They wuz robbed: Our (affectionate) rebuttal to the Jeff nominations

Jeff loves trouble. Most recently, he stirred some up by changing his name.

Last January the Jeff committee announced that the Jeff Citation, the award given to non-Equity (a.k.a. non-union) productions was changing its name to the more prestigious-sounding Non-Equity Jeff Award. This news at first seemed exciting, at least to us. We mentioned on the Time Out Chicago blog that the difference between the words "award" and "citation" sounded like the difference between a trophy and a traffic violation, and we were all about the change.

And then some of our readers told us differently. Scores of them, in fact.

Members of the Chicago acting community came out in droves to weigh in on the issue. Many voiced concern that the change implied non-Equity producers, some of whom have been in business for years and have yet made no inroads toward paying for their actors' health insurance, let alone paying them a living wage, are now afforded the same prestige as the ones who do. (The prize for Chicago's Equity plays is also called the Jeff Award, meaning there’s now less distinction between the two.) If the non-Equity theaters aren’t willing to come up with the money to play at our level, the pro-union crowd argued, why should they get the same kind of notoriety?

In planning last week's Actors issue, we realized we needed to learn more about both sides of the argument. After conversations with multiple actors and theater personnel, both Equity and non- (and with union reps), and arming ourselves with close readings of Equity's contracts and theaters' financial reports, we weighed in with this web-exclusive essay on the union question, concluding that the issue is more complex than we'd realized, but bottom line, companies should at least be trying to compensate their labor.

 

Today's announcement of the nominees for this season's Non-Equity Jeff Award seem to confirm that those on the "keep-it-Citation" side of the disagreement had a point. The three companies with the most nominations this year—Bailiwick Repertory, Circle Theatre and Lifeline Theatre—are all institutions that have been in operation for over two decades, yet operate outside the rules and salary agreements of Equity.

Bumping these companies’ Jeff status up to the shinier-sounding Award certainly gives them no incentive to pay the labor more any time soon. To be fair, just about every non-union show in town is also non-profit, meaning money is tighter and harder to come by. But, disturbingly, this growing trend of looking the other way where labor is concerned is now bleeding into the world of commercial producers. This week Broadway in Chicago opens Shout! the Mod Musical, its second show in less than a year to charge a top ticket price of over $50 without employing union actors.

It will certainly feel strange if, this time next year, we have to include actors from a Broadway in Chicago venture alongside our shout-outs to overlooked Jeff contenders from the storefront scene.

Speaking of: Our sympathies are extended to director Jonathan Berry, who took the budding Steep Theatre to a thrilling new level of danger and professionalism this year with his production of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (at left), Bertolt Brecht’s scary Hitler allegory set in gangland Chicago. Justifiably the talk of the town last summer, Steep’s staging somehow only earned one nomination, for best production. This means Berry, his tough-talking ensemble, the terrific 1940s costumes by Alison Siple (an otherwise much-nominated designer who probably reached a career high with the show) and—most embarrassingly—brilliant Yosh Hayashi in the title role were all overlooked. (Hayashi’s omission is made all the more awkward by the fact that, in addition to giving the best non-Equity leading performance last season, he was also the best part of Lifeline’s The Island of Dr. Moreau in a raving supporting turn. Moreau was the show that snagged the most nominations this year—nine—with most of the creative contributors earning nominations. Everybody but, um, Yosh Hayashi.)

It’s still a mystery to us how BackStage Theatre’s How I Learned to Drive wasn’t even Jeff recommended, making it ineligible for nominations. But it’s a shame, since the company made this play that seemed to be in no particular need of revival suddenly seem in vital need of it, thanks to the tough, sophisticated leading performance of Brenda Barrie (as an incest survivor) and the static-and-oldies sound design of Nick Keenan (the year’s most prolific sound designer, who somehow wasn’t nominated for a thing). Meanwhile, Bohemian Theatre Ensemble’s Songs for a New World, the only non-Equity musical that could possibly rival Bailiwick’s justly showered Jerry Springer—The Opera, was also not recommended, and hence ineligible.

