 | This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral. (May 2016) |
| Jeff Award | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Excellence in Chicago theatre |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Jeff Awards Committee |
| First awarded | 1968 |
| Website | www |
The Joseph Jefferson Award, more commonly known informally as the Jeff Award, is given for theatre arts produced in the Chicago area. Founded in 1968, the awards are named in tribute to actor Joseph Jefferson, a 19th-century American theater star who, as a child, was a player in Chicago's first theater company. Two types of awards are given: "Equity" (annual judging season August 1 to July 31) for work done under an Actors' Equity Association contract, and "Non-Equity" (annual judging season April 1 to March 31) for non-union work. Award recipients are determined by a secret ballot.