Theo Ubique leads Non-Equity Jeffs with 14 noms

Nominations for the 2012 Non-Equity Joseph Jefferson awards (better known simply as "the Jeffs") were announced today.  The Non-Equity Awards honor excellence in Chicago theatres not under an Actor's Equity union contract.  Winners will be announced on June 4.

Rogers Park-based Theo Ubique leads the pack with 14 nominations. Eight of the nominations are for their current hit production, "The Light In the Piazza" (extended through June 23).  The other six nominations were for a production of  "Pump Boys and  Dinettes" earlier this season.

The 2012 nominations also recognized the strong seasons at Griffin Theatre Company, the newly revived Bailiwick Chicago, and the Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company. 

Griffin Theatre scored 11 nominations for two teen-based works: six for “Punk Rock,” a British play about contemporary issues of high school studens; and five for “Spring Awakening,” a local production of the Tony-award winning musical about teenage repression in 19th century Germany. 

Bailiwick Chicago scored 10 nominations, including five for “Passing Strange,” a rock musical about an African American’s artistic self-discovery, and five for “Violet,” a musical about a disfigured woman on a journey of healing. 

Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co. scored eight nominations:  four for their production of “Superior Donuts,” the Tracy Letts play about an Uptown donut shop; and four for  the soon-to-be-a-major-motion-picture ”Red Light Winter, about a love triangle.

 The Hypocrites’ adaptation of the “Sophocles: Seven Sicknesses” cycle garnered six nominations, tying with Griffin’s “Punk Rock” for most nominations of a non-musical.

A complete list of the 2012 Non-Equity Jeff Awards Nominees

Production — Play"Opus" — Redtwist Theatre
"Punk Rock" — Griffin Theatre Company
"Red Light Winter" — Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.
"Sophocles: Seven Sicknesses" — The Hypocrites
"Superior Donuts" — Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.
"The Word Progress on My Mother's Lips Doesn't Ring True" — Trap Door Theatre

Production — Musical"The Light in the Piazza" — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
"Passing Strange" — Bailiwick Chicago
"Pump Boys and Dinettes" — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
"Spring Awakening" — Griffin Theatre Company
"Violet" — Bailiwick Chicago

Director — PlayJonathan Berry — "Punk Rock" — Griffin Theatre Company
Seth Bockley — "The Ugly One" — Sideshow Theatre Company
Jason W. Gerace — "Opus" — Redtwist Theatre
Sean Graney — "Sophocles: Seven Sicknesses" — The Hypocrites
Halena Kays — "Six Characters in Search of an Author" — The Hypocrites
Blake Montgomery — "Moby-Dick" — The Building Stage

Director — MusicalFred Anzevino — "Pump Boys and Dinettes" — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Fred Anzevino and Brenda Didier — "The Light in the Piazza" — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Jonathan Berry — "Spring Awakening" — Griffin Theatre Company
Lili-Anne Brown — "Passing Strange" — Bailiwick Chicago
Elizabeth Margolius — "Violet" — Bailiwick Chicago

Ensemble"Moby-Dick" — The Building Stage
"Opus" — Redtwist Theatre
"Pump Boys and Dinettes" — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
"Punk Rock" — Griffin Theatre Company
"Shakespeare's R&J" — Idle Muse Theatre Company
"Sophocles: Seven Sicknesses" — The Hypocrites

Principal Actor — PlayDan Behrendt (Matt) — "Red Light Winter" — Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.
Joey DeBettencourt (William Carlisle) — "Punk Rock" — Griffin Theatre Company
Brian Grey (Ned Lawrence) — "The Oxford Roof Climber's Rebellion" — Caffeine Theatre
Peter Oyloe (Kjell) — "Elling" — Redtwist Theatre
Brian Plocharczyk (Stephen) — "Farragut North" — Stage Left
Andrew Burden Swanson (Gerry) — "The Last Duck" — Jackalope Theatre Company
Preston Tate, Jr. (Franco Wicks) — "Superior Donuts" — Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.

