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Although the Non-Equity Jeff Awards, as they are now called, honor theaters throughout the city and near suburbs, the lion’s share of this year’s awards went to companies based in Rogers Park. On a single street in Rogers Park, at that. Lifeline Theatre snagged five, including Best Production–Play for its staging of The Island of Dr. Moreau; Theo Ubique, which performs just up Glenwood Avenue at the No Exit Cafe, took home four plaques honoring its production of Cabaret; and Bohemian Theatre Ensemble, which splits its productions between the Heartland Studio on Glenwood and the Theatre Building on Belmont, won two. The Side Project, way over on Jarvis, rounded out the Rogers Park juggernaut with one.
Accepting for Best Ensemble, the women of Teatro Luna’s Machos–who played men in Coya Paz’s winner for Best New Work–demonstrated the Hilary Swank Rule: if you’re up for a masculine role, femme out at the awards party.
Though Chicago’s poised to clean up big at the Tony Awards in New York on Sunday night, none of the non-Equity artists felt any obligation to bring that up. No Second City complex allowed. Not last night.
