According to the Jeff Awards committee, more than 200 members of the Chicago theater community signed a recommendation that the 2017 Non-Equity Special Jeff Award be given to David Cerda — the co-founder and Artistic Director of Hell in a Handbag Productions — for his theatrical and charitable contributions. Cerda will receive the award at the 44th Annual Non-Equity Awards ceremony on June 5th at the Athenaeum Theatre.

Cerda is a prolific performer and writer, known for his camp plays and musicals, including “Rudolph, the Red-Hosed Reindeer,” “How ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?’ Happened”, “POSEIDON! An Upside-Down Musical,” “Caged Dames,” and “Lady X.” Cerda also co-founded a rock band, The Joans, dedicated to giving screen legend Joan Crawford a rock and roll voice.

Cerda was elected to the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame in 2016 for both theatrical achievements and philanthropic efforts. Hell In A Handbag has raised over $58,000 for local and national causes, ranging from the American Cancer Society to The Wounded Warrior Project to Hams 4 Hams, an organization he co-founded with Lori Cannon that provides holiday staples for clients of Groceryland, which feeds those who are HIV positive and living with AIDS.