Congratulations to the Jeff Nominees, 2026

Congratulations to the 2026 Joseph Jefferson Award nominees.

I’m happy and proud of all the companies and individuals with whom I’ve had the honor to work this year. Seeing those shows recognized with award nominations feels satisfying after witnessing the excellence of their art. I do my best to make images that will stand for each show, whether as preproduction/poster/key art to advertise the show, or as production photography to promote the show to the press, for social media, or as an archive of the production that will live on the company website as a record of its work.

These are the companies and artists I got to work with this year who’ve been nominated in the 2026 Joseph Jefferson Awards.

Idle Muse Theatre Company: The School for Scandal

Distant Era photographed Idle Muse’s publicity/production and archival/design photography for The School for Scandal. On a personal note, this show is among my favorite Idle Muse productions of all time. It was a joy to watch, and I saw it three times. I wish I could see it again. Distant Era MVP Elizabeth was part of the nominated ensemble for this show, and she is pleased as punch to be part of that cast.

Nominations

Production, Play
Ensemble, Play
Costume Design (Victoria Jablonski)
Performer in a Supporting Role, Play (Caty Gordon)
Artistic Specialization: Wig Design (Victoria Jablonski)

Distant Era’s publicity photography for The School for Scandal.

Distant Era’s production design photography for The School for Scandal.

Victoria Jablonski’s Jeff-nominated wigs and costumes; performer in a supporting role Caty Gordon; *The School for Scandal* ensemble.

Idle Muse Theatre Company: The Blood Countess

Distant Era photographed Idle Muse’s publicity/production and archival/design photography for The Blood Countess. Sonic wizard L. J. Luthringer was nominated for his incredible soundscapes, and my close friend/gaming companion/movie buddy/photo collaborator Jennifer Mohr was nominated for her costumes. I rang in the New Year with Jen, who on that night assured me that eating twelve grapes under a table would bring good fortune. Searching her name on The All Worlds Traveller yields three pages of results. So far. It goes without saying I am incredibly proud of my friend and happy to see some of those grapes’ good fortune coming to pass.

Nominations

Costume Design (Jennifer Mohr)
Sound Design (L. J. Luthringer)

Distant Era’s publicity photography for The Blood Countess.

Distant Era’s production design photography for The Blood Countess.

Blank Theatre Company: Passion

Distant Era did the production photography for Blank Theatre Company’s Passion. Several of the lead roles in this production garnered Jeff nominations, including Brittney Brown, who we previously saw play Mrs. Lovett in Kokandy’s Sweeney Todd and who cast Distant Era MVP Elizabeth MacDougald in Factory Theatre’s The Sporting Life last fall.

Nominations

Performer in a Principal Role, Musical (Evan Bradford, Brittney Brown)
Performer in a Supporting Role, Musical (Rachel Guth)
Music Direction (Aaron Kaplan)

Distant Era’s publicity/production photography for Passion.

Blank Theatre Company: Sweet Charity

I‘d never seen Sweet Charity and didn’t know what it was about. Blank’s production captivated me. I could hardly believe that much incredible choreography could happen on a relatively small storefront stage. The production challenged me to capture very fast action in a dark theatre. I loved the show’s performances and was proud to photograph it.

Nominations

Performer in a Principal Role, Musical (Teah Kiang Mirabelli)
Choreography (Lauryn Schmelzer)

Distant Era’s production/press photography for Sweet Charity.

A look at Sweet Charity’s excellent choreography. The last picture shows Jeff nominee Teah Kiang Mirabelli and Dustin Rothbart (to whom I am extremely grateful for brining me in to photograph Blank’s season).

City Lit Theatre Company: Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train

Distant Era photographed the key art/promotional image for City Lit’s Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train with actor Lenin Izquierdo, who was nominated for performer in a principal role. Artistic director Brian Pastor offered me a photographer comp for this outstanding show and its incredible performances.

Performer in a Principal Role, Play (Lenin Izquierdo, Bradford Stevens)

Distant Era’s key art/promotional photography for Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train.

Jeff nominee Lenin Izquierdo in the poster image for *Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train*.

City Lit Theatre Company in association with Black Button Eyes Productions: Strange Cargo: The Doom of the Demeter

After our collaboration on Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train, City Lit graciously offered me the opportunity to make a promotional image for Strange Cargo: The Doom of the Demeter. I loved making this image around Halloween, and also seeing so many friends and familiar faces in the show, a handful of whom were also in The School for Scandal.

