed to step down from his role during the investigation. Offord has stated that investigators did not contact her until last week, after she posted on social media that she had not been reached.
Askenaizer did not attend the March 23 ceremony at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park. Askenaizer's girlfriend, Rachel Livingston, took the stage and read prepared remarks after his name was announced.
Two members of the Jeff Awards committee have resigned following the public outcry.
The 15 theater companies that have publicly cut ties with the Jeff Awards include Eclectic Full Contact Theatre, Visión Latino Theater Company, Theater Above The Law, Corn Productions, and Babes With Blades. The companies have posted statements under the slogan "Abuse is not art." Some have stopped inviting Jeff Awards reviewers to their productions.
The Jeff Awards did not issue a public statement until approximately one week after the ceremony. In a statement posted to Instagram, the organization apologized for its initial silence and said nominations are "a statistically impartial compilation of votes cast" over the calendar year, with most votes cast and awards finalized by mid-January.
The organization announced the formation of a new working group to review its judging and voting practices. The group will consult with community leaders and national arts organizations and is expected to report initial findings by July 1.
The Joseph Jefferson Awards have recognized Chicago theater productions since 1968. The organization's committee includes approximately 55 reviewers who attend more than 250 productions annually across equity and non-equity categories.
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