 

Lastly, the Hypocrites dashing, punk reimagining of Miss Julie proved too daring for the Jeff committee. This means no love for director Sean Graney, the breathtaking lights of Jared Moore, fierce antihero Greg Hardigan or leading lady Stacy Stoltz, the actor who proves once again she’s made out of Jeff Teflon.

 

Christopher Piatt and Kris Vire both contributed to this report. Below, the full list of Non-Equity Jeff Award nominees; the awards will be handed out June 9.

PRODUCTION - PLAY                
“columbinus” - Raven Theatre
“Dolly West's Kitchen” - TimeLine Theatre Company
“An Ideal Husband” - Circle Theatre
“The Island of Dr. Moreau” - Lifeline Theatre
“Jitney” - Pegasus Players
“The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui” - Steep Theatre Company
    
PRODUCTION - MUSICAL                
“Cabaret” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
“Jerry Springer - The Opera” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
“The Life” - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
“A Man of No Importance” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” - Circle Theatre
“1776” - Signal Ensemble Theatre

DIRECTOR – PLAY
Paul S. Holmquist – “The Island of Dr. Moreau” - Lifeline Theatre
Jessica Hutchinson – “The Dining Room” - New Leaf Theatre
Greg Kolack – “columbinus” - Raven Theatre
Coya Paz – “Machos” - Teatro Luna
Jim Schneider – “An Ideal Husband” - Circle Theatre
Jonathan Wilson – “Jitney” - Pegasus Players

DIRECTOR - MUSICAL                
Fred Anzevino – “Cabaret” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch &   Michael James
Scott Ferguson – “A Man of No Importance” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Ronan Marra – “1776” - Signal Ensemble Theatre
David Zak – “Jerry Springer - The Opera” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre

ENSEMBLE                
“columbinus” - Raven Theatre
“Jitney” - Pegasus Players
“Machos” - Teatro Luna
”The Dining Room” - New Leaf Theatre
“Waiting for Lefty” - BackStage Theatre Company

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Matt Kelly – “The Collector” - LiveWire Chicago Theatre
Vincent L. Lonergan – “Old Wicked Songs” - Signal Ensemble Theatre
Brian Parry – “Three Hotels” - redtwist theatre f/k/a Actors Workshop Theatre
Shawn Pfautsch – “Old Wicked Songs” - Signal Ensemble Theatre
Alfred H. Wilson – “Jitney” - Pegasus Players
Sam Wootten – “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde” - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL                
Don Denton – “bare” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Kevin D. Mayes – “A Man of No Importance” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Jeremy Rill – “Can – Can” - Circle Theatre
Jeremy Trager – “Cabaret” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
Philip Winston – “1776” - Signal Ensemble Theatre

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Caren Blackmore – “MiLK” - MPAACT
Tien Doman – “Tesla's Letters” - TimeLine Theatre Company
Vanessa Greenway – “The Constant Wife” - Griffin Theatre Company
Sabrina Kramnich – “Gidget” - City Lit Theater Company
Kelly O'Sullivan – “Mr. Marmalade” - Dog & Pony Theatre Company

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL                
Elizabeth Lanza – “Can – Can” - Circle Theatre
Tawny Newsome – “The Life” - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Rachel Quinn – “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” - Circle Theatre
Dana Tretta – “Cabaret” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
 
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY                
Hans Fleischmann – “In a Dark Dark House” - Profiles Theatre
Terry Hamilton – “Widowers' Houses” - TimeLine Theatre Company
Joel Stanley Huff – “Tesla's Letters” - TimeLine Theatre Company
Bradford R. Lund – “An Ideal Husband” - Circle Theatre
John Henry Roberts – “Aristocrats” - Strawdog Theatre Company
Ron Wells – “A Prayer for My Daughter” - Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL                
Vincent L. Lonergan – “1776” - Signal Ensemble Theatre
Rus Rainear – “Cabaret” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
Jeremy Rill – “Jerry Springer - The Opera” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY                
Janet Ulrich Brooks – “A Lie of the Mind” - Strawdog Theatre Company
Kate Harris – “The Constant Wife” - Griffin Theatre Company
Saren Nofs-Snyder – “An Ideal Husband ‘ - Circle Theatre
Kathleen Ruhl – “Dolly West's Kitchen” - TimeLine Theatre Company
Nicolle Van Dyke – “A View from the Bridge” - The GreyZelda Theatre Group
Rebekah Ward-Hays – “Waiting for Lefty” - BackStage Theatre Company

