Top honors were awarded to Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre’s The Bridges of Madison County and The Artistic Home’s Requiem for a Heavyweight. Other productions receiving multiple awards included Kokandy Production’s Grand Hotel, Sideshow Theatre Company’s Tilikum, Jackalope Theatre Company’s Dutch Masters, Broken Nose Theatre’s Girl in the Red Corner, and Raven Theatre’s Yen. Trap Door Theatre received a Special Award for “opening the door to an evocative and surreal world for 25 years.”

Between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019, there were 144 eligible Non–Equity productions submitted for Jeff Recommendation. Of those, 68 productions (or 47%) were recommended, including 14 world premieres. There were 51 productions that received at least one nomination, which represents the work of 33 theatre companies.

The Jeff Awards has been honoring outstanding theatre artists annually since it was established in 1968. With up to 55 members representing a wide variety of backgrounds in theatre (including producers, directors, actors, playwrights, designers, professors of theatre, entertainment lawyers and agents, and theatre lovers), the Jeff Awards is committed to celebrating the vitality of Chicago area theatre by recognizing excellence through its recommendations, awards, and honors. Opening night judges include not only the members but also Artistic & Technical theatre volunteers (the “AT Team”), including Artistic Directors, producers, directors and artists from Chicago theatres. The Jeff Awards fosters the artistic growth of area theatres and theatre artists and promotes educational opportunities, audience appreciation, and civic pride in the achievements of the theatre community. Each year, the Jeff Awards judges over 300 theatrical productions and host two awards ceremonies. Originally chartered to recognize only Equity productions, the Jeff Awards established the Non–Equity Wing in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non–union theatre. The Equity Awards will be held on October 21 at Drury Lane Oakbrook.

To see the entire list, visit www.jeffawards.org