Non-Equity Jeff Awards to become competitive
From now on, there can be only one winner
Johnny Knight
Hollywood has the Oscars, New York has the Tony Awards, and Chicago has... the Jeffs. After another Non-Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremony in June, the Jeff Committee has announced a major change in the way recognition will be doled out. Non-equity awards recognize productions without union contracts, i.e., small theaters that don't use "professional" union actors. In the past, these awards were called "citations" and handed out to, well, just about everyone. For every six nominees in a category, approximately four of them would “win,” which sort of made everyone feel like a loser.
No more. For the 2009 non-union ceremony, only one award will be given in each category. The reason for this sudden makeover? It all began with a less-than-pleasing “brand survey”—in other words, the Second City is sick of having a second-rate system of theatrical acknowledgment. The fact that now winning a non-Equity Jeff will actually carry some clout is a great thing for small theater companies.
