The Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee has announced 109 nominations in 26 categories for Chicago's non-Equity theatrical productions that opened during the 2006-2007 season (April 1, 2006-March 31, 2007). The Jeff Awards Committee judged the opening nights of 127 productions offered by 55 non-Equity producing organizations, and recommended 55 productions for further judging, which made these 55 eligible for Jeff Citations nominations.
In addition to the nominations, the committee awarded Citations to four recipients in special categories including the object design team for The Golden Truffle at the Redmoon Theatre and projection designer Lucas Merino for The Sparrow at The House Theatre of Chicago.
The Jeff Awards are given annually by The Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee to honor excellence in professional theatre produced in the immediate Chicago area. The committee, organized in 1968, consists of up to 45 men and women with varying backgrounds in theatre, but united by an active interest and concern. They come to the committee with an academic background in theatre, significant professional experience, a history of theatre involvement, and/or years of consistent theatre attendance in Chicago and in the other major theatre capitals of the world. The committee evaluates approximately 250 theatrical productions and holds two awards ceremonies annually. Originally chartered to recognize Equity productions, the Citations (non-Equity) wing was founded in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non-union Chicago theatre. The next Equity awards ceremony will be held on October 29, 2007, at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie.
SCENIC DESIGN
Kevin Hagan: Fiorello! - TimeLine Theatre Company
Bob Knuth: Stone Cold Dead Serious - Circle Theatre
Bob Knuth: Meet Me in St. Louis - Circle Theatre
Melania Lancy: The Weir - Signal Ensemble Theatre
Timothy Mann: Pantomime - Pegasus Players
Courtney O'Neill: Mud - The Hypocrites
LIGHTING DESIGN
Kevin D. Gawley: Gaudy Night - Lifeline Theatre
Sean Mallory: Tooth of Crime, Second Dance - Strawdog Theatre Company
Jared Moore: Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika - The Hypocrites in association with Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Keith Parham: Fiorello! - TimeLine Theatre Company
COSTUME DESIGN
Theresa Ham: Side Show – Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Joel Klaff and John Diekmann: The GoldenTruffle – Redmoon Theater
Suzanne Mann: Meet Me in St. Louis – Circle Theatre
Alex Wren Meadows: The General from America – TimeLine Theatre Company
Jesus Perez: Mack & Mabel- Circle Theatre
SOUND DESIGN
Victoria DeIorio: Gaudy Night - Lifeline Theatre
Michael Griggs: The Sparrow - The House Theatre of Chicago
Michael Griggs and Mikhail Fiksel: Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika – The Hypocrites in association with Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Nick Keenan: Book of Days - Raven Theatre Company
Miles Polaski: Equus - Actors Workshop Theatre