Several alumni, students, and/or faculty members of the Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department have been honored with nominations for 2016 Joseph Jefferson Awards for Non-Equity Theatre, which were announced April 26, 2016. The Non-Equity Jeff Awards, the top prize in Chicago’s lively non-Equity theatre scene, celebrate excellence in Chicago theatres not under a union contract. This year’s Non-Equity Jeffs recognize productions that opened between April 1, 2015, and March 31, 2016.
Columbia College alumni among this year’s nominees include:
- Courtney Mack (BFA ’15), a graduate of Columbia’s BFA Program in Musical Theatre Performance, nominated for Actress in a Principal Role in a Musical or Revue for her lead performance in Heathers: The Musical, presented by Kokandy Productions;
- Stephen Walker (BA ’95), a graduate of the Columbia College Theatre Department’s Theatre BA program, nominated for Actor in a Principal Role in a Play for his performance in American Buffalo at Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company;
- Michael Kurowski, a senior in Columbia’s Musical Theatre Performance BFA program, and Theatre faculty member Kendra Thulin, cited as cast members of Steep Theatre‘s production of Posh, which was nominated for Ensemble.
- Mike Mroch (BFA ’11), a graduate of the Theatre Department’s BFA Program in Theatre Directing with a minor in Art History from Columbia’s Art & Art History Department, nominated for Scenic Design for Strawdog Theatre Company‘s After Miss Julie. Mroch is also a company member and general manager of Strawdog;
- John Kelly, an alumnus of the Theatre Department’s BA Program in Theatre Design, nominated for Lighting Design for Strawdog Theatre’s D.O.A. Kelly is also a Strawdog company member;
- Kory Danielson, an alumnus of the Theatre Department’s BA Program in Musical Theatre, nominated for Musical Direction for two shows, Heathers and Loving Repeating, both produced by Kokandy Productions (where Danielson is resident music director). Both Heathers and Loving Repeating were also nominated for Production of a Musical or Revue;
- Jonathan Berry, a teacher in the Theatre Department’s Theatre Directing program, for Director of a Play for two productions: Posh, presented by Steep Theatre Company (where Berry is an ensemble member), and Pocatello, presented by Griffin Theatre Company. Posh and Pocatello were also nominated for Production of a Play;
- Jody Shelton, an alumnus of the Musical Theatre BA program, and former Theatre Department faculty member Peter Gwinn, nominated for New Work for their musical The Story of a Story (The Untold Story), presented by Underscore Theatre Company.
The 43rd Annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, June 6, 2016, at Park West, located at 322 W. Armitage in Chicago. Doors open with a cash bar at 6 PM, a light buffet at 6:30 PM, and the awards ceremony at 7:30 PM. Tickets for the event are $40 in advance and $45 at the door. For more information, click here.