Principal Actor — MusicalJayson "JC" Brooks (Narrator) — "Passing Strange" — Bailiwick Chicago
Courtney Crouse (Jim) — "Pump Boys and Dinettes" — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Steven Perkins (Youth) — "Passing Strange" — Bailiwick Chicago
Creg Sclavi (Bobby Strong) — "Urinetown the Musical" — Circle Theatre
Chuck Sisson (Aimable Castagnet) — "The Baker's Wife" — Circle Theatre

Principal Actress — PlayJacqueline Grandt (Agnes) — "Bug" — Redtwist Theatre
Katherine Keberlein (Jan) — "Fifty Words" — Profiles Theatre
Melanie Keller (Sonya/Sarah) — "East of Berlin & The Russian Play" — Signal Ensemble Theatre
Eileen Niccolai (Lady) — "Orpheus Descending" — Shattered Globe Theatre
Stacy Stolz (Anne) — "Assisted Living" — Profiles Theatre

Principal Actress — MusicalHarmony France (Violet) — "Violet" — Bailiwick Chicago
Kelli Harrington (Margaret Johnson) — "The Light in the Piazza" — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Rachel Klippel (Clara Johnson) — "The Light in the Piazza" — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Supporting Actor — Play
Barth Bennett (Jefferson) — "A Lesson Before Dying" — Lincoln Square Theatre
Eric Burgher (Mervyn) — "A Behanding in Spokane" — Profiles Theatre
Dereck Garner (Davis) — "Red Light Winter" — Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.
Ryan Heindl (Chadwick Meade) — "Punk Rock" — Griffin Theatre Company
Aaron Kirby (Adam) — "Dark Play or Stories for Boys" — Collaboraction
J.P. Pierson (Bunce) — "One Flea Spare" — Eclipse Theatre Company

Supporting Actor — MusicalJustin Adair (Fabrizio Naccarelli) — "The Light in the Piazza" — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Michael Kingston (Charlemagne) — "Pippin" — Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Evan Tyrone Martin (Flick) — "Violet" — Bailiwick Chicago
Jeremy Rill (Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm) — "A Little Night Music" — Circle Theatre

Supporting Actress — PlaySasha Gioppo (Christina) — "Red Light Winter" — Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.
Vanessa Greenway (Rosaura/Astrea) — "Life Is A Dream" — Premiere Theatre & Performance i/a/w Vitalist Theatre
Susan Monts-Bologna (Lady Boyle) — "Superior Donuts" — Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.
Caroline Neff (Helen) — "Under the Blue Sky" — Steep Theatre Company

Supporting Actress — MusicalAnita Hoffman (Denise) — "The Baker's Wife" — Circle Theatre
Khaki Pixley (Petra) — "A Little Night Music" — Circle Theatre
Danni Smith (Rhetta) — "Pump Boys and Dinettes" — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Dana Tretta (Catherine) — "Pippin" — Bohemian Theatre Ensemble

New WorkShepsu Aakhu — "Speaking in Tongues: The Chronicles of Babel" — MPAACT
Keith Josef Adkins — "The Last Saint on Sugar Hill" — MPAACT
Scott Barsotti, Molly Each, Laura Eason, Brian Golden, Kristin Idaszak, Kim Morris, Nick Ward and Doug Whippo — "We Live Here" — Theatre Seven of Chicago
Lucas Neff — "The Last Duck" — Jackalope Theatre Company
Deirdre O'Connor — "Assisted Living" — Profiles Theatre

New AdaptationSean Graney — "Sophocles: Seven Sicknesses" — The Hypocrites
Matt Hawkins — "Cyrano" — The House Theatre of Chicago
John Hildreth — "Watership Down" — Lifeline Theatre
Blake Montgomery — "Moby-Dick" — The Building Stage
Steve Moulds — "Six Characters in Search of an Author" — The Hypocrites

ChoreographyKevin Bellie — "Urinetown the Musical" — Circle Theatre
Brenda Didier — "Pippin" — Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Nicole Pellegrino — "Spring Awakening" — Griffin Theatre Company

Original Incidental MusicAndrew Hansen — "Hunger" — Lifeline Theatre
Michael Huey — "The Spirit Play" — The Strange Tree Group
Ovidiu Iloc — "The Word Progress on My Mother's Lips Doesn't Ring True" — Trap Door Theatre
Christopher Kriz — "The Count of Monte Cristo" — Lifeline Theatre
Kevin O'Donnell — "Moby-Dick" — The Building Stage
Kevin O'Donnell, Shawn Pfautsch and Matt Hawkins — "Cyrano" — The House Theatre of Chicago

