A mix of Chicago-based and nationally-known designers have been nominated for this year’s Joseph Jefferson Awards. The Jeffs are given annually to honor achievement in the Chicago professional theatre.
In the scenic design category, the nominees include Linda Buchanan for the Goodman Theatre production of Lobby Hero, G.W. “Skip” Mercier for the Steppenwolf Theatre production of The Time of Your Life, John Musial for the American Theatre Company revival of The Hairy Ape, Richard and Jacqueline Penrod for Northlight Theatre’s The Mystery of Irma Vep, Elizabeth E. Schuch for the Seanachal Theatre Company production of Journey’s End, and Michael Yeargan for The Beard of Avon, also at the Goodman.
In the costume design category, recent EDDY Award-winner Mara Blumenfeld is nominated for Chicago Shakespeare’s production of Sunday in the Park With George. Her competition includes Jane Greenwood for The Beard of Avon; Jeff Henry for Singin’ in the Rain at Drury Lane Theatre, Evergreen Park; and Nancy Missimi, who is nominated twice, for Cats and Funny Girl, both at the Marriott Theatre.
Chicago Shakespeare earned two nominations in the lighting design category: Kevin Adams for Julius Caesar and Robert Perry for Love’s Labor’s Lost. The rest of the nominees are Donald Holder for August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean at the Goodman Theatre, Diane Ferry Williams (last year’s winner) for Cats, and A. Cameron Zetty for Journey’s End.
Co-designers Michael Bodeen and Rob Milford lead the sound design category, with their work on The Time of Your Life; they are also nominated in the original music category. The same is true of Joseph Fosco, nominated in both categories for The Cider House Rules, Parts I and II at Famous Door Theatre. Also nominated are Michael Kraskin for The Hairy Ape, Scott Myers for Julius Caesar and Josh Schmidt for Journey’s End.
The awards will be given out November 3.
A complete list of nominations follows:
New Work
Comfortable Shoes by Clint Holmes and Nelson Kole
The End of the Tour by Joel Drake Johnson (Victory Gardens Theatre)
Theatre District by Richard Kramer (About Face Theatre)
Only the Sound by Jennie Laird (Chicago Dramatists)
Ariadne’s Thread by Ann Noble (Victory Gardens Theatre)
We All Went Down to Amsterdam by Bruce Norris (Steppenwolf Theatre)
New Adaptation
Crime and Punishment by Marilyn Campbell and Chris Columbus (Writers Theatre)
American Obsession (Lookingglass Theatre Company)
The Romance Cycle, Part I: Cymbeline by Charles Newell (Court Theatre)
The Romance Cycle, Part II: Pericles by Charles Newell (Court Theatre)
Production – Play
The Cider House Rules: Parts I and II (Famous Door Theatre)
Journey's End (Seanachaí Theatre Company)
Judgment at Nuremberg (Shattered Globe Theatre)
Rocket to the Moon (Writers' Theatre)
The Time of Your Life (Steppenwolf Theatre Company)
Production – Musical
Cats (Marriott Theatre)
Funny Girl (Marriott Theatre)
James Joyce's The Dead (Court Theatre)
Kiss Me, Kate (Drury Lane Oakbrook)
Singin' in the Rain (Drury Lane Theatre, Evergreen Park)
Sunday in the Park with George (Chicago Shakespeare Theater)
Production – Revue
Curious George Goes to War (The Second City e.t.c)
Pants on Fire (The Second City e.t.c.)