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL OR REVUE
Danielle Brothers – “Cabaret” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
Nancy Kolton – “A Man of No Importance” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Bethany Thomas – “The Life” - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble

NEW WORK
Mia McCullough – “Spare Change” - Stage Left Theatre
Mary Scruggs – “Missing Man” - Live Bait Theatre
Teatro Luna & Coya Paz – “Machos” - Teatro Luna
Teatro Luna & Tanya Saracho – “lunatic(a)s” - Teatro Luna

NEW ADAPTATION
Robert Kauzlaric – “The Island of Dr. Moreau” - Lifeline Theatre
Frederick Kohner – “Gidget” - City Lit Theatre Company
Terry McCabe – “The Hound of the Baskervilles” - City Lit Theatre Company
Jake Minton & Phillip C. Klapperich – “The Nutcracker” - The House Theatre of Chicago

CHOREOGRAPHY
Kevin Bellie –“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” - Circle Theatre
Brenda Didier – “The Life” - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Lisa Johnson-Willingham – “Trouble the Water” - MPAACT
Maggie Portman – “Cabaret” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James

ORIGINAL MUSIC
Victoria DeIorio – “The Island of Dr. Moreau” - Lifeline Theatre
Gregor Mortis & Mikhail Fiksel – “A Lie of the Mind” - Strawdog Theatre Company
Kevin O'Donnell – “The Nutcracker” - The House Theatre of Chicago
Kevin O'Donnell – “Desire Under the Elms” - The Hypocrites

MUSIC DIRECTION
Joshua Stephen Kartes – “Cabaret” - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Beverle Bloch & Michael James
James Morehead – “bare” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Robert Ollis – “A Man of No Importance” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Gary Powell – “Jerry Springer - The Opera” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Jon Steinhagen – “The Life” - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble

SCENIC DESIGN
Brian Sidney Bembridge – “Dolly West's Kitchen” - TimeLine Theatre Company
Tom Burch – “The Island of Dr. Moreau” - Lifeline Theatre
Bob Knuth – “An Ideal Husband” - Circle Theatre
Timothy Mann – “Jitney” - Pegasus Players
Michael Menendian & Leif Olsen – “The Night of the Iguana” - Raven Theatre
Tracy Otwell – “Desire Under the Elms” - The Hypocrites
Grant Sabin – “Mr. Marmalade” - Dog & Pony Theatre Company

LIGHTING DESIGN
Charles Cooper – “Sueño” - Greasy Joan & Co.
Kevin D. Gawley – “The Island of Dr. Moreau” - Lifeline Theatre
Lee Keenan – “Hope Springs Infernal” - The House Theatre of Chicago
Jared Moore – “Jerry Springer - The Opera” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Jared Moore – “Desire Under the Elms” - The Hypocrites

COSTUME DESIGN
Laura M. Dana – “1776” - Signal Ensemble Theatre
Rachel Anne Healy – “Widowers' Houses” - TimeLine Theatre Company
Jeff Jones – “Jerry Springer - The Opera” - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Kimberly G. Morris – “The Island of Dr. Moreau” - Lifeline Theatre
Jesus Perez – “Can – Can” - Circle Theatre
Elizabeth Shaffer – “An Ideal Husband” - Circle Theatre

SOUND DESIGN
Victoria DeIorio – “The Island of Dr. Moreau” - Lifeline Theatre
Michael Griggs – “Hope Springs Infernal” - The House Theatre of Chicago
Stephen Ptacek – “Faster” - the side project
Peter J. Storms - “The Night of the Iguana” - Raven Theatre
Mike Tutaj – “columbinus” - Raven Theatre
 
OTHER
Puppet Design – Allison Daniel – “The Nutcracker” - The House Theatre of Chicago
Mask Design - Kimberly G. Morris – “The Island of Dr. Moreau” - Lifeline Theatre
Projections Design – Mike Tutaj – “columbinus” - Raven Theatre
Projections Design – Mike Tutaj – “Tesla's Letters” - TimeLine Theatre Company