Nominees Announced for 2022 Jeff Awards In Chicago; Drury Lane & Goodman Theatre Lead Nominations

Recognizing a strong return to the spotlight over the 2021-2022 Equity theater season, the Joseph Jefferson Awards in Chicago announced today its nominations for theater excellence. This year's nominees include 201 theater artists across 38 categories of excellence in theater production among shows from 43 companies. During the most recent season, which ran from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, Jeff Awards members attended 94 Equity productions. From these, 76 productions became Jeff Recommended and therefore eligible for award nominations.

The 54th-anniversary Equity Jeff Awards will take place October 17, 2022, at Drury Lane in Oakbrook, IL. This return to a live awards show follows the last program that was presented virtually during the pandemic in 2020. The ceremony will be directed by Jim Corti and hosted by E. Faye Butler, with musical direction by David Fiorello. More details on the program will be announced in early September.

This season, five theater companies were recognized with more than 10 nominations each. Drury Lane Productions garnered the most honors with 21 from five productions. Goodman Theatre received 20 nominations, four of which were co-productions with other companies, followed by Marriott Theatre (16), Paramount Theatre (13), and a tie between Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and TimeLine Theatre Company (10). Kinky Boots at Paramount Theatre drew the largest number of nominations for a single production (8).

Among New Work, seven world premiere plays and two new musicals are in award consideration. In addition, the Jeff Awards expanded award categories this past season to include a new classification recognizing Short Run Productions (nine to 17 performances). Due to the impact of the pandemic and theatres' budgetary considerations, shorter runs have provided an alternative to stages remaining dark and offered new opportunities for recognition as companies return to the spotlight. Within this new category, the Jeff Awards recognize nominees for Best Production, Ensemble, Performer, New Work and Design.

2022 EQUITY JEFF AWARD NOMINEES

PRODUCTION - PLAY - LARGE

Choir Boy - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Good Night, Oscar - Goodman Theatre

Lookingglass Alice - Lookingglass Theatre Company in association with The Actors Gymnasium Relentless - TimeLine Theatre Company

Two Trains Running - Court Theatre

PRODUCTION - PLAY - MIDSIZE

The Last Pair of Earlies - Raven Theatre

The Luckiest - Raven Theatre

The Moors - A Red Orchid Theatre

Outside Mullingar - Citadel Theatre

Rasheeda Speaking - Shattered Globe Theatre

Spay - Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

PRODUCTION - MUSICAL - LARGE

Evita - Drury Lane Productions

Kinky Boots - Paramount Theatre

Life After - Goodman Theatre

Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I - Drury Lane Productions

The Sound of Music - Marriott Theatre

PRODUCTION - MUSICAL OR REVUE - MIDSIZE

Sister Act - Mercury Theater Chicago

Somewhere Over the Border - Teatro Vista

Women of Soul - Mercury Theater Chicago

PRODUCTION - REVUE - LARGE

Blues in the Night - Porchlight Music Theatre

Do the Right Thing, No Worries if Not - The Second City

Forever Plaid - Drury Lane Productions

The World Goes 'Round - Marriott Theatre

ENSEMBLE - PLAY

Choir Boy - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Lookingglass Alice - Lookingglass Theatre Company in association with The Actors Gymnasium The Moors - A Red Orchid Theatre

The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci - Goodman Theatre

Steel Magnolias - Drury Lane Productions

Two Trains Running - Court Theatre

ENSEMBLE - MUSICAL OR REVUE

Blues in the Night - Porchlight Music Theatre

Do the Right Thing, No Worries if Not - The Second City

It Came From Outer Space - Chicago Shakespeare Theater in association with Universal Theatrical Group

Somewhere Over the Border - Teatro Vista

Women of Soul - Mercury Theater Chicago

NEW WORK

Tyla Abercrumbie - Relentless - TimeLine Theatre Company

Joshua Allen - The Last Pair of Earlies - Raven Theatre

J. Nicole Brooks - Her Honor Jane Byrne - Lookingglass Theatre Company

Madison Fiedler - Spay- Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Rajiv Joseph - King James - Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Center Theatre Group Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair - It Came From Outer Space - Chicago Shakespeare Theater in association with Universal Theatrical Group

Spike Manton and Harry Teinowitz - When Harry Met Rehab - Donald Cameron Clark Brian Quijada - Somewhere Over the Border - Teatro Vista

Doug Wright - Good Night, Oscar- Goodman Theatre

DIRECTOR - PLAY - LARGE

David Catlin - Lookingglass Alice - Lookingglass Theatre Company in association with The Actors Gymnasium

Kent Gash - Choir Boy - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Ron OJ Parson - Relentless - TimeLine Theatre Company