Music DirectionJim DeSelm — "Pump Boys and Dinettes" — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Allison Kane — "Spring Awakening" — Griffin Theatre Company
James Morehead — "Passing Strange" — Bailiwick Chicago
Jeremy Ramey — "The Light in the Piazza" — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Andra Velis Simon — "Violet" — Bailiwick Chicago

Scenic DesignBob Knuth — "The Women" — Circle Theatre
Jack Magaw and Kimberly Senior — "Bug" — Redtwist Theatre
Amanda Rozmiarek — "The Price" — Raven Theatre
Ray Toler — "Bus Stop" — Raven Theatre
Adam Veness — "The Light in the Piazza" — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Lighting DesignKevin D. Gawley — "Hunger" — Lifeline Theatre
Lee Keenan — "Spring Awakening" — Griffin Theatre Company
Lee Keenan — "The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek" — Eclipse Theatre Company
Jared Moore — "Lighthousekeeping" — New Leaf Theatre
Jared Moore — "Sophocles: Seven Sicknesses" — The Hypocrites
Mac Vaughey — "The Ugly One" — Sideshow Theatre Company

Costume DesignAly Renee Amidei — "The Count of Monte Cristo" — Lifeline Theatre
Jacqueline Firkins — "Cyrano" — The House Theatre of Chicago
Jesus Perez — "Urinetown the Musical" — Circle Theatre
Elizabeth Wislar — "A Little Night Music" — Circle Theatre
Elizabeth Wislar — "The Women" — Circle Theatre

Sound DesignThomas Dixon — "The Sea" — Theatre Mir
Mikhail Fiksel — "Watership Down" — Lifeline Theatre
Christopher Kriz — "Bug" — Redtwist Theatre
Christopher Kriz — "The Count of Monte Cristo" — Lifeline Theatre
Christopher Kriz — "Opus" — Redtwist Theatre

Fight DesignMatt Hawkins — "Cyrano" — The House Theatre of Chicago
R&D Choreography — "Watership Down" — Lifeline Theatre
David Woolley — "Superior Donuts" — Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.

Dialect CoachingEva Breneman — "The Light in the Piazza" — Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Anita Deely — "Old Times" — Strawdog Theatre Company
Elise Kauzlaric — "Punk Rock" — Griffin Theatre Company

Artistic SpecializationCasey Baker, Kevin O'Donnell and Mike Pryzgoda — Percussion — "Moby-Dick" — The Building Stage
Zhanna Bullock — Music Coach — "Opus" — Redtwist Theatre
Joanna Iwanicka — Puppet, Mask and Video Design — "Watership Down" — Lifeline Theatre
Mary O'Dowd — Properties/Set Dressing — "The Price" — Raven Theatre
Brett Schneider — Magic Design — "The Spirit Play" — The Strange Tree Group
Mary Williamson and Christine Conley — Makeup/Gore Design — "Sophocles: Seven Sicknesses" — The Hypocrites
Nivan Yahaghi — Video Design and Cinematography — "We Live Here" — Theatre Seven of Chicago

The 39th Annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards Ceremony will be held on Monday, June 4, 2012, at the Park West, 322 W. Armitage, Chicago, IL. Doors open for a cash bar at 6:00 p.m., with a light buffet at 6:30 p.m., and the presentation ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at the door. A group rate of $35 is available for parties of 10 or more. Festive cocktail attire is suggested, and the awards are open to the public. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.jeffawards.org/.

"Spring" eternal at the Oriental

"Spring Awakening"
Recommended
Through May 8
Ford Center for Performing Arts Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph
$27-$90
(800) 775-2000
springawakeningontour.com
broadwayinchicago.com

"Spring Awakening," the Tony award-winning musical based on the controversial play of the same name by Frank Wedekind, returned to the Oriental Theatre for an eight-show, non-Equity run May 3 with its moving yet incredibly sobering message firmly in place.

