For Graduate and Undergraduate Students
Each year, graduate and undergraduate students display their design and technology work at the annual SETC Convention.
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 in the competition receive cash, product or experience awards (depending on the competition category and sponsor), a certificate of achievement, and recognition in SETC News. Categories are listed below.
Questions?
For more information, please contact:
Emily Schafer
SETC Design Committee Chair
Email Emily
Lee Crouse
Educational Services Manager
Email Lee
Costume Crafts | Sponsored by Norcostco, Inc.
- 1st Place: DJ Pike
- She Kills Monsters
- University of Tennessee Knoxville
- 2nd Place: Sebastian Van Horn
- A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
- University of Tennessee Knoxville
Costume Design – Sponsored by Norcostco Inc.
GRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Rossina Lozoya
- El Nogalar
- Texas State University
- 2nd Place: Sydney Martin
- Men on Boats
- Florida State University
- 3rd Place: Katherine Brand
- Father Comes Home From the Wars Parts 1 & 2
- Texas State University
UNDERGRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Taylor Aragon
- Miss You Like Hell
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- 2nd Place: Erik Mayes
- Cloud 9
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- 3rd Place: Sharaia Hughes
- Butterflies Are Free
- Virginia Commonwealth University
Costume Technology | Sponsored by Emily Schafer
- 1st Place: Lilliana Valentin
- James and the Giant Peach
- “Grasshopper”
- 2nd Place: Addison Michael
- James and the Giant Peach
- “Earthworm”
- 3rd Place: Max Hromek
- 1830s Evening Gown
Makeup Technology | Sponsored by Norcostco
- 1st Place: Laiah Westlyn
- Ugly Lies the Bone
- 2nd Place: Olga Goupalova
- Once in a Lifetime
Lighting Design | Sponsored by Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.
UNDERGRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Kaylin Gess
- Blood at the Root
- 2nd Place: MacKenzie Mulligan
- Hair
- 3rd Place: Corey Goulden-Naitove
- The Well of Horniness
GRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Sammy Webster
- The Busie Body
- 2nd Place: Hannah Mullins
- Georgia Mae James Unplugs America
- 3rd Place: Gavin Strawnato
- Stop/Kiss
Projection Design
- 1st Place: Tate Thompson
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
- 2nd Place: DJ Pike
- The Magic Flute
Properties Design | Sponsored by Matt Leckenbusch
- 1st Place: Nick Bartleson
- German Mantle Clock
- 2nd Place: Dani Roth
- These Women of Troy
- 3rd Place: Valeriya Nedviga
- Sueno
Scenic Design
GRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Whitney Meltz
- Bobrauschenbergamerica
- 2nd Place: AnnDee Alvidrez
- El Nogolar
- 3rd Place: DJ Pike
- Stinney: An American Execution
UNDERGRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Alyssa Sutherland
- Men on Boats
- 2nd Place: Jacob Nolan
- Significant Other
- 3rd Place: Corin Davis
- Rashomon
Sound Design | Sponsored by Shure, Inc., and Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association
- 1st Place: Christopher Sauerbrey
- Ten Million Dollar Melody!
- 2nd Place: Zay Jarrett
- Seeing Sound: A Musical Journey of Water
- 3rd Place: Allison Bucher
- Hedda Gabler
Technical Direction | Sponsored by Productions Unlimited, Inc.
- 1st Place: Ben Schultz
- Fun Home
- 2nd Place: Samuel Marchetto
- Gianni Schicchi
- 3rd Place: Valeriya Nedviga
- Closer Than Ever
2022 Distinguished Career Designers & Adjudicators
Each year, a panel of acclaimed designers give keynote presentations and provide feedback on entries to the Design Competition at the annual SETC Convention.
