Productions of “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” the Branden Jacobs-Jenkins play “Purpose” and Samuel D. Hunter’s “Little Bear Ridge Road” emerged triumphant at Monday night’s Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremony, held at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace. This was the 56th year of the awards program, Chicago’s equivalent of the Tony Awards, with awards presented to the Chicago area’s union-affiliated Equity theaters by the all-volunteer Jeffs committee. Such long-established companies as the Goodman and Steppenwolf Theatres did especially well, as did the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire and the Drury Lane itself. Well-known winners included the actors Harry Lennix and Laurie Metcalf, and the director and choreographer Justin Peck. Special Jeff Awards went to two recent departees from long-held posts: Charles Newell from Court Theatre and Roche Schulfer from the Goodman. Chris Jones is a Tribune critic. [email protected] Kaitlyn Davis and cast members in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. (Liz Lauren) 2024 Equity Jeff Award winners PRODUCTION OF A PLAY (LARGE):  “Purpose” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company PRODUCTION OF A PLAY (MIDSIZE): “Turret” – A Red Orchid Theatre “A View from the Bridge” – Shattered Globe Theatre PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL (LARGE): “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” – Marriott Theatre PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL (MIDSIZE): “Jersey Boys” – Mercury Theater Chicago PRODUCTION OF A REVUE: “Ain’t Misbehavin'” – Drury Lane Productions ENSEMBLE FOR A PLAY: “The Penelopiad” – Goodman Theatre ENSEMBLE FOR A MUSICAL OR REVUE: “Ain’t Misbehavin'” – Drury Lane Productions NEW WORK:  Samuel D. Hunter – “Little Bear Ridge Road” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company Branden Jacobs-Jenkins – “Purpose” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company DIRECTOR OF A PLAY (LARGE): Joe Mantello – “Little Bear Ridge Road” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company Phylicia Rashad – “Purpose” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company DIRECTOR OF A PLAY (MIDSIZE): Louis Contey – “A View from the Bridge” – Shattered Globe Theatre DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL (LARGE): Jessica Fisch – “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” – Marriott Theatre DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL (MIDSIZE): L. Walter Stearns and Brenda Didier – “Jersey Boys” – Mercury Theater Chicago DIRECTOR OF A REVUE: E. Faye Butler – “Ain’t Misbehavin'” – Drury Lane Productions PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY: Scott Aiello – “A View from the Bridge” – Shattered Globe Theatre Laurie Metcalf – “Little Bear Ridge Road” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL: Kaitlyn Davis – “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” – Marriott Theatre Meghan Murphy – “Anything Goes” – Porchlight Music Theatre SOLO PERFORMANCE: Hershey Felder – “Hershey Felder as Monsieur Chopin” – Writers Theatre PERFORMER IN A REVUE: Lorenzo Rush, Jr. – “Ain’t Misbehavin'” – Drury Lane Productions PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY: E. Faye Butler – “The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at the Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years” – Goodman Theatre Mitchell J. Fain – “The Lehman Trilogy” – Broadway in Chicago and TimeLine Theatre Company PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL: Adrian Aguilar – “Jersey Boys” – Mercury Theater Chicago Andrew Mueller – “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” – Marriott Theatre CHOREOGRAPHY: Justin Peck- “Illinoise” – Chicago Shakespeare Theater ORIGINAL MUSIC IN A PLAY: Samuel Davis – “The Penelopiad” – Goodman Theatre MUSIC DIRECTION: Nathan Koci – “Illinoise” – Chicago Shakespeare Theater James T. Lane, Alanna Lovely, Lorenzo Rush Jr. and Alexis J. Roston in “Ain’t Misbehavin'” at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace. (Justin Barbin) SCENIC DESIGN (LARGE): Todd Rosenthal – “The Matchbox Magic Flute” – Goodman Theatre Arnel Sancianco – “The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at the Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years” – Goodman Theatre SCENIC DESIGN (MIDSIZE): Grant Sabin – “Turret” – A Red Orchid Theatre COSTUME DESIGN (LARGE): Ana Kuzmanic – “The Matchbox Magic Flute” – Goodman Theatre COSTUME DESIGN (MIDSIZE): Aly Greaves Amidei – “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley” – Buffalo Theatre Ensemble SOUND DESIGN (LARGE): André Pluess – “The Lehman Trilogy” – Broadway in Chicago and TimeLine Theatre Company SOUND DESIGN (MIDSIZE): Jeffrey Levin – “Turret” – A Red Orchid Theatre LIGHTING DESIGN (LARGE): Cat Wilson – “A Streetcar Named Desire” – Paramount Theatre LIGHTING DESIGN (MIDSIZE): Mike Durst – “Turret” – A Red Orchid Theatre PROJECTION DESIGN: Mike Tutaj – “Gods and Monsters” – Frame of Reference Productions ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION: Timo Andres – music arrangements and orchestrations – “Illinoise” – Chicago Shakespeare Theater SHORT RUN – PRODUCTION: “Welcome to Matteson!” – Congo Square Theatre Company SHORT RUN – PERFORMER: Harry Lennix – “How I Learned What I Learned” – Congo Square Theatre Company and Goodman Theatre SPECIAL AWARD: Charles Newell, Roche Schulfer Billy Rude with Tina Muñoz Pandya, Lauren Molina, Monica West and Russell Mernagh in “The Matchbox Magic Flute” in the Goodman’s Owen Theatre. (Liz Lauren)