The 2022-2023 Equity Jeff Awards nominees include 214 theater artists across 32 categories of excellence in theater production among shows from 35 companies. During the most recent season, which ran from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, Jeff Awards members attended 105 Equity productions. From these, 88 productions became “Jeff Recommended” and therefore eligible for award nominations.
The 55th anniversary Equity Jeff Awards will take place October 2, 2023, at Drury Lane in Oakbrook, IL. More details on the program will be announced soon.
Goodman Theatre garnered the most honors with 32 nominations from nine productions, two of which were co-productions with other companies, followed by Paramount Theatre (18), Mercury Theater Chicago (15), and a tie between Drury Lane Productions, Marriott Theatre and Teatro Vista (13). “The Dream King” at Teatro Vista drew the largest number of nominations for a single production (10). Among New Work, ten world premiere plays and two new musicals are in award consideration.
2023 EQUITY JEFF AWARD NOMINEES
Production - Play
“Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express” – Drury Lane Productions
“The Cherry Orchard” – Goodman Theatre
“A Christmas Carol” – Goodman Theatre
“Clyde's” – Goodman Theatre in association with Center Theatre Group
“The Comedy of Errors” – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
“Dear Jack, Dear Louise” – Northlight Theatre
“Swing State” – Goodman Theatre
“Toni Stone” – Goodman Theatre
Production - Play - Midsize
“And Neither Have I Wings to Fly” – First Folio Theatre
“Clue” – Mercury Theater Chicago
“The Dream King” – Teatro Vista
“Fences” – American Blues Theater
“Is God Is” – A Red Orchid Theatre
“Motherhouse” – Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
“The October Storm” – Raven Theatre
“Right to Be Forgotten” – Raven Theatre
Production – Musical – Large
“Cabaret” – Porchlight Music Theatre
“A Chorus Line” – Drury Lane Productions
“Damn Yankees” – Marriott Theatre
“Fun Home” – Paramount Theatre
“The Gospel at Colonus” – Court Theatre
“Hello, Dolly!” – Marriott Theatre
“Into the Woods” – Paramount Theatre
“The Notebook” – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
“Once” – Writers Theatre
“The Sound of Music” – Paramount Theatre
“The Who’s Tommy” – Goodman Theatre
Production – Musical – Midsize
“Big River” – Mercury Theater Chicago
“London Road” – Shattered Globe Theatre
“Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” – Mercury Theater Chicago
Ensemble – Play
“Clue” – Mercury Theater Chicago
“Fences” – American Blues Theater
“The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company
“Motherhouse” – Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
“Our Dear Dead Drug Lord” – Steep Theatre
“Toni Stone” – Goodman Theatre
Ensemble – Musical or Revue
“A Chorus Line” – Drury Lane Productions
“Don’t Quit Your Daydream” – The Second City
“The Gospel at Colonus” – Court Theatre
“London Road” – Shattered Globe Theatre
“Once” – Writers Theatre
“The Who’s Tommy” – Goodman Theatre
New Work
Will Allan – “Campaigns, Inc.” – TimeLine Theatre Company
Bekah Brunstetter and Ingrid Michaelson – “The Notebook” – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Rebecca Gilman – “Swing State” – Goodman Theatre
Lauren Gunderson and Margo Melcon – “Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley “ –
Northlight Theatre
Lisa Langford – “How Blood Go” – Congo Square Theatre Company
Paloma Nozicka – “Enough to Let the Light In” – Teatro Vista
Marvin Quijada – “The Dream King” – Teatro Vista
Tuckie White – “Motherhouse” – Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
Will Wilhelm and Erin Murray – “Gender Play or What You Will” – About Face Theatre
LaDarrion Williams – “Boulevard of Bold Dreams” – TimeLine Theatre Company
Matthew C. Yee – “Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon” – Lookingglass Theatre Company
Martin Yousif Zebari – “Layalina” – Goodman Theatre
Director - Play - Large
