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“The Farnsworth Invention” Scores Top Honors in Midsize Category and “The Brother/Sister Plays” Receives the Ensemble Award
October 25, 2010-Chicago, IL. At the 42nd Annual Jeff Equity Awards, "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity," produced by Victory Gardens Theater in association with Teatro Vista...Theatre With a View, took top honors for a play with a total of 5 awards. An exciting world premiere by Kristoffer Diaz, the production uses professional wrestling to focus on the manipulation of American prejudices. After opening in
"Ragtime," produced by Drury Lane Productions took top honors for a musical with a total of 7 awards. Set at the turn of the century, “Ragtime” follows three stories that illustrate history's timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair, and love and hate.
Steppenwolf Theatre Company's "The Brother/Sister Plays," a gritty trilogy of plays by Tarell McCraney about hard times in the
"Chad Deity" awards included wins for Production - Play, New Work (Playwright Kristoffer Diaz), Director Edward Torres, Principal Actor Desmin Borges and Fight Choreographer David Woolley. "Ragtime" won for Production – Musical; Director Rachel Rockwell; Principal Actor Quentin Earl Darrington as Coalhouse Walker, Jr.; Principal Actress Cory Goodrich as Mother; Supporting Actress Valisia LeKae as Sarah; Supporting Actor Mark David Kaplan as Tateh; and Music Director Roberta Duchak.
Other acting awards went to Natasha Lowe (Principal Actress – Play) playing Blanche in a revealing and realistic Writers' Theatre Production of "A Streetcar Named Desire," to Mary Beth Fisher for her Solo Performance in “The Year of Magical Thinking” at Court Theatre, and to Francis Guinan, capping a tremendously active and successful year winning for Supporting Actor - Play in Victory Gardens Theater's "A Guide for the Perplexed." Rob Lindley and Kate Fry won awards as Actor and Actress in a Revue, accounting for 2 of the 3 awards going to the much extended “Oh Coward!”
The near capacity audience enjoyed live performances from all nominated musicals and video performances from nominated plays. The Equity Awards ceremony was directed by Michael Weber and produced by Jeff Equity Chair, Diane Hires, with music direction by Linda Slein, and stage management by Colleen Tovar. Actors Deanna Dunagan and Felicia P. Fields emceed the proceedings.
The Jeff Awards has been honoring outstanding theatre artists annually since it was established in 1968. With up to 50 members representing a wide variety of backgrounds in theatre, the Jeff Awards is committed to celebrating the vitality of
Complete List of Jeff Equity Award Recipients
PRODUCTION – PLAY – LARGE
“The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” – Victory Gardens Theater in association with Teatro Vista…Theatre With a View
PRODUCTION – PLAY – MIDSIZE
“The Farnsworth Invention” – TimeLine Theatre Company
PRODUCTION – MUSICAL – LARGE
“Ragtime” –
PRODUCTION – REVUE
“Oh Coward!” – Writers’ Theatre
ENSEMBLE (sponsored by Actors’ Equity Association)
“The Brother/Sister Plays” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company
DIRECTOR – PLAY
Edward Torres – “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” – Victory Gardens Theater in association with Teatro Vista…Theatre With a View
DIRECTOR – MUSICAL
Rachel Rockwell – “Ragtime” –
SOLO PERFORMANCE
Mary Beth Fisher – “The Year of Magical Thinking” – Court Theatre
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Desmin Borges – “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” - Victory Gardens Theater in association with Teatro Vista…Theatre With a View
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL
Quentin Earl Darrington – “Ragtime” –
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Natasha Lowe – “A Streetcar Named Desire” – Writers’ Theatre
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
Cory Goodrich – “Ragtime” –
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
Francis Guinan – “A Guide for the Perplexed” – Victory Gardens Theater
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
Mark David Kaplan – “Ragtime” –
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
Natalie West – “Abigail’s Party” – A Red Orchid Theatre
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
Valisia LeKae – “Ragtime” –
ACTOR IN A REVUE
Rob Lindley – “Oh Coward!” – Writers’ Theatre
ACTRESS IN A REVUE
Kate Fry – “Oh Coward!” – Writers’ Theatre
SCENIC DESIGN – LARGE
Walt Spangler – “A True History of the
SCENIC DESIGN – MIDSIZE
James Leaming – “Tobacco Road” – American Blues Theater
COSTUME DESIGN – LARGE
Alison Siple – “The Mystery of Irma Vep” – Court Theatre
COSTUME DESIGN – MIDSIZE
Sarah E. Ross & Kristin DeiTos – “Tobacco Road” – American Blues Theater
LIGHTING DESIGN - LARGE
John Culbert – “The Illusion” – Court Theatre
LIGHTING DESIGN - MIDSIZE
Jaymi Lee Smith – “Mary’s Wedding” – Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
SOUND DESIGN - LARGE
Ray Nardelli – “Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale” – Lookingglass Theatre Company and Silverguy Entertainment
SOUND DESIGN - MIDSIZE
Victoria DeIorio – “Mary’s Wedding” – Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
CHOREOGRAPHY
Tammy Mader – “Thoroughly Modern Millie” –
ORIGINAL INCIDENTAL MUSIC
Ray Nardelli, Andre Pluess, Joshua Horvath, and Kevin O’Donnell – “Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale” – Lookingglass Theatre Company and Silverguy Entertainment
MUSIC DIRECTION
Roberta Duchak – “Ragtime” –
NEW WORK – PLAY
Kristoffer Diaz - “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” – Victory Gardens Theater in association with Teatro Vista…Theatre With a View
Multimedia Design
Bridges Media – “Trust” – Lookingglass Theatre Company
Fight Choreography
David Woolley – “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” – Victory Gardens Theater in association with Teatro Vista…Theatre With a View
2009-2010 EQUITY STATISTICS
In the Season ended July 31, 2010, the Jeff Awards Committee judged the opening nights of 111 Equity productions from 42 producing organizations. Of these, 88 productions were recommended by the opening night judges and became eligible for nominations.
MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS
THEATRES:
Victory Gardens Theater – 6 (5 in association with Teatro Vista…Theatre With a View)
Teatro Vista …Theatre With a View (in association with Victory Gardens Theater)
Writers’ Theatre – 4
Court Theatre – 3
Lookingglass Theatre Company 3 (2 in association with Silverguy Entertainment)
American Blues Theater – 2
Rivendell Theatre Ensemble – 2
Silverguy Entertainment (in association with Lookingglass Theatre Company) - 2
PRODUCTIONS:
“Ragtime” – 7
“The Elaborate Entrance of
“Oh Coward!” – 3
“Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale” – 2
“Mary’s Wedding” - 2
“Tobacco Road” - 2