At the 43rd Annual Equity Jeff Awards held at Drury Lane Oakbrook on Monday, November 7, The Madness of George III, from Chicago Shakespeare Theater, took top honors for a play in the Large Theatre tier with a total of five awards, including Production - Play, Director Penny Metropulos and Principal Actor Harry Groener. In musical categories for large theatres, the Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company production of Candide won top awards for a musical with 5 statues, including Production - Musical, New Adaptation for Mary Zimmerman, Principal Actor Geoff Packard and Supporting Actress and Actor, Hollis Resnik and Larry Yando.

The revisionist team of Director Charles Newell and Music Director Doug Peck of Court Theatre claimed directing honors for large musicals with their new look at The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess.

In Midsize categories, Edward Albee’s The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? from Remy Bumppo Theatre Company captured the awards for Production – Play and Principal Actress Annabel Armour. The midsize Production – Musical honor went to The Original Grease from American Theater Company and their The Big Meal cast took home the coveted Ensemble Award, sponsored by Actors’ Equity Association. The Ensemble Award was presented by Dev Kennedy, AEA’s Central Regional Vice President, and Kathryn V. Lamkey, Assistant Executive Director/Central Regional Director of AEA.

Immediate Past Jeff Chair Susan Haimes surprised Kathryn, on behalf of The Jeff Awards, with a plaque presentation to honor her career accomplishments on the eve of her retirement in December.

Following is a complete list of nominees, with award recipients highlighted in bold, and with *:

Production - Play - Large

Chinglish - Goodman Theatre
Heartbreak House - Writers' Theatre
*The Madness of George III - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
The Outgoing Tide - Northlight Theatre
The Seagull - Goodman Theatre
Travels With My Aunt - Writers' Theatre
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Production Play - Midsize

Frost/Nixon - TimeLine Theatre Company
Scorched - Silk Road Theatre Project
The Big Meal - American Theater Company
*The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
The Importance of Being Earnest - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
To Master the Art - TimeLine Theatre Company

Production-Musical-Large

42nd Street - Marriott Theatre
A Chorus Line - Marriott Theatre
*Candide - Goodman Theatre
Porgy and Bess - Court Theatre
Spamalot - Drury Lane Oakbrook

Production-Musical-Midsize

Merrily We Roll Along - The Music Theatre Company
The King and I - Porchlight Music Theatre
*The Original Grease - American Theater Company

Production - Revue

Shout! - Marriott Theatre
*Sky’s the Limit (Weather Permitting) - The Second City e.t.c.

Director - Play

BJ Jones - The Outgoing Tide - Northlight Theatre
Dexter Bullard - The Big Meal - American Theater Company
James Bohnen - The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
Leigh Silverman - Chinglish - Goodman Theatre
Louis Contey - Frost/Nixon - TimeLine Theatre Company
Pam MacKinnon - Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf - Steppenwolf Theatre Company
*Penny Metropulos - The Madness of George III - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Robert Falls - The Seagull - Goodman Theatre
Stuart Carden - Travels With My Aunt - Writers' Theatre

Director - Musical or Revue

*Charles Newell - Porgy and Bess - Court Theatre
David H. Bell - Hot Mikado - Drury Lane Oakbrook
Gary Griffin - The Music Man - Marriott Theatre
Mark Lococo - A Chorus Line - Marriott Theatre
Mary Zimmerman - Candide - Goodman Theatre
Michael Halberstam - She Loves Me - Writers' Theatre
Rachel Rockwell - 42nd Street - Marriott Theatre
William Osetek - Spamalot - Drury Lane Oakbrook

Ensemble

A Chorus Line - Marriott Theatre
Float - About Face Theatre
Sky’s the Limit (Weather Permitting) - The Second City e.t.c.
*The Big Meal - American Theater Company
The Front Page - TimeLine Theatre Company
The Seagull - Goodman Theatre
Travels With My Aunt - Writers' Theatre

Actor in a Principal Role - Play

Brad Armacost - Shadowlands - Provision Theater
Brad Armacost - The Weir - Seanachai Theatre Company
*Harry Groener - The Madness of George III - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
John Mahoney - The Outgoing Tide - Northlight Theatre
Nick Sandys - Blithe Spirit - First Folio Theatre
Nick Sandys - The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
Terry Hamilton - Frost/Nixon - TimeLine Theatre Company
Tracy Letts - Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Actor in a Principal Role - Musical

Alan Schmuckler - Murder for Two-A Killer Musical - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
*Geoff Packard - Candide - Goodman Theatre
Joe Kinosian - Murder for Two-A Killer Musical - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Michael Mahler - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - Theatre at the Center
Stephen Schellhardt - Hot Mikado - Drury Lane Oakbrook

Actress in a Principal Role - Play

*Annabel Armour - The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
Jennifer Lim - Chinglish - Goodman Theatre
Karen Aldridge - The Trinity River Plays - Goodman Theatre , Dallas Theater Center
Karen James Woditsch - To Master the Art - TimeLine Theatre Company
Kathy Scambiatterra - Sweet Bird of Youth - The Artistic Home
Lois Markle - Edward Albee's Three Tall Women - Court Theatre
Mary Ann Thebus - The Piano Teacher - Next Theatre Company
Rondi Reed - The Outgoing Tide - Northlight Theatre
Sandra Marquez - 26 Miles - Rivendell Theatre Ensemble , Teatro Vista

Actress in a Principal Role - Musical

Brianna Borger - The King and I - Porchlight Music Theatre
Elizabeth Lanza - Meet John Doe - Porchlight Music Theatre
Jessie Mueller - Guys and Dolls - Marriott Theatre
*Jessie Mueller - She Loves Me - Writers' Theatre
Megan McGinnis - Daddy Long Legs - Northlight Theatre

Actor in a Supporting Role - Play

Francis Guinan - Rantoul and Die - American Blues Theater in association with Stephen Eich & Don Foster
Ira Amyx - That Was Then - Seanachai Theatre Company
John Reeger - Heartbreak House - Writers' Theatre
Lance Baker - Speed-the-Plow - American Theater Company
Marc Grapey - At Home at the Zoo - Victory Gardens Theater
*Mike Nussbaum - Broadway Bound - Drury Lane Oakbrook