Copyright 2000 by the Chicago Tribune)

Chicago's largest resident company, Goodman Theatre, and one of the city's smallest troupes, Famous Door Theatre Co., have fielded the most nominations for a single production in the 32nd annual Joseph Jefferson Awards honoring excellence among Chicago area professional theaters working under contracts with Actors Equity union.

Goodman's production of director Mary Zimmerman's inventive adaptation of "The Odyssey" and Famous Door's rousing staging of the World War II drama "Ghetto" each received six nominations, including best production of a play. They compete in that category with Goodman's "Boy Gets Girl," by Rebecca Gilman (five nominations); Apple Tree Theatre and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre's "Shakespeare's R&J" (five); CST's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (three); and Court Theatre's "The Learned Ladies," by Moliere (two).

Competing for best production of a musical are: Drury Lane Oakbrook's "My One and Only" (six nominations) and "1776" (five); Apple Tree Theatre's "Once on This Island" (five); Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (four), and Drury Lane Theatre Evergreen Park's "A Chorus Line" (four).

The awards, selected by the 45-member Jeff committee of theater professionals and enthusiasts from a total of 118 productions presented by 55 producing organizations, will be presented Oct. 30 in ceremonies at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie.

Here are the rest of the 121 nominees in the awards' 27 categories, covering the period Aug. 1, 1999, to July 31:

Director, play: Kate Buckley, "Among the Thugs," The Next Theatre; Joe Calarco, "Shakespeare's R&J"; Abigail Deser, "This Is Our Youth," Roadworks Productions; Calvin MacLean, "Ghetto"; Mary Zimmerman, "The Odyssey."

Director, musical: Peter Amster, "Once on This Island"; Ray Frewen and Gary Griffin, "1776"; Ray Frewen, "My One and Only"; Kenny Ingram, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"; Marc Robin, "A Chorus Line."

Actress in a principal role, play: Cheryl Lynn Bruce, "Voice of Good Hope," Victory Gardens Theater; Mary Beth Fisher, "Boy Gets Girl"; Irma P. Hall, "A Raisin in the Sun," Goodman; Mariann Mayberry, "Hysteria," Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Carmen Roman, "Medea," American Theater Company.

Actor in a principal role, play: Lance Baker, "This Is Our Youth"; William Brown and Larry Yando, "Nixon's Nixon," Writers' Theatre; Tony Mockus, "God's Man in Texas," Northlight Theatre; Frank Nall, "Ghetto"; Mike Nussbaum, "Visiting Mr. Green," Northlight; Roderick Peeples, "The Homecoming," Famous Door; Gary Sinise, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," Steppenwolf; Mark Ulrich, "Descent (A Darwinian Comedy)," The Aardvark.

Actress in a supporting role, play: Karla L. Beard, "Voice of Good Hope"; Kirsten Fitzgerald, "Mr. Bundy," A Red Orchid Theatre; Heidi Mokrycki, "Closer," Steppenwolf; Julia Neary, "Ghetto"; Andrea Washburn and Ann Whitney, "Ballad Hunter," Chicago Dramatists.

Actor in a supporting role, play: Roy Dotrice, "A Moon for the Misbegotten," Goodman; Mark Douglas-Jones, "A Dybbuk," Red Hen Productions; Michael Grant, "God's Man in Texas"; Tim Grimm, "Bluff," Victory Gardens; Howard Witt, "Boy Gets Girl."

Actress in a principal role, musical: Karla L. Beard, "Once on This Island"; Kristen Behrendt and Susie McMonagle, "Side Show"; E. Faye Butler, "Dinah Was," Northlight.

Actor in a principal role, musical: Guy Adkins, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," DLO; Andrew J. Lupp, "My One and Only"; Roger Mueller, "1776."

Actress in a supporting role, musical: Kelly Anne Clark, "Victor/ Victoria," Marriott; Carla J. Hargrove, "Dinah Was"; Paula Scrofano, "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?," DLTEP.

Actor in a supporting role, musical: Nikkieli DeMone, "Side Show"; Don Forston, "The Pirates of Penzance," Marriott; David Lively, "1776"; Lee Worthy, "Stones," Bailiwick Repertory Theatre.

Actress, revue: La Tonya Beacham, "Mahalia," The Black Ensemble Theater; Catherine Curtin and Andra C. Mitrovich, "Love, Janis," Reading Entertainment, Off Broadway Investments, Alan J. Schuster, Jam Theatricals, Metropolitan Group; Stephnie Weir, "Second City, "4.0," The Second City.

Actor in a revue: Martin Garcia, "History Repaints Itself," The Second City e.t.c.; Chester Gregory II, "The Jackie Wilson Story," Black Ensemble.

Ensemble: "Among the Thugs," "A Chorus Line," "Ghetto," "Killer Joe," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Shakespeare's R&J."

New work: Rebecca Gilman, "Boy Gets Girl"; Jenny Laird, "Ballad Hunter"; Charles Smith, "Knock Me a Kiss," Victory Gardens; Jeffrey Sweet, "Bluff"; Kristine Thatcher, "Voice of Good Hope."

New adaptation: Timothy Hendrickson, with Ann Boyd and Julia Neary, "The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon," Running with Scissors; Tom Szentgyorgyi, "Among the Thugs"; Mary Zimmerman, "The Odyssey."

Scenic design: Scott Cooper, "American Buffalo," American Theater Company; Geoffrey M. Curley, "(sic)," Roadworks with Soho Rep; David Gropman, "Hysteria"; Daniel P. Ostling, "Valparaiso," Steppenwolf; Michael Philippi, "Boy Gets Girl."

Costume design: Mara Blumenfeld, "The Learned Ladies" and "The Odyssey"; Michael Krass, "All's Well That Ends Well," CST; Nancy Missimi, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"; Gregory W. Slawko, "My One and Only"; Paul Tazewell, "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Lighting design: Christopher Akerlind, "Antony and Cleopatra," CST; John Culbert, "Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards," Court; T. J. Gerckens, "The Odyssey"; Jeffrey Lowney, "Shakespeare's R&J"; Kevin Rigdon, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

Sound design: JR Conklin, "A Midsummer Night's Dream"; Lindsay Jones, "Among the Thugs" and "Shakespeare's R&J"; Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen, "Valparaiso"; Roderick Peeples, "Ghetto"; Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, "Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards."

Choreography: Randy Duncan, "Once on This Island"; Rudy Hogenmiller, "A Chorus Line"; Kenny Ingram, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"; Tammy Mader, "My One and Only"; Marc Robin, "The Pirates of Penzance."

Original music: Michael Bodeen and Willie Schwarz, "The Odyssey"; Alaric Jans, "All's Well That Ends Well."

Musical direction: Sam Andrew, "Love, Janis"; William Knowles, "Dinah Was"; Jeff Lewis, "Side Show"; Tom Murray, "Once on This Island"; Jimmy Tillman, "The Jackie Wilson Story."

Non-resident productions: "Aida," "Fosse," "Miss Saigon."

Actor in a principal role: Joseph Anthony Foronda, "Miss Saigon"; Van Zeiler, "Buddy."

Actress in a principal role: Heather Headley, "Aida"; Reva Rice, "Fosse."