Director – Play
James Bohnen, Money (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company)
William Brown, Rocket to the Moon (Writers' Theatre)
Louis Contey, Judgment at Nuremberg (Shattered Globe Theatre)
David Cromer and Marc Grapey, The Cider House Rules: Parts I and II
Tina Landau, The Time of Your Life
Director – Musical
Gary Griffin, Sunday in the Park with George
Dominic Missimi, Funny Girl
Charles Newell, James Joyce's The Dead
Marc Robin, Cats
Marc Robin, Singin' in the Rain
Director – Revue
Joshua Funk, Pants on Fire
Ron West, Curious George Goes to War
Ensemble
Cats
The Cider House Rules: Parts I and II
Five Women Wearing the Same Dress (The Artistic Home)
Forever Plaid (Marriott Theatre)
Pants on Fire
RACE: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel About the American Obsession (Lookingglass Theatre Company)
The Time of Your Life
Actress in a Principal Role – Play
Karen Aldridge, In the Blood (The Next Theatre Company)
Alyssa Bresnahan, The Rose Tattoo (The Goodman Theatre)
Georgann Charuhas, After the Fall (The Artistic Home(
Kymberly Mellen, Rocket to the Moon
Amy Morton, Homebody/Kabul (Steppenwolf Theatre Company)
Actor in a Principal Role - Play
Tom Aulino, Theater District
Lance S. Baker, Lobby Hero (The Goodman Theatre)
Mark Harelik, The Beard of Avon (The Goodman Theatre
Tony Mockus, On Golden Pond (Drury Lane Oakbrook)
Larry Neumann, Jr., The Cider House Rules: Parts I and II
Scott Parkinson, Crime and Punishment
Actress in a Supporting Role – Play
Laura Fisher, The Secre Rapture (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company)
Ora Jones, The Violet Hour (Steppenwolf Theatre Company)
Jennifer Pompa, The Cider House Rules: Parts I and II
Wendy Robie, The Trojan Women (The Goodman Theatre)
Janelle Snow, Only the Sound
Actor in a Supporting Role - Play
Guy Adkins, The Time of Your Life
Maury Cooper, Judgment at Nuremberg
Sean Fortunato, Rough Crossing (Writers' Theatre)
Tim Hopper, The Violet Hour
Brian McCaskill, Judgment at Nuremberg
Actress in a Principal Role – Musical
Andrea Burns, Sunday in the Park with George
Joyce Faison, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill (The Chicago Theatre)
Company Heidi Kettenring, Funny Girl
Tammy Mader, Soup du Jour (Light Opera Works)
Megan Van De Hey, The Spitfire Grill (Apple Tree Theatre)
Actor in a Principal Role – Musical
David Girolmo, Kiss Me, Kate
Blake Hammond, At Wit's End (Northlight Theatre)
Christopher Neal Jackson, Comfortable Shoes
Richard Kind, Bounce (The Goodman Theatre)
Ross Lehman, Hot Mikado (Marriott Theatre)
Actress in a Supporting Role – Musical
Deanna Dunagan, James Joyce's The Dead
Tammy Mader, Dames at Sea (Drury Lane Oakbrook)
Susie McMonagle, The Spitfire Grill (Apple Tree Theatre)
Cristen Paige, Dames at Sea
Christine Sherrill, Singin' in the Rain
Actor in a Supporting Role – Musical
J. Chris Baum, Soup du Jour
Don Forston, Kiss Me, Kate
Ted L. Levy, Hot Mikado
Justin Reynolds, Comfortable Shoes
Richard Strimer, Singin' in the Rain
Bernie Yvon, Funny Girl
Actress in a Revue
Sam Albert, Pants on Fire
Nyima Funk, Curious George Goes to War
Actor in a Revue
Keegan-Michael Key, Curious George Goes to War
Keegan-Michael Key, Pants on Fire
Scenic Design
Linda Buchanan, Lobby Hero
GW "Skip" Mercier, The Time of Your Life
John Musial, The Hairy Ape (American Theater Company)
Richard and Jacqueline Penrod, The Mystery of Irma Vep (Northlight Theatre)
Elizabeth E. Schuch, Journey's End
Michael Yeargan, The Beard of Avon
Costume Design
Mara Blumenfeld, Sunday in the Park with George
Jane Greenwood, The Beard of Avon
Jeff Hendry, Singin' in the Rain
Nancy Missimi, Cats
Nancy Missimi, Funny Girl
Lighting Design
Kevin Adams, Julius Caesar (Chicago Shakespeare Theater)
Donald Holder, Gem of the Ocean (The Goodman Theatre)
Robert Perry, Love's Labor's Lost (Chicago Shakespeare Theater)
Diane Ferry Williams, Cats
A. Cameron Zetty, Journey's End
Sound Design
Michael Bodeen and Rob Milburn, The Time of Your Life
Joseph Fosco, The Cider House Rules: Parts I and II
Michael Kraskin, The Hairy Ape
Scott Myers, Julius Caesar
Josh Schmidt, Journey's End
Choreography
Tammy Mader, Kiss Me, Kate
Marc Robin, Cats
Marc Robin, Funny Girl
Marc Robin, Singin' in the Rain
Lainie Sakakura, Hot Mikado
Original Music
Michael Bodeen and Rob Milburn, The Beard of Avon
Joseph Fosco, The Cider House Rules: Parts I and II
Alaric Jans, Love's Labor's Lost
Alaric Jans, The Winter's Tale, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Josh Schmidt, Rough Crossing, Writers' Theatre
Musical Direction
Ben Johnson, Forever Plaid
Jeff Lewis, James Joyce's The Dead
Thomas Murray, Sunday in the Park with George
Shawn Stengel, Cats
Shawn Stengel, Funny Girl