SOUND DESIGN
Recognizing the important growth in the field of sound design and the goal of introducing graduate study to students with backgrounds outside traditional theater, URTA offers a Candidate Award to all candidates in sound design. The sound design award is built into the URTA candidate registration form, please follow the instructions within the URTA candidate registration on Acceptd for instructions on how to redeem the sound design award. Note: in 2027, sound design will recruit at the Live-Virtual Design/Tech event only.
ARTS LEADERSHIP
URTA is committed to supporting the education and training of the future leaders of the arts and entertainment industry. For those seeking training in areas including arts administration, theatre management, producing and arts entrepreneurship, URTA offers a Candidate Award to all candidates in arts leadership. The arts leadership award is built into the URTA candidate registration form on Acceptd, no separate award application is required. Note: in 2027, arts leadership recruiting will take place live-virtual only.
AMERICAN COLLEGE THEATRE FESTIVAL
For over 50 years, the American College Theatre Festival (ACTF) has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States. ACTF is a natural partner with URTA and to underscore our overlapping missions, URTA provides Candidate Awards to the following qualified ACTF national finalists:
• National Finalists for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship
• SDC Directing Initiative Fellows
• National Finalists for Design Excellence (Scenic, Costume, Lighting, Sound, Projection Design)
• National Stage Management Fellows
• ASPIRE Arts Leadership Fellows
• National Finalists for Allied Design and Technology
URTA also supports the Kingsley Colton Award for Outstanding Partner with a $500 scholarship. The recipient is selected each year at the ACTF national festival.
ACTF recipients may make use of their URTA Candidate Award within two years of their national ACTF finalist award. More information on the ACTF Candidate Awards and eligibility can be found HERE.
SARAH NASH GATES AWARD
Sarah Nash Gates was a costume designer, educator, and President of URTA from 2007 to 2010. A founder of Theatre Puget Sound in Seattle, Sarah Nash Gates was an early pioneer in promoting the professionalism of the costume design industry, helping to elevate the respect costume designers received in the workplace. In celebration of her lasting impact on the costume design profession and in continuation of her mentorship of early career professionals, the Sarah Nash Gates award will be granted annually to up to two costume design candidates returning to graduate school after having worked in a costume related field. The award recipient(s) will receive free registration for the upcoming year’s URTA Auditions & Interviews.
Prior to applying for the Sarah Nash Gates Award, candidates should review all URTA requirements and should have begun, but not submitted, their URTA registration. To apply for the award, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Planning to attend the upcoming URTA Auditions & Interviews for costume design
- Having started, but not yet submitted, their URTA registration on Acceptd
- Pursuing a graduate degree in costume design after having worked in a costume related field (during review, additional weight will be given to candidates returning to graduate studies after being out of school for a number of years and working in a costume related field during that time)
Applicants will need to submit the following to be considered for the award:
- The Sarah Nash Gates award application form
- A professional resume
- A brief essay on why they are pursuing graduate school at this time, what their professional goals are in the costume design industry, and how they hope an MFA will help them achieve these goals.
Sarah Nash Gates Award applications and accompanying materials should be received via the online submission form (at the button below) by November 1, 2026 (11:59 pm, Eastern).
This award is generously funded by Holly Poe Durbin in memory of Sarah Nash Gates.
PAY-IT-FORWARD CANDIDATE AWARD
Each year, candidates at the URTA Auditions & Interviews may opt to donate as little as $1 to the Pay-It-Forward fund, which supports awards to candidates based on personal hardship and other considerations. Donations to the Pay-It-Forward fund are generously matched by Acceptd.
Candidates interested in applying to receive a Pay-It-Forward Award for the current URTA application cycle should review the application requirements and apply below. A limited number of awards are open to eligible candidates who demonstrate a need for a registration fee waiver. Candidates should first complete Stage 1 of their URTA registration on Acceptd up to the point of payment, but should not pay. They should then complete the award application form below, in which they will submit a short personal essay outlining their need for the support and why they are seeking a graduate degree at this time, as well as provide a letter of recommendation from a colleague, mentor, employer, or teacher, speaking to the candidate’s need and deservedness of the award.
