Special Jeff Award will Honor Theater at the Lake at June Non-Equity Ceremony

In honor of Theater on the Lake's 60th anniversary in June 2012, the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee will bestow a Special Award to the Theater for its commitment to presenting a cross section of Chicago's diverse theater scene, in its facility on the lakefront. The Jeff Awards recognizes the Chicago Park District's Theater on the Lake Program for developing new audiences for local performing arts companies and artists in the City of Chicago. The Special Award will be presented at the Non-Equity Jeff Awards Ceremony on June 4, 2012, at the Park West, 322 W. Armitage Avenue.

The Jeff Committee also announced that Jeff Award recipients Terry Hamilton and Vanessa Greenway will emcee this year's Non-Equity Awards. Hamilton is an artistic associate at TimeLine Theatre Company, where his recent credits include "Frost/Nixon," "The Front Page," and "Enron". In addition to television work, Mr. Hamilton's credits include Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Writers' Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, and American Blues Theatre. Vanessa Greenway is an artistic associate at Griffin Theater where she most recently appeared in "Spring Awakening;" her credits also include Vitalist Theatre, The Hypocrites, City Lit Theatre, American Theater Company, Porchlight Music Theatre, and Eclipse Theatre.

Set in a red brick building beneath the towering trees of Lincoln Park, Theater on the Lake offers a great view of Lake Michigan and affordable ticket prices. In 1996, the theater was changed from an arena-style theater-in-the-round space to a three-quarters thrust stage in order to accommodate new types of shows and to improve sightlines for audiences. Since its debut in 1953, the nearly 300-seat Theater on the Lake has evolved from a showcase of amateur community theater to the summer showcase of some of the city's most outstanding professional theater companies, giving Chicago's vibrant theatre scene an opportunity to reach new audiences.

The Chicago Park District's Theater on the Lake has two new "artistic curators" for the 2012 season: Michael Patrick Thornton and Meghan Beals McCarthy. Thornton, the artistic director of The Gift Theatre Company, performed in his first play at the neighborhood Chicago Park District theater; McCarthy is associate artistic director of Chicago Dramatists.

The 39th Annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards Ceremony will be hed on Monday, June 4, 2012, at the Park West, 322 W. Armitage, Chicago, IL. Doors open for a cash bar at 6:00 p.m., with a light buffet at 6:30 p.m., and the presentation ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at the door. A group rate of $35 is available for parties of 10 or more. Festive cocktail attire is suggested, and the public is cordially invited. Tickets may be purchased online with a credit card at www.jeffawards.org or by mail with the downloadable mail-order form. For more information contact Doug Bradburd, Non-Equity Wing Chair, at nonequitywing@jeffawards.org. Follow live twitter feeds from the ceremony and behind the scenes at @josephjefferson.