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Rose Brand scene design winner Mingshuo Zhao’s design for "Battlecruiser Aristotle."

USITT Announces 2016 Young Designers & Technicians Awards

Recent graduates and students in their final semester of graduate programs are lauded for their work behind the scenes.

SYRACUSE, N.Y.: The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) has announced the 10 recipients of its 2016 Young Designers & Technicians Awards in the Performing Arts.

The YD&T Awards bring support and recognition to young designers and technicians through funding from industry sponsors. The winners will receive free registration to the four-day USITT Annual Conference & Stage Expo (March 16–19), plus cash prizes. Undergraduate recipients will receive a one-year premium membership to Stage Jobs Pro, a theatre jobs site for backstage crew and front-of-house professionals. The awards presentation will take place on March 17 in Salt Lake City.

Sophie Schneider, who is pursuing her MFA from Carnegie Mellon University, is the recipient of the Zelma H. Weisfeld Costume Design & Technology Award.

The Barbara Matera Award in Costume Making, sponsored by Judy Adamson, will go to Sharon Limpert, who is also pursuing her MFA from Carnegie Mellon University.

The USITT Makeup Design Award, sponsored by Kryolan Professional Makeup, will be awarded to Yu-Ang Teng, who is pursuing an MFA at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Paul Dufresne, who is pursuing a B.A. at Pepperdine University, is the recipient of the USITT W. Oren Parker Undergraduate Scene Design Award.

Mingshuo Zhao, who is pursuing his MFA at the University of California—San Diego is awarded the USITT Scene Design Award, which is sponsored by Rose Brand.

Kate Newman, who received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama in 2015, has won the KM Fabrics, Inc. Technical Production Award.

The Bernhard R. Works Frederick A. Buerki Scenic Technology Award will go to Dane Styczynski, who received his MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Almeda Beynon, pursuing an MFA at Carnegie Mellon University, is the recipient of the Robert E. Cohen Sound Achievement Award.

The USITT Lighting Design Award, sponsored by Barbizon Lighting Company, will go to Andie Szekely, who is pursuing a BFA at Southern Utah University.

The USITT Stage Management Award sponsored by Clear-Com Communications Systems will go to Julie Maury, who received her BFA at the University of Texas at Austin.

This is the 21st year of the YD&T Awards. USITT is the national nonprofit association for live entertainment production professionals.

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