Robert Falls – "The Cherry Orchard" – Goodman Theatre
Robert Falls – "Swing State" – Goodman Theatre
Jessica Fisch – "Dear Jack, Dear Louise" – Northlight Theatre
Barbara Gaines – "The Comedy of Errors" – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Henry Godinez – "Measure for Measure" – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Ron OJ Parson – "Toni Stone" – Goodman Theatre
Ron OJ Parson – "Trouble in Mind" – TimeLine Theatre Company
Director – Play – Midsize
Monty Cole – “Fences” – American Blues Theater
Sarah Gitenstein – “Right to Be Forgotten” – Raven Theatre
Marti Gobel – “Is God Is” – A Red Orchid Theatre
Azar Kazemi – “Motherhouse” – Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
Sandra Marquez and Alice da Cunha – “The Dream King” – Teatro Vista
Malkia Stampley – “The October Storm” – Raven Theatre
L. Walter Stearns – “Clue” – Mercury Theater Chicago
Georgette Verdin – “Enough to Let the Light In” – Teatro Vista
Director - Musical - Large
Jim Corti and Landree Fleming – "Fun Home" – Paramount Theatre
Mark J.P. Hood and Charles Newell – "The Gospel at Colonus" – Court Theatre
Denis Jones – "Hello, Dolly!" – Marriott Theatre
Des McAnuff – "The Who's Tommy" – Goodman Theatre
Katie Spelman – "Once" – Writers Theatre
Michael Weber – "Cabaret" – Porchlight Music Theatre
Director - Musical - Midsize
Christopher Chase Carter – "Big River" – Mercury Theater Chicago
Christopher Chase Carter – "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" – Mercury Theater Chicago
Elizabeth Margolius – "London Road" – Shattered Globe Theatre
Performer in a Principal Role - Play
Terry Bell (Bashir) – "Routes" – Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
Kamal Angelo Bolden (Troy Maxson) – "Fences" – American Blues Theater
Tracey N. Bonner (Toni Stone) – "Toni Stone" – Goodman Theatre
Shanésia Davis (Rose) – "Fences" – American Blues Theater
Mary Beth Fisher (Peg) – "Swing State" – Goodman Theatre
Kevin Gudahl (Lord Brian Halifax/Dromio of Ephesus) – "The Comedy of Errors" –
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Rob Lindley (Andy Warhol) – "Andy Warhol in Iran" – Northlight Theatre
Sarah Price (Louise) – "Dear Jack, Dear Louise" – Northlight Theatre
Marvin Quijada (Actor) – "The Dream King" – Teatro Vista
Shariba Rivers (Mrs. Elkins) – "The October Storm" – Raven Theatre
Shariba Rivers (Wiletta Mayer) – "Trouble in Mind" – TimeLine Theatre Company
Larry Yando (Ebenezer Scrooge) – "A Christmas Carol" – Goodman Theatre
Performer in a Principal Role – Musical
Curtis Bannister (Jim) – "Big River" – Mercury Theater Chicago
Ali Louis Bourzgui (Tommy) – "The Who's Tommy" – Goodman Theatre
Ben Dow (Buddy) – "Elf The Musical" – Drury Lane Productions
Alexander Gemignani (Edward Bloom) – "Big Fish" – Marriott Theatre
Heidi Kettenring (Dolly Levi) – "Hello, Dolly!" – Marriott Theatre
Kieran McCabe (Buddy Holly) – "Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story" – Marriott Theatre
Andrew Mueller (Ernest Shackleton) – "Ernest Shackleton Loves Me" – Porchlight Music Theatre
Kelvin Roston, Jr. (Oedipus) – "The Gospel at Colonus" – Court Theatre
Stephen Schellhardt (Bruce Bechdel) – "Fun Home" – Paramount Theatre
Erica Stephan (Sally Bowles) – "Cabaret" – Porchlight Music Theatre
Solo Performance
Alexis J. Roston (Billie Holiday) – "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill" – Mercury Theater Chicago
Antonio Edwards Suarez (Antonio) – "Antonio's Song / I Was Dreaming of a Son" – Goodman Theatre
Will Wilhelm (Will) – "Gender Play or What You Will" – About Face Theatre
Performer in a Revue
Felicia P. Fields (Performer) – “Pearl's Rollin' With the Blues” – Writers Theatre
Evan Mills (Performer) – “Don't Quit Your Daydream” – The Second City
Performer in a Supporting Role - Play
Karen Aldridge (She) – "Is God Is" – A Red Orchid Theatre
Andrew Behling (Charlie Doyle) – "And Neither Have I Wings to Fly" – First Folio Theatre
