Kokandy Productions was honored with 5 Non-Fairness Jeff Awards on Monday evening, main the pack of award winners on the 51st annual celebration of Chicago’s Non-Fairness dwell theater productions.
The Kokandy Productions staging of “Into the Woods” was honored as greatest manufacturing (musical or revue), greatest ensemble (musical or revue), greatest course (musical or revue), greatest musical director (musical/revue), and creative specialization (orchestrations).
Open Area Arts obtained 4 honors, together with two for “Cock,” which obtained awards for greatest manufacturing (brief run), and greatest performer in a supporting function (brief run) for Sonya Robinson; and “Gentle Swap,” which earned awards for greatest director (brief run) for Michael D. Graham, and greatest performer in a principal function (brief run) for Philip Andrew Monnett.
The award for greatest manufacturing of a play went to Metropolis Lit Theater Firm’s staging of August Wilson’s “Seven Guitars,” which additionally netted the award for greatest performer in a supporting function (play) for Robert Howard. The corporate’s manufacturing of “Homicide within the Cathedral” obtained the award for greatest costume design by Patti Roeder.
Refracted Theatre Firm additionally obtained three awards, for its manufacturing of “Coronation,” together with greatest performer in a supporting function (play) for Jodi Gage, greatest lighting design by Garrett Bell, and greatest manufacturing design by Abboye Lawrence.
Directing honors acknowledged Rebecca Willingham, who obtained the award for greatest director of a play for First Ground Theater’s world-premiere manufacturing of “Professional-Am.” Derek Van Barham obtained the award for greatest director of a musical for “Into the Woods” at Kokandy Productions.
The awards had been introduced at a gala occasion held on the Harris Theater within the Loop, co-hosted by Frankie Leo Bennett and NK Gutiérrez. Thirty-three award recipients had been honored from amongst 138 artist nominations throughout 25 creative and technical classes.
Right here is the complete checklist of the awards:
THE 2024 NON-EQUITY JEFF AWARD RECIPIENTS
PRODUCTION – PLAY
- “August Wilson’s Seven Guitars” – Metropolis Lit Theater Firm
PRODUCTION – MUSICAL OR REVUE
- “Into the Woods” – Kokandy Productions
ENSEMBLE – PLAY
- “Makes an attempt on Her Life” – TUTA Theatre
ENSEMBLE – MUSICAL OR REVUE
- “Into the Woods” – Kokandy Productions
NEW WORK
- Brynne Frauenhoffer, “Professional–Am” – First Ground Theater
- Erik Gernand, “The Totality of All Issues” – Redtwist Theatre
DIRECTOR – PLAY
- Rebecca Willingham, “Professional–Am” – First Ground Theater
DIRECTOR – MUSICAL
- Derek Van Barham, “Into the Woods” – Kokandy Productions
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — PLAY
- Bide Akande, “Rhinoceros” – Theatre Y
- Jacqueline Grandt, “The Totality of All Issues” – Redtwist Theatre
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — MUSICAL
- Tyler Anthony Smith, “Hedwig and the Indignant Inch” – Haven Theatre
- Colette Todd, “A Little Evening Music” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — PLAY
- Jodi Gage, “Coronation” – Refracted Theatre Firm
- Robert Howard, “August Wilson’s Seven Guitars” – Metropolis Lit Theater Firm
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
- Alicia Berneche, “On the Twentieth Century” – Clean Theatre Firm
- Maya Rowe, “A Little Evening Music” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
PRODUCTION — SHORT RUN
- “Cock” – Open Area Arts
DIRECTOR — SHORT RUN
- Michael D. Graham, “Gentle Swap” – Open Area Arts
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — SHORT RUN
- Philip Andrew Monnett, “Gentle Swap” – Open Area Arts
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — SHORT RUN
- Sonya Robinson, “Cock” – Open Area Arts
ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION — SHORT RUN
- Diane Fairchild (Lighting Design), “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” – Lifeline Theatre
SCENIC DESIGN
- Marvin Tate, “Rhinoceros” — Theatre Y
COSTUME DESIGN
- Patti Roeder, “Homicide within the Cathedral” — Metropolis Lit Theater Firm
SOUND DESIGN
- Christopher Kriz, “The Singularity Play” — Jackalope Theatre Firm
- L.J. Luthringer, “The Tempest” — Idle Muse Theatre Firm
LIGHTING DESIGN
- Garrett Bell, “Coronation” — Refracted Theatre Firm
PROJECTION DESIGN
- Abboye Lawrence, “Coronation” – Refracted Theatre Firm
MUSIC DIRECTION
- Nick Sula, “Into the Woods” — Kokandy Productions
ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION
- Ariana Miles, Evelyn Ryan and Nick Sula (Orchestrations), “Into the Woods” – Kokandy Productions
SPECIAL AWARD
NON-EQUITY JEFF IMPRESARIO AWARD (honoring excellence in stage administration)
- Kyle Aschbrenner – Clean Theatre Firm
