A small Chicago theatre company was the big winner in the design categories of the 2003 Joseph Jefferson Awards, which celebrates the best of Chicago's Equity theatre season.

Journey's End, produced by the Seanachai Theatre Company, won in the set, lighting, and sound categories at this year's ceremony, which was held Nov. 3 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL. The production beat out such high-profile productions as Sunday in the Park With George at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and The Beard of Avon at the Goodman.

The following is a list of all the design nominees, with the winners in bold:

SCENIC DESIGN
Linda Buchanan, Lobby Hero, The Goodman Theatre
GW "Skip" Mercier, The Time of Your Life, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
John Musial, The Hairy Ape, American Theatre Company
Richard and Jacqueline Penrod, The Mystery of Irma Vep, Northlight Theatre
Elizabeth E. Schuch, Journey's End, Seanachai Theatre Company
Michael Yeargan, The Beard of Avon, The Goodman Theatre

COSTUME DESIGN
Mara Blumenfeld, Sunday in the Park with George, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Jane Greenwood, The Beard of Avon, The Goodman Theatre
Jeff Hendry, Singin' in the Rain, Drury Lane Theatre, Evergreen Park
Nancy Missimi, Cats, Marriott Theatre
Nancy Missimi, Funny Girl, Marriott Theatre

LIGHTING DESIGN
Kevin Adams, Julius Caesar, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
Donald Holder, Gem of the Ocean, The Goodman Theatre
Robert Perry, Love's Labor's Lost, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
Diane Ferry Williams, Cats, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
A. Cameron Zetty, Journey's End, Seanachai Theatre Company

SOUND DESIGN
Michael Bodeen and Rob Milburn, The Time of Your Life, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Joseph Fosco, The Cider House Rules: Parts I and II, Famous Door Theatre
Michael Kraskin, The Hairy Ape, American Theatre Company
Josh Schmidt, Journey's End, Seanachai Theatre Company

Founded in 1968, the mission of the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee is to honor excellence in theatrical productions in the Chicago theatre community.

Originally chartered to recognize only Equity productions, the non-Equity Citations wing was founded by the Jeff Committee in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non-union Chicago theatre.