Janet Ulrich Brooks (Helen Hubbard) – "Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express" – Drury Lane Productions
Brianna Buckley (Gayle/Young Chipper Ambitious Black Woman) – "the ripple, the wave that carried me home" – Goodman Theatre in association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Meighan Gerachis (Aunt Weezie) – "Motherhouse" – Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
Francis Guinan (Firs) – "The Cherry Orchard" – Goodman Theatre
Chiké Johnson (Galileo) – "Galileo's Daughter" – Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
Felisha D. McNeal (Lucille) – "The October Storm" – Raven Theatre
Jon Hudson Odom (Millie) – "Toni Stone" – Goodman Theatre
Jazzma Pryor (Lillian) – "Stew" – Shattered Globe Theatre
Nick Sandys (Eustace Bassington-Bassington ) – "Jeeves Intervenes" – First Folio Theatre
Performer in a Supporting Role - Musical
Sean Fortunato (Applegate) – "Damn Yankees" – Marriott Theatre
Veronica Garza (Rosalie Mullins) – "School of Rock" – Paramount Theatre
Alex Goodrich (Cornelius Hackl) – "Hello, Dolly!" – Marriott Theatre
Stanley Wayne Mathis (Harold Logan) – "Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical" – The Hard Kill LLC
Susan Moniz (Mother Abbess) – "The Sound of Music" – Paramount Theatre
Mary Robin Roth (Fräulein Schneider) – "Cabaret" – Porchlight Music Theatre
Lorenzo Rush, Jr. (Curtis Taylor, Jr.) – "Dreamgirls" – Paramount Theatre
Elizabeth Stenholt (Medium Alison) – "Fun Home" – Paramount Theatre
Gregory Stewart, Jr. (Philip Bailey) – "Reasons: A Tribute to Earth Wind and Fire" – Black Ensemble Theater
Joy Woods (Middle Allie) – "The Notebook" – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Scenic Design – Large
Andrew Boyce – "Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express" – Drury Lane Productions
casaboyce – "Layalina" – Goodman Theatre
John Culbert – "Arsenic and Old Lace" – Court Theatre
Jeffrey D. Kmiec – "Into the Woods" – Paramount Theatre
Jeffrey D. Kmiec – "The Sound of Music" – Paramount Theatre
Collette Pollard – "The Garbologists" – Northlight Theatre
Scenic Design – Midsize
Bob Knuth – “Clue” – Mercury Theater Chicago
Jack Magaw – “Andy Warhol’s Tomato” – Buffalo Theatre Ensemble
Angela Weber Miller – “And Neither Have I Wings to Fly” – First Folio Theatre
Angela Weber Miller – “Jeeves Intervenes” – First Folio Theatre
Lauren M. Nichols – “Anna in the Tropics” – Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
Joe Schermoly – “The Dream King” – Teatro Vista
Costume Design - Large
Raquel Adorno – "Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley " – Northlight Theatre
Raquel Adorno – "Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical" – The Hard Kill LLC
Theresa Ham – "Hello, Dolly!" – Marriott Theatre
Izumi Inaba – "The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington" – Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Samantha C. Jones – "Dreamgirls" – Paramount Theatre
Ana Kuzmanic – "The Cherry Orchard" – Goodman Theatre
Bill Morey – "Cabaret" – Porchlight Music Theatre
Costume Design - Midsize
Gregory Graham – "Anna in the Tropics" – Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
Marquecia Jordan – "Big River" – Mercury Theater Chicago
Marquecia Jordan – "Clue" – Mercury Theater Chicago
Robert Kuhn – "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" – Mercury Theater Chicago
Caitlin McLeod – "The Dream King" – Teatro Vista
Alexia Rutherford – "The October Storm" – Raven Theatre
Sound Design - Large
Mikhail Fiksel and Jeffrey Levin – “Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express” – Drury Lane Productions
Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter – “Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol” – Writers Theatre and Manual Cinema
Ray Nardelli – “The 39 Steps” – Drury Lane Productions
Gareth Owen – “The Who's Tommy” – Goodman Theatre
André Pluess – “Toni Stone” – Goodman Theatre
Adam Rosenthal – “The Sound of Music” – Paramount Theatre
Richard Woodbury – “The Cherry Orchard” – Goodman Theatre
