Congratulations to Jackalope Theatre, a collective founded and led by Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department alumni: the company’s 2014 production of Exit Strategy, by Ike Holter, was honored in the “New Work” category at the 42nd annual Non-Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremony, held Monday, June 8, at Park West nightclub, 322 W. Armitage in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood.

Exit Strategy was produced by Jackalope co-founders AJ Ware (who was Jackalope’s artistic director when the show was presented) and directed by Gus Menary (Ware’s successor as artistic director), both Columbia Theatre alumni. The show’s cast included Columbia Theatre alumni Patrick Whalen and Daniel Martinez. The show’s lighting designer, Claire Sangster, and Jackalope associate artistic director Kaiser Ahmed and director of community engagement Andrew Burden Swanson are also Columbia Theatre alumni.

Congratulations also to Bailiwick Chicago, whose production of The Wild Party won the Non-Equity Jeff Award for Production of a Musical. Bailiwick’s Director of Artistic Development, Jon Martinez, and Eric Martin, the company’s Director of Creative & Marketing, are both Columbia Theatre alumni.

The 42nd annual Non-Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards honored Chicago non-Equity theatre productions that opened between April 1, 2014, and March 31, 2015.