February 2015

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February 2015

News & Notices

Announce 2015 Young Designers & Technicians Awards

Kenneth Foster’s Lighting Design for The Whipping Man.

Ten young artists will receive 2015 USITT Awards for Young Designers & Technicians in the Performing Arts – the annual YD&T awards – at the Annual Conference & Stage Expo in Cincinnati, Ohio March 18 to 21.

This is the 20th anniversary of the awards, which give young theatrical designers and technicians a leg up in their careers and come with free registration to the annual event and up to $1,000 cash.

YD&T winners also gain recognition and access to leaders in their fields. Last year’s winners were featured in a display in the front window of The Drama Book Shop in New York City last month, and samples of their work are being displayed at the U.S. Embassy in Prague, Czech Republic, this month.

The honorees are nominated by professors or mentors who are also USITT members. The awards are sponsored by companies or individuals who present them at the Conference and provide prizes.

Tyler Jacobson’s blocking for Beauty and the Beast.

Josafath Reynoso’s model for Henry V set.

The 2015 winners are:

  • Lighting -- Kenneth Foster of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville will receive the USITT Lighting Design Award sponsored by Barbizon Lighting Company. He will complete his MFA in lighting design this year.
  • Technical Production -- John Van Arsdale of the University of Wisconsin-Madison will receive the KM Fabrics, Inc. Technical Production Award. He will receive his MFA in drama and theatre technology this year.

    • Emily Morrisey’s 1800s war drum for Serjeant Musgrave’s Dance

  • Scenery -- James Rogers of Penn State University will receive the Bernhard R. Works, Frederick A. Buerki Scenic Technology Award, known as “The Golden Hammer Award.” He will earn his MFA in theatre technology this summer.

    Josafath Reynoso of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville will receive the USITT Scene Design Award sponsored by Rose Brand. He is about to complete his MFA in scenic design.

    Greg Pinsoneault of The Theatre School at DePaul University will receive the USITT W. Oren Parker Undergraduate Scene Design Award sponsored by Stage Decoration & Supplies. He will receive his BFA in scene design from this year.
  • Props -- Emily Morrisey will receive The Master Craftsmanship Award sponsored by Bernhard R. Works, which recognizes excellence in Stage Properties for 2015. She will receive her BFA in design and production from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts this year.

    • Colleen Dobson costume for Into the Woods

    Chia Chia Feng’s foam latex mask for Just A Body
  • Make-up -- Chia Chia Feng will receive the USITT Make-up Design Award sponsored by Kryolan Professional Make-Up. She will earn her MFA in make-up design from UNCSA this year.
  • Costumes -- The Barbara Matera Award in Costume Making, sponsored by Judy Adamson, will go to Colleen Dobson, who will receive her MFA in costume technology from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill this year.

    The Zelma H. Weisfeld Costume Design & Technology Award sponsored by Zelma Weisfeld will be announced soon.
  • Management -- The USITT Stage Management Award sponsored by Clear-Com Communications Systems will go to Tyler Jacobson. He will receive his MFA in production and stage management from Carnegie Mellon University this year.

For more information on the YD&T awards, visit www.usitt.org.ydt

James Rogers’ spiral stair book shelf for Into the Woods

John Van Arsdale technical production on Kiss Me, Kate

Greg Pinsoneault’s Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired set for Hansel and Gretel