Sound Design - Midsize
Matthew Chapman – "The Dream King" – Teatro Vista
Victoria DeIorio – "Motherhouse" – Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
Willow James – "How Blood Go" – Congo Square Theatre Company
Stefanie M. Senior – "Enough to Let the Light In" – Teatro Vista
Kurt Snieckus – "Clue" – Mercury Theater Chicago
Lighting Design - Large
Yael Lubetzky – "Once" – Writers Theatre
Julie Mack – "A Chorus Line" – Drury Lane Productions
José Santiago – "Into the Woods" – Paramount Theatre
Ben Stanton – "The Notebook" – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Amanda Zieve – "The Who's Tommy" – Goodman Theatre
Lighting Design - Midsize
Conchita Avitia – "The Dream King" – Teatro Vista
Jared Gooding – "Fences" – American Blues Theater
Gabrielle Strong – "Gender Play or What You Will" – About Face Theatre
Eric Watkins – "Routes" – Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
Levi Wilkins – "Is God Is" – A Red Orchid Theatre
Choreography
Brenda Didier – "Cabaret" – Porchlight Music Theatre
Edgar Godineaux – "Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical" – The Hard Kill LLC
Tyler Hanes – "Damn Yankees" – Marriott Theatre
Denis Jones – "Hello, Dolly!" – Marriott Theatre
Lorin Latarro – "The Who's Tommy" – Goodman Theatre
Paul Stancato – "Grease" – Drury Lane Productions
Original Music in a Play
Matthew Chapman, Marvin Quijada, Elliot Taggart and Ethan T. Parcell – "The Dream King" – Teatro Vista
Orbert Davis and Jorge Amado Molina – "Measure for Measure" – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Mikhail Fiksel and Jeffrey Levin – "Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express" – Drury Lane Productions
Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter – "Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol" – Writers Theatre and Manual Cinema
Christopher Kriz – "Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley " – Northlight Theatre
Music Direction
Carolyn Brady – "A Chorus Line" – Drury Lane Productions
Kory Danielson – "Fun Home" – Paramount Theatre
Kory Danielson – "The Sound of Music" – Paramount Theatre
Matt Deitchman – "Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story" – Marriott Theatre
Matt Deitchman – "Once" – Writers Theatre
Rick Fox – "The Who's Tommy" – Goodman Theatre
Mark J.P. Hood – "The Gospel at Colonus" – Court Theatre
Ryan T. Nelson – "Hello, Dolly!" – Marriott Theatre
Robert Reddrick – "Blue Heaven" – Black Ensemble Theater
Robert Reddrick – "Reasons: A Tribute to Earth Wind and Fire" – Black Ensemble Theater
Projection Design
John Boesche – "Galileo's Daughter" – Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
Anthony Churchill – "Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express" – Drury Lane Productions
Reese Craig and Liviu Pasare – "Right to Be Forgotten" – Raven Theatre
Smooch Medina – "Ernest Shackleton Loves Me" – Porchlight Music Theatre
Peter Nigrini – "The Who's Tommy" – Goodman Theatre
Mike Tutaj – "Andy Warhol in Iran" – Northlight Theatre
Artistic Specialization
Drew Dir – Puppet Design – "Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol" – Writers Theatre and Manual Cinema
Drew Dir – Storyboards – "Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol" – Writers Theatre and Manual Cinema
Rueben D. Echoles – Wig, Hair and Makeup Design – "Dreamgirls" – Paramount Theatre
Jyrieka Guest – Fight Choreography – "Is God Is" – A Red Orchid Theatre
Amanda Hermann and Yu Shibagaki – Properties Design – "Lucy and Charlie's Honeymoon" – Lookingglass Theatre Company
Cookie Jordan – Hair and Wig Design – "the ripple, the wave that carried me home" – Goodman Theatre in association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Ian Merritt – Cinematography – "The Christians" – Citadel Theatre
Jesse Mooney-Bullock – Puppet Design – "Into the Woods" – Paramount Theatre
Mike Oleon – Puppet Design – "The Dream King" – Teatro Vista
