Actor Jeremy Trager '98 Wins Jeff Award

Author: Sarah Sherman

10/27/08

Actor Jeremy Trager ’98 was recognized for his outstanding achievement in Chicago’s diverse theatre scene at this year’s Jeff Awards ceremony for non-equity theatrical productions. He received the 2007-2008 Jeff Award for Principal Actor in a Musical for his role in Cabaret with the Theo Ubique Theatre.

After graduating from Illinois Wesleyan as a Theatre Arts major in 1998, Trager spent ten years working as an actor in Chicago and appeared in almost thirty full productions, most of them musicals. He had the opportunity of working on several shows by Stephen Sondheim, with one of his favorite roles being the insane Giuseppe Zangara in Assasins.

Trager got the chance to work with fellow IWU alumni Bil Ingraham ’95 and Sarah Hayes ‘96 in two separate productions with the highly regarded Porchlight Music Theatre. The three alumni actors were featured in the sold-out production of Sweeney Todd and also Porchlight's critically acclaimed version of Ragtime, which transferred to the Apollo Theatre last year for an extended run.

Theo Ubique Theatre, the company Trager is most associated with now, produces intimate musical productions in a café that has been transformed into a theatre, with dinner served before the show by members of the cast serving as waiters. It is also this company that produced the successful Cabaret musical of which Trager was co-producer and lead actor.

Besides Trager’s Jeff Award for Principal Actor, Cabaret also won Jeff Awards for Director of a Musical, Actress in a Supporting Role, and Musical Direction.

“Personally, it means that all of the hard work and long hours I've put in for a job that often pays very little has ‘paid off,’” Trager says of his recent award. “I also feel like the Chicago theatre community has embraced me and accepted me, which is indescribably empowering and rewarding.”

Of his time at IWU, Trager credits retired Professor Emeritus of Theatre Dr. John Ficca for believing in his talent and providing him with a push to take things more seriously. In addition to the learning experiences on stage and in the classroom, Dr. Ficca also supervised a travel course to New York City, an experience that stayed with Trager as one of the highlights of his college experience.

Jeremy Trager ’98 can be seen in Chicago this fall playing the role of Juan Peron in Theo Ubique’s production of Evita.

Also winning a Jeff Award this year was recent Vocal Performance major Elizabeth Lanza ’07, for Principal Actress in a Musical. Find out more about Lanza by clicking here.