Ron OJ Parson - Two Trains Running - Court Theatre

Lisa Peterson - Good Night, Oscar- Goodman Theatre

DIRECTOR - PLAY - MIDSIZE

Cody Estle - The Luckiest - Raven Theatre

Kirsten Fitzgerald - The Moors - A Red Orchid Theatre

AmBer D. Montgomery - Rasheeda Speaking - Shattered Globe Theatre

Georgette Verdin - Spay - Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Georgette Verdin - This Wide Night - Shattered Globe Theatre in association with Interrobang Theatre Project

Beth Wolf - Outside Mullingar - Citadel Theatre

DIRECTOR - MUSICAL - LARGE

Nick Bowling - The Sound of Music - Marriott Theatre

Laura Braza - It Came From Outer Space - Chicago Shakespeare Theater in association with Universal Theatrical Group

Marcia Milgrom Dodge - Evita - Drury Lane Productions

Alan Paul - Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I - Drury Lane Productions Trent Stork - Kinky Boots - Paramount Theatre

Annie Tippe - Life After - Goodman Theatre

DIRECTOR - MUSICAL OR REVUE - MIDSIZE

Daryl D. Brooks - Women of Soul - Mercury Theater Chicago

Reneisha Jenkins - Sister Act - Mercury Theater Chicago

Denise Yvette Serna - Somewhere Over the Border - Teatro Vista

DIRECTOR - REVUE - LARGE

Marcia Milgrom Dodge - The World Goes 'Round - Marriott Theatre

Jen Ellison - Do the Right Thing, No Worries if Not - The Second City

Kenny Ingram - Blues in the Night - Porchlight Music Theatre

Paul Stancato - Forever Plaid - Drury Lane Productions

PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY

Chaon Cross (Ellida) - The Lady from the Sea- Court Theatre

Glenn Davis (Shawn) - King James- Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Center Theatre Group Kate Fry (The Wife) - Wife of a Salesman -Writers Theatre in association with Milwaukee Repertory Theatre

Sean Hayes (Oscar Levant) - Good Night, Oscar - Goodman Theatre

Mi Kang (Afong Moy) - The Chinese Lady - TimeLine Theatre Company

Mildred Marie Langford (Esther) - Intimate Apparel - Northlight Theatre

Al'Jaleel McGhee (Charles) - Fireflies - Northlight Theatre

Chris Perfetti (Matt) - King James - Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Center Theatre Group Deanna Reed-Foster (Jaclyn Spaulding) - Rasheeda Speaking - Shattered Globe Theatre Linda Reiter (Lorraine) - This Wide Night - Shattered Globe Theatre in association with Interrobang Theatre Project

Cassidy Slaughter-Mason (Lissette) - The Luckiest - Raven Theatre

PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL

Larry Adams (Fred Graham/Petruchio) - Kiss Me, Kate - Marriott Theatre

Adrian Aguilar (Jim Hardy) -Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn - Drury Lane Productions Richard Bermudez (Che) -Evita - Drury Lane Productions

Susan Moniz (Lilli Vanessi/Katherine) -Kiss Me, Kate - Marriott Theatre

Addie Morales (Maria) - The Sound of Music - Marriott Theatre

Betsy Morgan (Anna Leonowens) - Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I -Drury Lane Productions

Brian Quijada (Narrator) - Somewhere Over the Border - Teatro Vista

Alexis J. Roston (Deloris Cartier) - Sister Act - Mercury Theater Chicago

Alex Syiek (Phil Connors) - Groundhog Day The Musical - Paramount Theatre Michael Wordly (Lola) - Kinky Boots -Paramount Theatre

SOLO PERFORMANCE

Annabel Armour (Joan Didion) - The Year of Magical Thinking - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company E. Faye Butler (Fannie Lou Hamer) - Fannie, The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer - Goodman Theatre in association with Seattle Rep and Asolo Repertory Theatre

Madeline Sayet (Madeline) - Where We Belong - Goodman Theatre in association with Folger Shakespeare Library

Bethany Thomas (Performer) - Songs for Nobodies - Northlight Theatre

PERFORMER IN A REVUE

Joseph Anthony Byrd (Performer) - The World Goes 'Round - Marriott Theatre Felicia P. Fields (Performer) - Blues in the Night - Porchlight Music Theatre

Donica Lynn (Performer) - Blues in the Night - Porchlight Music Theatre

Evan Mills (Performer) - Do the Right Thing, No Worries If Not - The Second City Meghan Murphy (Performer) - The World Goes 'Round - Marriott Theatre

PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY

Emily Bergl (June Levant) - Good Night, Oscar - Goodman Theatre

Sheldon D. Brown (AJ) - Choir Boy - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Jennifer Engstrom (Marjory) - The Moors - A Red Orchid Theatre

