Check out our photo album on Facebook to see images of award-winning designs from the 2018 Design Competition held at our annual convention. We can’t wait to see what the winning designs will look like in 2019!
For Graduate and Undergraduate Students
Each year, graduate and undergraduate students display their design work at SETC’s Annual Convention, get critiqued, meet professional designers, network, and compete to win cash and experience awards!
Entrants have a chance to be critiqued by Distinguished Career Designers — modern masters of design with national and international reputations. The experts use an open, one-on-one critique format to offer invaluable learning for all in attendance — whether a student, professor or professional.
Winners of the competition receive cash, product or experience awards (depending on the competition category), a certificate of achievement, and recognition in SETC News. Categories are listed below.
Questions?
For more information, please contact:
Neno Russell
SETC Design Committee Chair
Email Neno
Cadie Burks
Educational Services Manager
Email Cadie
2019 Distinguished Career Designers & Adjudicators
A panel of four acclaimed designers will give keynote presentations and provide feedback on entries to the 2019 Design Competition. Visit our keynote page to read each designer’s full bio.
2019 Competition Categories
Ready to Design Awards (previously Ready to Work)
All graduate-level entries to the Design Competition will be considered for Ready to Design Awards. No additional applications or fees are required.
Sponsored by Lexington Children’s Theatre, The Rose Theater, Serenbe Playhouse and Triad Stage
This unique award offers talented graduate student designers the opportunity to work professionally in the field in addition to winning a cash award from SETC. SETC collaborates each year with professional theatres to award Ready to Design. During the Design Competition, each of the theatre professional representatives view the designs and choose their own candidates to interview. Each company chooses from their own finalists. (Winners can only work at one theatre as part of the award.) Winners are announced at the Design Award Ceremony Friday night at the Annual Convention. The award has kick-started several careers as winners return the following season to design at the company.
Stage Management Games
Sponsored by EmptySpace Technology
The SETC Stage Management Committee is excited to announce the 7th annual SETC Stage Management Games. Student stage managers from all training levels are invited to compete in a round-robin of timed events that include: writing cues, recording blocking, taking line notes, taping a plan and checking presets. The top three competitors will advance to a finalist round. Product prizes are awarded to top winners. Anyone attending the convention may participate. There are no fees, just fun.
2018 Award Winners
Costume Crafts | Sponsored by Norcostco
- 1st Place: Brittney Harrell, Kent State University
- 2nd Place: Hallie Moore, Brevard College
- 3rd Place: Carter Higgs, University of Central Missouri
- Honorable Mention: Briann Hemp, Florida State University
Costume Design | Sponsored by Wardrobe Witchery
GRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Erin Reed, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
- 2nd Place: Hannah Chalman, Virginia Commonwealth University
- 3rd Place: Clara Jean Kelly, Florida State University
- Honorable Mention: Brittney Harrell, Kent State University
Costume Design | Sponsored by Wardrobe Witchery
UNDERGRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Natasha Cox, College of Charleston
- 2nd Place: Desiree Anderson, Kent State University
- 3rd Place: Audrey Reed, Middle Tennessee State University
- Honorable Mention: Jessica Moreno-Caycho, Virginia Commonwealth University
Costume Technology | Sponsored by Fabric.com
- 1st Place: Desiree Anderson, Kent State University
- 2nd Place: Christina HadleyDike, Indiana University
- 3rd Place: Hannah Chalman, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Honorable Mention: Yi Chen, Kent State University
Lighting Design | Sponsored by ETC
GRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Darrian Brimberry, Indiana University
- 2nd Place: Tony Stoeri, Indiana University
- 3rd Place: Qier Luo, Indiana University
Lighting Design | Sponsored by ETC
UNDERGRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Collin Hall, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
- 2nd Place: Benjamin Zasimowich, Virginia Commonwealth University
- 3rd Place: Dominque Toups, Southeastern Louisiana University
- Honorable Mention: Wyatt S. Hayes, Kent State University
Projection Design | Sponsored by Broadway Media Distribution
- 1st Place: Henry Crowder, Brevard College
- 2nd Place: Shawn Carver, Radford University
Props Design & Construction | Sponsored by Friends of Props
- 1st Place: Savannah Callais, The University of Alabama
- 2nd Place: Justin Bowen, LaGrange College
- 3rd Place: Alexandra Riggs, Middle Tennessee State University
- Honorable Mention: Ilia Campbell, Francis Marion University
Scenic Design | Sponsored by Sculptural Arts Coating
GRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Katherine Field, Virginia Commonwealth University
- 2nd Place: Matthew Hamel, University of Cincinnati – CCM
- 3rd Place: Lindsey Purvis, University of Cincinnati – CCM
- Honorable Mention: Lindsay Maiorano, West Virginia University
- Honorable Mention: Jelena Andzic, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Scenic Design | Sponsored by Sculptural Arts Coating
UNDERGRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Ceili Hesselgrave, College of Charleston
- 2nd Place: Evelyn Jyles Rodgers, Wake Forest University
- 3rd Place: Carrie Ferrelli, College of Charleston
- Honorable Mention: Alexander Modlin, Ball State University
Sound Design | Sponsored by Shure, Inc.
- 1st Place: Jo Sanburg, University of Memphis
- 2nd Place: Stewart Blackwood, Kent State University
- 3rd Place: Lance Perl, Brevard College
- Honorable Mention: Braden Harrington, Florida School of the Arts
- Honorable Mention: Cheyenne Zuck, Wake Forest University
Technical Direction & Construction | Sponsored by Productions Unlimited, Inc.
- 1st Place: Elizabeth Haynes, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- 2nd Place: Liam Roth, Kent State University
KET, a Kentucky-based PBS educational television network, stopped by the 2017 SETC Convention in Lexington, KY, for a behind-the-scenes look at the Design Competition. Participants offered up insights about different fields of theatre design.