Oana Botez
Distinguished Costume Designer
Maria Cristina Fuste
Distinguished Lighting Designer
Narelle Sissons
Distinguished Scenic Designer
Costume Crafts | Sponsored by Betsey & David Horth
- 1st Place: Erin Rodgers
- Everyman – Death Costume
- University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Honorable Mention: Helen Garcia-Alton
- White Plague
- University of Tennessee Knoxville
Costume Design
GRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Audrey Reed
- James & the Giant Peach the Musical
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- 2nd Place: Margo Birdwhistell
- The House That Will Not Stand
- University of Tennessee Knoxville
- 3rd Place: Max Hromek
- The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
- University of Tennessee Knoxville
- Honorable Mention: Rachel Saylor
- Twelfth Night
- Indiana University
UNDERGRADUATE:
- 1st Place: KT Farmer
- He House That Will Not Stand
- University of Tennessee Knoxville
- 2nd Place: Carolan Corcoran
- Mean Girls
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- 3rd Place: Ashley Brassell
- Dracula
- Purdue Fort Wayne
Costume Technology | Sponsored by Neno Russell
- 1st Place: Lilliana Valentin
- 1890’s Bicycle Ensemble
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- 2nd Place: Addison Michael
- 890’s Walking Dress
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- 3rd Place: Jillian Gregory
- The Transparent Women Project
- University of Central Arkansas
- Honorable Mention: Brianna Herr
- Hero’s Dress
- Point Park University
Lighting Design | Sponsored by Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.
UNDERGRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Gavin Strawn
- Ride the Cyclone
- Middle Tennessee State University
- 2nd Place: Erin Featherson
- Romeo and Juliet
- Middle Tennessee State University
- 3rd Place: Natalie Sorrento
- Fall 2020 Dance Concert: Etched in Flesh
- Valdosta State University
- Honorable Mention: Travis Martinez
- Circle Mirror Transformation
- Lehigh University
GRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Kaylin Gess
- Among the Dead
- University of Tennessee Knoxville
- 2nd Place: Bill Miller
- Airness
- University of Tennessee Knoxville
- 3rd Place: Catherine Pratt
- Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet
- University of Nevada Las Vegas
Projection Design | Sponsored by Broadway Media
- 1st Place: Sidney Dye
- #silenced
- Elon University
- 2nd Place: Chandler Oppenheimer
- A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
- University of Tennessee Knoxville
- 3rd place: Carrie Ferrelli
- Airness
- University of Tennessee Knoxville
Scenic Design | Sponsored by Sculptural Arts Coating, Inc.
GRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Katherine Stepanek
- The Hobbit
- University of Tennessee Knoxville
- 2nd Place: Xinyuan Li
- Long Day’s Journey Into Night
- University of Massachusetts Amherst
- 3rd Place: Carrie Ferrelli
- The House That Will Not Stand
- University of Tennessee Knoxville
UNDERGRADUATE:
- 1st Place: Travis Martinez
- Life? Or Theatre?
- Lehigh University
- 2nd Place: Cliona Smith
- Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley
- University of Oklahoma
- Honorable Mention: Devin Fourqurean
- East of the Sun
- LaGrange College
- Honorable Mention: Ghina Fawaz
- The Blue-Eyed Dove
- Rollins College
Sound Design | Sponsored by Shure, Inc., and Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association
- 1st Place: Anna Johnson
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
- Hollins University
- 2nd Place: Valeriya Nedviga
- Twelfth Night
- Indiana University
- 3rd Place: Tate Thompson
- Everyman
- Valdosta State University
Technical Direction | Sponsored by Productions Unlimited, Inc.
- 1st Place: Samuel Marchitto
- Antigone
- The University of Alabama
2021 Distinguished Career Designers & Adjudicators
Each year, a panel of acclaimed designers give keynote presentations and provide feedback on entries to the Design Competition at the annual SETC Convention.
Dede Ayite
Distinguished Costume Designer
Jessica Paz
Distinguished Sound Designer
Alan C. Edwards
Distinguished Lighting Designer
Rachel Hauck
Distinguished Scenic Designer
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.