Sean Fortunato (Mr. Marks) - Intimate Apparel - Northlight Theatre

Daria Harper (Ileen Van Meter) - Rasheeda Speaking - Shattered Globe Theatre Deborah Hay (Jacques/LeBeau) - As You Like It - Chicago Shakespeare Theater Kayvon Khoshkam (Touchstone) - As You Like It - Chicago Shakespeare Theater Elizabeth Ledo (Truvy) - Steel Magnolias - Drury Lane Productions

Tara Mallen (Cheryl) - The Luckiest - Raven Theatre

Xavier Edward King (Franklin) - Relentless - TimeLine Theatre Company

PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL

Christine Bunuan (Lady Thiang) - Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I - Drury Lane Productions Jonathan Butler-Duplessis (Borney/Frank/Coral) - It Came From Outer Space - Chicago Shakespeare Theater in association with Universal Theatrical Group

Daniella Dalli (Mother Abbess) - The Sound of Music - Marriott Theatre

Danielle Davis (Louise) - Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn - Drury Lane Productions Alex Goodrich (Sheriff Matt Warren/George/Prakaxias) - It Came From Outer Space - Chicago Shakespeare Theater in association with Universal Theatrical Group

Alexandra Palkovic (Lois Lane/Bianca) - Kiss Me, Kate - Marriott Theatre

Bryonha Marie Parham (Beth) - Life After - Goodman Theatre

Sara Reinecke (Lauren) - Kinky Boots - Paramount Theatre

Vanessa Aurora Sierra (Anita) - West Side Story - Marriott Theatre

Paulina Yeung (Tuptim) - Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I - Drury Lane Productions

SCENIC DESIGN - LARGE

Linda Buchanan - Gem of the Ocean - Goodman Theatre

Rachel Hauck - Good Night, Oscar - Goodman Theatre

Jack Magaw - Relentless - TimeLine Theatre Company

Jack Magaw - Two Trains Running - Court Theatre

Angela Weber Miller - Steel Magnolias - Drury Lane Productions

Todd Rosenthal - King James - Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Center Theatre Group Arnel Sancianco - The Chinese Lady - TimeLine Theatre Company

SCENIC DESIGN - MIDSIZE

Sarah Lewis - Naperville - Buffalo Theatre Ensemble

Michelle Lilly - The Tragedy of King Christophe - The House Theatre of Chicago Lindsay Mummert - Spay - Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Scott Penner - Rasheeda Speaking - Shattered Globe Theatre

Joe Schermoly - Hurricane Diane - Theater Wit

COSTUME DESIGN - LARGE

Raquel Adorno - Intimate Apparel - Northlight Theatre

Theresa Ham - Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella - Paramount Theatre Izumi Inaba - The Chinese Lady - TimeLine Theatre Company

Ryan park - Evita - Drury Lane Productions

Ryan park - Kinky Boots - Paramount Theatre

Christine Pascual - Relentless - TimeLine Theatre Company

COSTUME DESIGN - MIDSIZE

Mara Blumenfeld and Maddy Low - Hurricane Diane - Theater Wit

Myron Elliott-Cisneros - The Moors - A Red Orchid Theatre

Izumi Inaba - The Tragedy of King Christophe - The House Theatre of Chicago Marquecia Jordan - Sister Act - Mercury Theater Chicago

Rachel Lambert - The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story - Oak Park Festival Theatre

SOUND DESIGN - LARGE

G Clausen - Queen of the Night - Victory Gardens Theater

Pornchanok Kanchanabanca - Gem of the Ocean - Goodman Theatre

Ray Nardelli - Lookingglass Alice - Lookingglass Theatre Company in association with The Actors Gymnasium

André Pluess - Good Night, Oscar - Goodman Theatre

André Pluess - The Lady From the Sea - Court Theatre

André Pluess - Mr. Dickens' Hat - Northlight Theatre

SOUND DESIGN - MIDSIZE

Joyce Ciesil - Hurricane Diane - Theater Wit

Michael Huey - Passage - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

Christopher Kriz - The Last Pair of Earlies - Raven Theatre

Christopher Kriz - The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story - Oak Park Festival Theatre Jeffrey Levin - The Moors - A Red Orchid Theatre

Josh Schmidt - The Tragedy of King Christophe - The House Theatre of Chicago

LIGHTING DESIGN - LARGE

Lee Fiskness - Forever Plaid - Drury Lane Productions

Greg Hofmann - Rock of Ages - Paramount Theatre

Jason Lynch - Choir Boy - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Robert Perry - Gem of the Ocean - Goodman Theatre

