The recent announcement of the MacArthur Fellows, also known as the “genius grants,” did not include any Chicago theater artists this year. However, Chicago fiction writer Ling Ma and visual artist Ebony G. Patterson were among the 22 recipients of the $800,000 grant. Despite this, many Chicago theater artists received recognition at the 56th Equity Jeff Awards at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace.
Goodman and Steppenwolf tied for the most awards, with six each. The Goodman productions honored included Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad, Pearl Cleage’s The Nacirema Society, and Mary Zimmerman’s The Matchbox Magic Flute. Steppenwolf’s awards came from Samuel D. Hunter’s Little Bear Ridge Road and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Purpose.
In the musicals category, Drury Lane and Marriott were the big winners. Drury Lane’s production of Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Marriott’s production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical received multiple awards. In the midsize category, A Red Orchid Theatre and Shattered Globe Theatre were recognized for their productions.
Special Jeff Awards were presented to two Chicago theater leaders who recently exited their roles: Court Theatre’s former artistic director Charles Newell and Goodman’s former executive director Roche Schulfer. A complete list of Equity Jeff Award winners can be found on jeffawards.org.
The prestigious 3Arts Awards for local Chicago artists were announced, with actor Shariba Rivers and lighting designer Levi J. Wilkins among the recipients. Additionally, the Helen Coburn Meier and Tim Meier Charitable Foundation for the Arts recognized Visceral Dance founder Nick Pupillo for his work.
For those who missed Dance for Life in August, the Chicago Dance Health Fund is hosting Dance Divas this weekend at Rogers Park’s Rhapsody Theater. Over 40 dancers from top Chicago companies will perform in a drag and dance extravaganza, with proceeds going to the CDHF.
In the theater scene, recent productions like Fidelio at Lyric Opera, Topdog/Underdog at Gift Theatre, and Omer Abbas Salem’s Happy Days Are Here (Again) have received positive reviews. The Goodman’s revival of Inherit the Wind and Steppenwolf’s Noises Off have also been well-received.
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 at Writers Theatre has been described as a celestial experience. Kerry Reid, the theater and dance editor at the Chicago Reader, has been covering the Chicago arts scene for many years and continues to provide insightful reviews and commentary on local productions.
