Michael Perlman’s drama “At the Table” took home the most honors on Monday, June 5, during the 44th Annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards ceremony recognizing excellence in non-union Chicago theater.  The awards show was held at the Athenaeum Theatre for the first time.

Approximately 750 people were in attendance, and the evening featured production numbers and excerpts from the season’s nominated musicals and plays.  Brief memorial tributes were also paid to Martha Lavey, former Artistic Director of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and to Samuel G. Roberson Jr., the Artistic Director of Congo Square Theatre Company, both of whom passed away this year.

“At the Table,” produced by the Broken Nose Theatre, received Jeff Awards for Production-Play, Ensemble, Director-Play (Spenser Davis) and Actress In A Supporting Role-Play (Echaka Agba). Top honors in the musical category went to Refuge Theatre Project for its production of “High Fidelity”, based on the movie starring John Cusack about a record store owner and his loves and friends. “High Fidelity” received awards for Production-Musical, Director-Musical (Christopher Pazdernik), and Scenic Design (Michelle Manni). For both Broken Nose and Refuge Theatre Project, this was their first year of Jeff eligibility.

Alexis J. Roston and Lillian Castillo were emcees for this year’s award show. Brenda Didier directed Monday’s ceremony, with musical direction provided by Jimmy Morehead. John D. Glover, Non-Equity Wing Chair of the Jeff Awards, produced the event.

David Liesse, Chair of the 55-member Jeff Awards, welcomed the audience and presented this year’s Special Jeff Award honoring David Cerda, the Artistic Director and creative force behind “Hell in a Handbag Productions”, for his theatrical and charitable contributions.  His award read: Congratulations and Thanks for “Dragging” the Chicago Theatre world into your “Hell in a Handbag” with humor, heart, hilarity and humanity.” Cerda’s speach thanked Chicago Sun-Times critic Hedy Weiss for not attending any of his shows to thunderous applause.

Season of Concern, the charity providing grants to members of the theater community who are unable to work due to illness or injury, presented its Biscotto-Miller Award to Lifeline Theatre for raising the most money this year among non-union entities.

The Solo Performance Award went to Philip Dawkins for his work in “The Happiest Place on Earth.”  Awards for Principal Performance in a Play went to Amy Johnson for her portrayal of a mother of an autistic child in “Falling” at Interrobang Theatre Project, George Seegebrecht as the Lindbergh baby kidnapper in “Hauptmann” at City Lit Theater Company, and to Gage Wallace as a sinfully elegant schemer in “Taste”, produced by Red Theater Chicago.  Awards for Principal Performance in a Musical were bestowed on Henry McGinniss for his portrayal of Bat Boy in “Bat Boy: The Musical” with Griffin Theatre Company, and to Colette Todd for her portrayal of a wife and mother coping with mental illness in “Next To Normal” at BoHo Theatre. Colette also received the award for Actor/Actress in a Revue as Angela in “Honky Tonk Angels” at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre.

Supporting Actor and Actress awards went to Justin Tsatsa for his role as Josh in “Falling” at Interrobang Theatre Project, Echaka Agba as Lauren in “At the Table” with Broken Nose Theatre, Scott Danielson as Officer Lockstock  in BoHo Theatre’s musical “Urinetown”, and to Veronica Garza as  Tonya and Nancy’s mother in Underscore Theatre Company’s musical “Tonya and Nancy: The Rock Opera.”

The award for Music Direction went to Jeremy Ramey for “The Most Happy Fella” with Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, and the Choreography award went to Aubrey Adams for “Urinetown” with BoHo Theatre.  The Jeff Award for Original Music in a Play was bestowed on Natasha Bogojevich for “Gentle” with TUTA Theatre Chicago.

Design honors went to Lighting Designer Kevin D. Gawley for “A Wrinkle In Time” at Lifeline Theatre, Scenic Designer Michelle Manni for “High Fidelity” at Refuge Theatre Project, Costume Designer John Nasca for Pride Films and Plays’ “Priscilla: Queen of the Desert” and Sound Designer Stephen Ptacek for “How We Got On” with Haven Theatre Company. Awards in Fight Choreography and Projection Design were also presented to Ryan Bourque for “Prowess” at Jackalope Theatre Company and Anthony Churchill for “The Body of an American” at Stage Left Theatre, respectively.

Three new works (two plays and one musical) were recognized: Ike Holter’s “Prowess”, produced by Jackalope Theatre Company, which is a depiction of the tender balance between well-meaning heroism and vigilante justice during a summer in Chicago; Alex Lubischer for “Bobbie Clearly,” produced by Steep Theatre Company,  which is a dark comedy about a community trying to make sense of senseless violence in Milton, Nebraska; and to Robert Kauzlaric & George Howe for “Northanger Abbey”, produced by Lifeline Theatre, and is a musical adaptation based on the first of Jane Austen’s novels and a satire of Gothic novels.

The Jeff Awards has been honoring outstanding theater artists annually since it was established in 1968. Each year, the Jeff Awards adjudicate over 250 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 theater. The next Equity Awards ceremony, honoring productions presented under union contracts, will be held on Monday, November 6, at Drury Lane Oakbrook in Oakbrook Terrace.