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Chicago Tribune

At the Non-Equity Jeff Awards, Kokandy's ‘Into the Woods' is the big winner

The winners have been announced for the 51st annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards, with Kokandy Productions taking home five awards for 'Into the Woods.' Its production of the Sondheim musical in late 2024 won several big categories, including for best musical, ensemble, director and music direction, as well as for artistic specialization for orchestrations. Another leading winner was City Lit Theater, which won best play for 'August Wilson's Seven Guitars.' In the cast, Robert Howard was honored as best performer in a supporting role. (The Jeff Awards do not separate acting categories by gender.) City Lit also won a third award for costume design for 'Murder in the Cathedral.' Refracted Theatre also won three. In the play category, the coveted ensemble award went to TUTA Theatre for 'Attempts on Her Life.' Lead performance awards for a play went to Bide Akande for 'Rhinoceros' by Theatre Y and Jacqueline Grandt in 'The Totality of All Things' at Redtwist Theatre. For musicals, they went to Tyler Anthony Smith from 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' at Haven Theatre and Colette Todd in 'A Little Night Music' at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre. Open Space Arts took home four awards in categories for short-run productions (or shows that had between 9 and 17 performances). The Theatre School at DePaul University won the 2025 Joseph Jefferson Special Award, according to an announcement from the Jeffs, honored for 'its 100-year legacy of training exceptional artists and its profound influence on the Chicago theater community.' A new Impresario Award honoring excellence in stage management went to Kyle Aschbrenner of Blank Theatre Company, and will be a part of both Equity and Non-Equity Jeffs going forward. The awards to 33 recipients across 25 categories were presented in a ceremony Monday night at the Harris Theater by the all-volunteer Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee. They recognized theater productions opening in 2024 by the Chicago area's non-union theaters. Some 138 artists in shows from 29 companies had been nominated. Winners of Non-Equity Jeff Awards for 2024 productions PRODUCTION OF A PLAY: 'August Wilson's Seven Guitars' – City Lit Theatre PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL OR REVUE: 'Into the Woods' – Kokandy Productions ENSEMBLE OF A PLAY: 'Attempts on Her Life' – TUTA Theatre ENSEMBLE OF A MUSICAL OR REVUE: 'Into the Woods' – Kokandy Productions NEW WORK: Brynne Frauenhoffer – 'Pro-Am' – First Floor Theater Erik Gernand – 'The Totality of All Things' – Redtwist Theatre DIRECTOR OF A PLAY: Rebecca Willingham – 'Pro-Am' – First Floor Theater DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL: Derek Van Barham – 'Into the Woods' – Kokandy Productions PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE (PLAY): Bide Akande (Berenger) – 'Rhinoceros' – Theatre Y Jacqueline Grandt (Judith) – 'The Totality of All Things' – Redtwist Theatre PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE (MUSICAL): Tyler Anthony Smith (Hedwig) – 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' – Haven Theatre Colette Todd (Desiree Armfeldt) – 'A Little Night Music' – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (PLAY): Jodi Gage (Actor 1) – 'Coronation' – Refracted Theatre Company Robert Howard (Hedley) – 'August Wilson's Seven Guitars' – City Lit Theater Company PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (MUSICAL): Alicia Berneche (Letitia Peabody Primrose) – 'On the Twentieth Century' – Blank Theatre Company Maya Rowe (Charlotte Malcolm) – 'A Little Night Music' – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre PRODUCTION (SHORT RUN): 'Cock' – Open Space Arts DIRECTOR (SHORT RUN): Michael D. Graham – 'Light Switch' – Open Space Arts PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE (SHORT RUN): Philip Andrew Monnett (Henry) – 'Light Switch' – Open Space Arts PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (SHORT RUN): Sonya Robinson (W) – 'Cock' – Open Space Arts ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION (SHORT RUN): Diane Fairchild (lighting design) – 'Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol' – Lifeline Theatre SCENIC DESIGN: Marvin Tate – 'Rhinoceros' – Theatre Y COSTUME DESIGN: Patti Roeder – 'Murder in the Cathedral' – City Lit Theater Company SOUND DESIGN: Christopher Kriz – 'The Singularity Play' – Jackalope Theatre Company L.J. Luthringer – 'The Tempest' – Idle Muse Theatre Company LIGHTING DESIGN: Garrett Bell – 'Coronation' – Refracted Theatre Company PROJECTION DESIGN: Abboye Lawrence – 'Coronation' – Refracted Theatre Company MUSIC DIRECTION: Nick Sula – 'Into the Woods' – Kokandy Productions ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION: Ariana Miles, Evelyn Ryan and Nick Sula (orchestrations) – 'Into the Woods' – Kokandy Productions