Ensemble, Play
Scenic Design (Ruby Lowe)
Projection Design (DJ Douglass)
Sound Design (Joe Griffin)
Artistic Specialization—Puppet Design (Jeremiah Barr)

Distant Era’s promotional photography for Strange Cargo: The Doom of the Demeter.

Edge of the Wood Theatre: Bernhardt/Hamlet

Distant Era had nothing to do with this show. And yet, at the end of its run I did photograph an entire session with the nominated performer, Courtney Abbot, wearing the costume for this show, by the nominated designer Elizabeth Niemczyk. It was the only session I did last year just because I wanted to. These became some of the most viewed images I made in 2025 and were even featured in Profoto’s Share the Light challenge for “The Perfect Rembrandt” category.

Production, Short Run
Performer in a Principal Role, Short Run (Courtney Abbott)
Production Design, Short Run (Elizabeth Niemczyk)

Distant Era’s session with Courtney Abbott wearing the Bernhardt/Hamlet costume by Elizabeth Niemczyk.

Jeff nominee Courtney Abbott wearing the costume designed by nominee Elizabeth Niemczyk.

Friends, Associates, and Special Awards

Finally, a shout out to friends and associates and special award winners whose shows I didn’t work on last year:

Danny Kapinos (nominated for Urinetown with Theo Ubique ). We worked together previously with Blank Theatre Company on A Bright Room Called Day, Passion, Sweet Charity, and in Young People’s Theatre of Chicago’s Elephant and Piggie’s We are in a Play.
Brookelyn Hébert (nominated for Hedda Gabler with The Artistic Home). We worked together previously on The Artistic Home’s Ada and the Engine.
Dakota Huges (nominated for Queen for a Day with Hell in a Handbag Productions). We worked together previously on Young People’s Theatre of Chicago’s The Hobbit.
Manny Ortiz (nominated for The Pilon with Red Theater) who I know from the days when the Growling Rabbit cafe was in operation.
David Blixt (nominated for fight choreography for Superior Donuts with the Artistic Home), my friend and neighbor for countless years in Rogers Park.
Jesus Baranjas (nominated for Kid Prince and Pablo with Lifeline Theatre). We worked together on The Book of Will with Promethean Theatre Ensemble.
Connar Brown Sprenger (nominated for Matt and Ben with Theatre Above the Law). We worked together on The Tempest with Idle Muse Theatre Company.
Lindsey Chidester, Idle Muse Theatre Company, and Becky Warner, TUTA Theatre – Impresario Award – Excellence in Stage Management

Dakota Hughes, Connar Brown Sprenger, Brookelyn Hébert, Lindsey Chidester, Becky Warner, Danny Kapinos.

2026 Joseph Jefferson Special Award (Kathy Scambiatterra)

Kathy Scambiatterra is the artistic director of The Artistic Home theater where I trained in Meisner technique between 2001 and 2004. In my life, I have had many influences, though only four true mentors whom I felt have invested deeply in me: Bob Winters (acting, Ohio University), Kathy Scambiatterra (acting, The Artistic Home), Dana Lynn Formby (writing, Chicago Dramatists), and Chris Koeppen (photo editing, An Ethereal Fire).

These are the words I wrote to Kathy when I heard she had been nominated for this award:

It is well deserved. I have had few true mentors in life, and you are one of them. It’s been a couple decades since that time, but the lessons continue in everyday life, in every discipline and pursuit.

It seems so foreign now to not be able to identify one’s own feelings. To live in a state of emotional confusion and chaos. I dimly remember a time when that was true for me. I’ve sometimes said that the work I did within the Artistic Home training program was some of the hardest I have ever done. Confronting one’s own self/fear/ego, turning off the defense mechanisms, and becoming truly vulnerable is not for the faint of heart. But learning vulnerability is key to every artistic pursuit and every close relationship. You and Dan Fine showed the way.

I’m so happy to see you recognized for this award. See you at the Jeffs.

Best Wishes

It has been an honor and a pleasure working with all these amazing artists and companies in 2025. I am so happy to see so many friends and collaborators recognized for their work and can’t wait to see what they make next.