Out of concern for the health and safety of the community and in accordance with recommendations by Mayor Lightfoot and Governor Pritzker to limit public gatherings possibly until May 1, the Jeff Awards made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend judging activities. The organization will continue to closely monitor official sources for how the situation evolves and announce a decision on the official date as to whether or not to resume activities if that time exceeds May 1.
“Our Jeff Awards members are concerned about the health and welfare of all the people who make up the theater community - from the performers, production teams and crews to the ushers, audiences and patrons who support them. Our social responsibility to the community also includes our own volunteer members. While many of the productions we had planned to attend have been cancelled or postponed, our members are such dedicated theater supporters that many plan, in an unofficial capacity, to evaluate each situation and where possible, pay for and attend local theater when productions are available, in an effort to continue to support the local theaters during this difficult time. I am proud to be part of an organization that is such a champion for theater excellence and the companies that bring it to life,” said John Glover, Chair of the Jeff Awards.
Equity and Non-Equity theaters with questions about current Jeff Awards eligibility or other related concerns can contact the appropriate Wing Chair. Deric Gochenauer, Equity Wing Chair, can be reached at equitywing@jeffawards.org. Non-Equity Wing Chair, Nick Obis, is reachable at nonequitywing@jeffawards.org.
About the Jeff Awards
The Jeff Awards has been honoring outstanding theatre artists annually since it was established in 1968. With 55 members representing a wide variety of backgrounds in theatre (including producers, directors, actors, playwrights, designers, professors of theatre, entertainment lawyers and agents, and theatre lovers), the Jeff Awards is committed to celebrating the vitality of Chicago area theatre by recognizing excellence through its recommendations, awards, and honors. Opening night judges include not only the members but also Artistic & Technical theatre volunteers (the “A/T Team”), including Artistic Directors, producers, directors and artists from Chicago theatres. The Jeff Awards fosters the artistic growth of area theatres and theatre artists and promotes educational opportunities, audience appreciation, and civic pride in the achievements of the theatre community. Each year, the Jeff Awards judges over 300 theatrical productions and hosts two awards ceremonies. Originally chartered to recognize only Equity productions, the Jeff Awards established the Non–Equity Wing in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non–union theatre. The next Non-Equity Awards will be held on Monday, June 6, 2020, at the Athenaeum Theatre in Chicago.