Yi Zhao - Life After - Goodman Theatre

LIGHTING DESIGN - MIDSIZE

Simean Sim Carpenter - The Last Pair of Earlies - Raven Theatre

Liz Gomez and Mac Vaughey - Passage - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

Piper Kirchhofer - Hurricane Diane - Theater Wit

Jessica Neill - The Tragedy of King Christophe - The House Theatre of Chicago K. Story - The Moors - A Red Orchid Theatre

CHOREOGRAPHY

Matthew Crowle - Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn - Drury Lane Productions

Marcia Milgrom Dodge - Evita - Drury Lane Productions

Darren Lee - Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I - Drury Lane Productions Alex Sanchez - Kiss Me, Kate - Marriott Theatre

Alex Sanchez - West Side Story - Marriott Theatre

Isaiah Silvia-Chandley and Michael George - Kinky Boots - Paramount Theatre

ORIGINAL MUSIC IN A PLAY

Pornchanok Kanchanabanca - Gem of the Ocean - Goodman Theatre

Christopher Kriz - The Last Pair of Earlies - Raven Theatre

Christopher Kriz - Relentless - TimeLine Theatre Company

Christopher Kriz - The Secret Council - First Folio Theatre

André Pluess and Ben Collins-Sussman - Lookingglass Alice - Lookingglass Theatre Company in association with The Actors Gymnasium

Paul James Prendergast - All's Well That Ends Well - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

MUSIC DIRECTION

Kory Danielson - Kinky Boots - Paramount Theatre

David Fiorello - Blues in the Night - Porchlight Music Theatre

Tim Laciano - Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I - Drury Lane Productions Ryan T. Nelson - The Sound of Music - Marriott Theatre

Victor Pichardo - American Mariachi - Goodman Theatre in a co-production with Dallas Theater Center

PROJECTION DESIGN

Rasean Davonte Johnson - Fannie, The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer - Goodman Theatre in association with Seattle Rep and Asolo Repertory Theatre

Rasean Davonte Johnson - Her Honor Jane Byrne - Lookingglass Theatre

Rasean Davonte Johnson and Michael Salvatore Commendatore - It Came From Outer Space - Chicago Shakespeare Theater in association with Universal Theatrical Group

Liviu Pasare - Somewhere Over the Border - Teatro Vista

Mike Tutaj - Groundhog Day The Musical - Paramount Theatre

FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY

Charlie Baker - West Side Story - Marriott Theatre

Dave Gonzalez - Last Hermanos - A Red Orchid Theatre

Christian Kelly-Sordelet and David Blixt - Athena - Writers Theatre

Jonathan Hawley Purvis - As You Like It - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

David Woolley - Sweat - Paramount Theatre

ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION

Katie Cordts - Wig, Hair & Makeup Design - Kinky Boots - Paramount Theatre Rueben

D. Echoles - Wig Design - Women of Soul - Mercury Theater Chicago Sylvia

Hernandez-DiStasi - Circus and Movement Design - Lookingglass Alice - Lookingglass Theatre Company in association with The Actors Gymnasium

Jesse Mooney-Bullock - Puppet Design - The Snow Queen - The House Theatre of Chicago

SHORT RUN - PRODUCTION

The Magnolia Ballet - About Face Theatre

SHORT RUN - ENSEMBLE

What to Send Up When It Goes Down - Congo Square Theatre Company

SHORT RUN - PERFORMER

Veronica Garza (Cindy Lou Who) - Who's Holiday - Theater Wit

Terry Guest (Ezekiel Z Mitchell VI) - The Magnolia Ballet - About Face Theatre Jim Ortlieb (Man) - Stand Up If You're Here Tonight - American Blues Theater Deanna Reed-Foster (Donna) - Wellesley Girl - Compass Theatre

SHORT RUN - NEW WORK

Natalie Y. Moore - The Billboard - 16th Street Theater

SHORT RUN - DESIGN

Angela Weber Miller - Scenic Design - Who's Holiday! - Theater Wit

MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS

By Theatre Company

Drury Lane Productions 21

Goodman Theatre 20

Marriott Theatre 16

Paramount Theatre 13

Chicago Shakespeare Theater 10

TimeLine Theatre Company 10

Raven Theatre 9

Steppenwolf Theatre Company 9

Lookingglass Theatre Company 8

Shattered Globe Theatre 7

Northlight Theatre 6

Porchlight Music Theatre 6

Teatro Vista 6

Theater Wit 6

The House Theatre of Chicago 5

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble 4

The Second City 4

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company 3

About Face Theatre 2

Citadel Theatre 2

Oak Park Festival Theatre 2

Writers Theatre 2