Keith Ryan – Wig Design – "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" – Mercury Theater Chicago
Short Run - Production
"The Island" – Court Theatre
Short Run - Performer
Kelly Anne Clark (The Actor) – "Being Seen" – RG Productions
Ronald L. Conner (Winston) – "The Island" – Court Theatre
Kai A. Ealy (John) – "The Island" – Court Theatre
MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS
By Theater Company
Goodman Theatre - 32 (2 in association with other companies)
Paramount Theatre - 18
Mercury Theater Chicago - 15
Drury Lane Productions - 13
Marriott Theatre - 13
Teatro Vista - 13
Writers Theatre - 10 (4 with Manual Cinema)
Chicago Shakespeare Theater - 9
Court Theatre - 9
Northlight Theatre - 9
Porchlight Music Theatre - 8
Raven Theatre - 8
American Blues Theater - 6
Rivendell Theatre Ensemble - 6
Remy Bumppo Theatre Company - 6
First Folio Theatre - 5
A Red Orchid Theatre - 5
Shattered Globe Theatre - 4
TimeLine Theatre Company - 4
About Face Theatre - 3
Black Ensemble Theater - 3
The Hard Kill LLC - 3
Congo Square Theatre Company - 2
Lookingglass Theatre Company - 2
The Second City - 2
Steppenwolf Theatre Company - 2
By Production
“The Dream King” - 10
“The Who’s Tommy” - 9
“Hello, Dolly!” - 7
“Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express” - 6
“Cabaret” - 6
“Clue” - 6
“Fences” - 6
“Motherhouse” - 6
“Toni Stone” - 6
“The Cherry Orchard” - 5
“Fun Home” - 5
“Is God Is” - 5
“The Gospel at Colonus” - 5
“The October Storm” - 5
“Once” - 5
“The Sound of Music” - 5
“Big River” - 4
“A Chorus Line” - 4
“Into the Woods” - 4
“Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol” - 4
“The Notebook” - 4
“Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” - 4
“Swing State” - 4
“And Neither Have I Wings to Fly” - 3
“The Comedy of Errors” - 3
“Damn Yankees” - 3
“Dear Jack, Dear Louise” - 3
“Dreamgirls” - 3
“Enough to Let the Light In” - 3
“Gender Play or What You Will” - 3
“Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley” - 3
“The Island” - 3
“London Road” - 3
“Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical” - 3
“Right to Be Forgotten” - 3
“Andy Warhol in Iran” - 2
“Anna in the Tropics” - 2
“Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story” - 2
“A Christmas Carol” - 2
“Don’t Quit Your Daydream” - 2
“Ernest Shackleton Loves Me” - 2
“Galileo’s Daughter” - 2
“How Blood Go” - 2
“Jeeves Intervenes” - 2
“Layalina” - 2
“Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon” - 2
“Measure for Measure” - 2
“The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington” - 2
“Reasons: A Tribute to Earth Wind and Fire” - 2
“the ripple, the wave that carried me home” - 2
“Routes” - 2
“Trouble in Mind” - 2
By Individual
Marvin Quijada - 3 (1 with Matthew Chapman, Elliot Taggart and Ethan T. Parcell)
Raquel Adorno - 2
Christopher Chase Carter - 2
Matthew Chapman - 2 (1 with Marvin Quijada, Elliot Taggart and Ethan T. Parcell)
Kory Danielson - 2
Matt Deitchman - 2
Drew Dir - 2
Robert Falls - 2
Mikhail Fiksel and Jeffrey Levin - 2
Mark J.P. Hood - 2 (1 with Charles Newell)
Denis Jones - 2
Marquecia Jordan - 2
Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter - 2
Jeffrey D. Kmiec - 2
Angela Weber Miller - 2
Ron OJ Parson - 2
Robert Reddrick - 2
Shariba Rivers - 2
Will Wilhelm - 2 (1 with Erin Murray)
ABOUT THE JEFF AWARDS
The Jeff Awards is one of the most active and engaged theater awards organizations in the country evaluating hundreds of theatrical productions annually and holding two awards ceremonies highlighting work over the past Equity and Non-Equity seasons. Through our recommendations, awards, and honors we help foster the growth of companies, encourage artists, bring new appreciation for diverse storytelling, and cultivate civic pride in the achievements of the Chicago theater community. Originally chartered in 1968 to recognize Equity productions, the Jeff Awards Non-Equity Wing was established in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non-union theatre. For more information, visit www.jeffawards.org.