Jeff Awards 2023
The 2023 Equity Jeff Awards, a major event in the Chicago theater community, were held at the Drury Lane Theater in Oakbrook, Illinois. This awards ceremony marked the culmination of a year-long process in which numerous theater productions and talented individuals were evaluated and recognized. They included designers, directors, performers, playwrights and choreographers, as well as theater companies from throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.
The Jeff Awards not only celebrated outstanding achievements, but also played a vital role in encouraging artists, promoting diverse narratives, and fostering civic pride in Chicago’s rich theatrical heritage. The event typically attracted a crowd of 800 to 1,000 attendees, including Chicago artists, their friends and family, and dedicated theater enthusiasts, all passionate about the arts. Additionally, a Special Award was presented annually to a person or organization that had made a particularly notable contribution to the Chicago theater scene, adding an extra layer of importance to this prestigious event.
Explore the archives on the NEWSTARS Education page for a trip down memory lane, revisiting iconic moments in entertainment history that have shaped the industry as we know it today.
2023 Jeff Award Winners
- Best Major Play: “The Cherry Orchard” at the Goodman Theater
- Best Medium Play: “Fences” at American Blues Theater and “The Dream King” at Teatro Vista
- Best Large Musical: “The Who’s Tommy” at Goodman Theater
- Best Medium Musical: “London Road” at the Shattered Globe Theater
- Best Ensemble Work: “Motherhouse” at Rivendell Theater Ensemble
- Best Musical Ensemble/Rev: “The Gospel at Colonus” at the Court Theater and “The Who’s Tommy” at the Goodman Theater
- Best new job:
- Bekah Brunstetter and Ingrid Michaelson for “The Notebook” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
- Rebecca Gilman for “Swing State” at the Goodman Theater
- Marvin Quijada for “The King of Dreams” at the Vista Theater
- Tuckie White for “Motherhouse” at Rivendell Theater Ensemble
- Best directors:
- Robert Falls for “The Cherry Orchard” at the Goodman Theater (large play)
- Monty Cole for “Fences” at the American Blues Theater (medium play)
- Des McAnuff for “The Who’s Tommy” at Goodman Theater (great musical)
- Elizabeth Margolius for “London Road” at Shattered Globe Theater (Medium Musical)
- Best performers:
- Kamal Angelo Bolden as Troy Maxson in “Fences” at the American Blues Theater (lead role play)
- Ali Louis Bourzgui as Tommy in “The Who’s Tommy” at the Goodman Theater (main musical performance)
- Alexis J. Roston as Billie Holiday in “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” at Mercury Theater Chicago (solo performance)
- Felicia P. Fields in “Pearl’s Rollin’ With the Blues” at Writers Theater (Revise Artist)
- Best Supporting Artists:
- Karen Aldridge in “Is God Is” at A Red Orchid Theater (supporting role play)
- Mary Robin Roth as Fräulein Schneider in “Cabaret” at Porchlight Music Theater (musical particular)
- Featured Designers:
- Andrew Boyce for scenic design on “Murder on the Orient Express” at Drury Lane Productions (large play)
- Joe Schermoly for scenic design on “The Dream King” at Teatro Vista (medium work)
- Bill Morey for costume design on “Cabaret” at Porchlight Music Theater (great musical)
- Robert Kuhn for costume design on “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” at the Mercury Theater in Chicago (Mid-Size Musical)
- Gareth Owen for sound design on “The Who’s Tommy” at the Goodman Theater (great musical)
- Matthew Chapman for sound design on “The Dream King” at the Vista Theater (Medium Musical)
- Amanda Zieve for lighting design on “The Who’s Tommy” at the Goodman Theater (great musical)
- Conchita Avitia for Lighting Design in “El Rey de los Sueños” at Teatro Vista (Midsize Musical)
- Lorin Latarro to choreograph “The Who’s Tommy” at the Goodman Theater
- Peter Nigrini for projection design of “The Who’s Tommy” at the Goodman Theater
- Artistic Specialization Awards:
- Drew Dir for puppet design on “Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol” at Writers Theater and Manual Cinema
- Amanda Hermann and Yu Shibagaki for property design in “Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon” at Lookingglass Theater Company
- Mike Oleon for puppet design in “The Dream King” at the Vista Theater
- Short-term winners:
- Production: “The Island” at Court Theater
- Starring: Kelly Anne Clark as an actor in “Being Seen” at RG Productions
Where to watch the 2023 Jeff Awards
To watch the 2023 Equity Theater Jeff Awards, you can tune into the various platforms where the event is broadcast. Usually, award ceremonies like these are broadcast on television channels, online on official websites or available on social media platforms.
You may be able to watch the awards ceremony on local television stations that cover events in the Chicago area. Additionally, many award shows are now live-streamed on official websites or social media platforms.
Jeff Awards 2023 Announcement Date
The announcement of the 2023 Jeff Award nominations was met with immense joy and gratitude by the Paramount Theatre. The awards ceremony took place on Monday, October 2, 2023 at the prestigious Drury Lane Theater in Oakbrook Terrace, marking a night of celebration and recognition for outstanding talent in the theater community.
They joyfully revealed that they had received a remarkable total of 18 nominations, including three nominations in the Best Large Musical categories for their outstanding productions.
Jeff Awards
The Jeff Awards, formally known as the Joseph Jefferson Awards, are prestigious honors awarded to outstanding theatrical arts productions in the Chicago area. These awards, established in 1968, are named for Joseph Jefferson, a renowned 19th-century American theater star who was part of Chicago’s first theater company as a child.
The awards recognize excellence in Chicago theater and are divided into two categories: “Equity,” which covers work performed under an Actors’ Equity Association contract during the judging season from August 1 to July 31, and “Non-Equity”, which includes non-Equity. Union work judged from April 1 to March 31. Award winners are determined through a secret ballot process. These awards serve as an important recognition of talent and creativity within the Chicago theater community, encouraging and celebrating excellence in the performing arts. For more information, you can visit their official website.
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