USITT Honors Young Designers

Seven young theatre design professionals were honored with the 1999 Awards for Young Designers and Technicians in the Performing Arts from the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) at USITT's 39th Annual Conference and Stage Expo in March in Toronto, Canada.

The awards were presented as part of USITT's Fellows Address, held March 25 and titled "Mentoring for the New Millennium." Prizes of $500 or $1,000 each were also given to the winners. Two of the awards, the Frederick Buerki Golden Hammer Award and the Kryolan Makeup Design Award, were presented for the first time this year.

The Buerki Golden Hammer Award, given to a scenic technician for excellence or outstanding potential in areas such as stage engineering and properties construction and craft, was presented to David Stellhorn. Stellhorn is a candidate for a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Illinois in May, 2000.

The Kryolan Makeup Design Award, named for the German manufacturer of theatrical makeup, went to Kim Morris, who will graduate this month with an MFA degree from the University of Virginia.

Frederick W. Rammage received the KM Fabrics Inc. Technical Production Award. Rammage is scheduled to receive his MFA from Yale University this month. The award is given for excellence or outstanding potential in the area of technical direction or production in the performing arts.

Dominic Kramers, a candidate for a MFA degree from California Institute of the Arts, received the Clear-Com Intercom Systems Sound Achievement Award. Kramers was nominated by sound designer Jon Gottlieb. The award is given to an individual who has demonstrated excellence or outstanding potential in the area of sound in the performing arts.

The Barbizon Award for Lighting Design went to Todd Proffitt, who will graduate from Texas Tech this month with a Master of Fine Arts degree. Proffitt was nominated by Frederik Christoffel for the Barbizon Award, which is given for demonstrated excellence or outstanding potential in the area of lighting.

Erin Slattery received the Zelma H. Weisfeld Costume Design & Technology Award. Slattery, who received her MFA from the University of Texas-Austin in May 1998, was the second person to receive the award, which Weisfeld, a Fellow of the Institute, established in 1997 for excellence or outstanding potential in the area of costume design or technology.

Kathleen Widomski, who graduated in May 1997, with an MFA from Carnegie Mellon University, received the Rose Brand Award for Scene Design, given for excellence or outstanding potential in scenic design in the performing arts.