Kudos to the tour's producer NETworks. The group has raided some of the best performing arts colleges and programs from around the country to assemble its cast of non-Equity performers. Most are either recent graduates or still in school and the casts' talent and youthful energy are put to good use in a show that requires its ensemble to jump around for much of the show.

For the uninitiated, the show is a period piece with the rock music acting as the inner-most thoughts of the sheltered and conflicted teens.The point, of course, is that very little has changed since Wedekind first wrote the play. Parents, in an effort to keep their children young and innocent for as long as possible, do some pretty horrendous things in their efforts to protect their offspring. One needs only to substitute the children of 19th century Germany for home schooled children in modern America. I don't mean that as a slight on home schooling (I have nieces and nephews who have been home schooled). A parent's desire to protect their child is natural, but there is a danger when you try to fully insulate your child. The outside world is going to always be there and whether you wish to admit it or not, your child will eventually grow up and discover that world. One only can hope that you have prepared them to deal with that world.

The conflict begins immediately as Wendla (the sweet-voiced, appropriately naive and innocent Elizabeth Judd) fights with her mother (Sarah Kleeman, playing all the adult female roles). Wendla wants to wear a favorite dress that, because of her blossoming body, is now a little too revealing. The fact that she isn't cognizant of the changes taking place with her own body is no surprise. She's going to be an aunt for the second time and still doesn't know where babies come from. She's so insulated, in fact, that she has never felt pain. Later on in the show, one of the more difficult scenes to watch is when she asks her former childhood playmate Melchior (Christopher Wood) to beat her with a switch so she can finally feel what pain is and he complies.

Wood's Melchior, meanwhile, is a boy who is a little bit too clever for his own good who is pretty convinced he has the whole world figured out ("All That's Known"). Like the hero of Goethe's Faust (the book he is currently reading), Melchior is on a mission to find the true essence of life and to share his knowledge with his classmates and friends. Suffice to say his attempt to free his classmates from the shackles of sexual ignorance have tragic results for all involved.

Rounding out the trio of main characters is Melchior's best friend and misfit Moritz (the appropriately punk-ish Coby Getzug). His academic ineptitude is being compounded by the distractions of his raging hormones. Of course, though he thinks he is the only one suffering these afflictions, it isn't the case as we found out with the infectious "The Bitch of Living."



As the show's secret gay lovers Devon Stone and Daniel Plimpton (Hanschen and Ernst, respectively) mostly play things for laughs. Hanschen even  imparts some pretty good advice to Ernst when he tells him to "let the system work for you."

Wendla's friend Martha (a soulful Aliya Bowles) is being beaten and sexually abused by her father. Though her friends urge her to seek help, she declines. After all, she is well aware of what happened to Ilse (Courtney Markowitz), another girl in town who was shunned when she went public with the abuse she suffered. Ilse now lives in an artists' commune where she is passed from painter to painter. . The two young women deliver a haunting anthem of the anger bubbling just below the surface in "The Dark I Know Well."

As the tragic and free-spirited Ilse, Markowitz is extremely likable whether pleading with Moritz to stop and just enjoy life ("Blue Wind") or with the audience to "listen to what's in the heart of a child/a song so big in one so small" in the show's final song of hope, "The Song of Purple Summer." It was during the latter song that the show offered up one of its most moving moments last night. The instruments faded away and a wave of a capella ensemble voices rippled out into the audience as the cast walked toward the lip of the stage.

The rock score might not sit well with fans of the traditional Broadway music. To which I say: get over it. If the Broadway musical has any hope of remaining relevant, it is in finding a musical vernacular that continues to speak to a modern audience. To that extent, I think the show's score by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater succeeds. One only has to look to high school commencements. The traditional song of choice for many schools was "You'll Never Walk Alone" (from Rogers and Hammerstein's 1945 musical "Carousel"). I've been to a couple of them that featured "The Song of Purple Summer" instead.

The cast of "Spring Awakening" will also perform 11:30 p.m. tonight, May 4 at Davenport's Piano Bar and Cabaret. Tickets, $15. Proceeds benefit the Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and questioning youth. For reservations, call (773) 278-1830; davenportspianobar.com