Pay-It-Forward Award applications and accompanying materials should be received via the online submission form (at the button below) by November 1, 2026 (11:59 pm, Eastern).
We are unable to accept applications after the November 1 deadline. Previous recipients of the Pay-It-Forward Award are not eligible to receive the award again.
EXCELLENCE AWARDS
The URTA Excellence Awards in Undergraduate Training were established to recognize undergraduate instructors, coaches, mentors, and their respective institutions for excellence in the training and preparation of undergraduate theatre artists. URTA recognizes a number of individual instructors/coaches for their mentorship of candidates attending the URTAs in Acting and Design/Technology. Award recipients are selected by teams of adjudicators, based on a review of candidates’ materials and preparedness at the URTAs.
URTA also recognizes two institutions annually – one in Acting and one in Design/Technology – and each institution receives a Candidate Award to bestow on a student attending the following year’s URTA Auditions & Interviews.
2024 Award recipient Jessica Greenberg of Weber State University (L), with URTA Executive Director Tony Hagopian
2026 Award Recipients
Individuals
Acting – Elizabeth Greer, private coach
Costume Design & Technology – Assistant Director Jennifer Dasher, University of Florida
Lighting Design & Technology – Professor Brian Hapcic, University of Northern Colorado
Properties Design – Sr. Academic Specialist Karen Kangas-Preston, Michigan State University
Scenic Design & Technology – Assistant Professor Emily Lotz, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Technical Direction – Technical Director Rachel Wells, Northern Michigan University
Institutions
Acting – Alabama State University
Design & Technology – Savannah College of Art and Design
2025 Award Recipients
Individuals
Acting – Professor Jonathan Drahos, University of North Carolina, Pembroke
Costume Design & Technology – Senior Lecturer Raymond Marius Boucher, Concordia University
Lighting Design & Technology – Professor Misti Bradford, Weber State University
Projection/Media Design & Technology – Professor Misti Bradford, Weber State University
Properties Design – Associate Professor Eric Renschler, University of Evansville
Scenic Design & Technology – Associate Professor Christian Harvey Boy, Concordia University
Sound Design & Technology – Professor Brian Kelley, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Technical Direction – Associate Professor Jonathan Shimon, University at Buffalo
Institutions
Acting – University of Evansville
Design & Technology – University of California, Irvine
2024 Award Recipients
Individuals
Acting – Associate Professor Jacqueline Duprey, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Peidras
Costume Design & Technology – Associate Professor Janine McCabe, College of Charleston
Lighting Design & Technology – Associate Professor, Chair Jessica Greenberg, Weber State University
Scenic Design & Technology – Senior Lecturer Raymond Marius Boucher, Concordia University
Properties Design – Director of Production Trevor Norton, University of Redlands
Institutions
Acting – California State University, Long Beach
Design & Technology – Concordia University
2023 Award Recipients
Individuals
Acting – Assistant Professor Amelia McClain, University of Evansville
Costume Design & Technology – Assistant Professor Whitney Locher, Oakland University
Projection/Media Design – Associate Professor Peggy Mead-Finizio, Saginaw Valley State University
Scenic Design & Technology – Professor Linda Roethke, Northwestern University
Technical Direction – Associate Professor Nolan O’Dell & Professor Reid Parker, East Carolina University
Institutions
Acting – Temple University
Design & Technology – University of Texas at El Paso
2022 Award Recipients
Individuals
Acting – Dr. Baron Kelly, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Costume Design & Technology – Assistant Professor Larissa McConnell, Gustavus Adolphus College
Lighting Design & Technology – Assistant Professor Marissa Diaz, University of Texas at El Paso
Projection/Media Design – Associate Professor Price Johnston, Colorado State University
Properties Design – Professor John Saari, Greensboro College
Scenic Design & Technology – Associate Professor Milagros Ponce de León, Penn State
Technical Direction – Associate Professor Jonathan Shimon, University at Buffalo
Institutions
Acting – Idaho State University
Design & Technology – Arizona State University
2021 Award Recipients
Individuals
Acting – Assistant Professor Amelia McClain, University of Evansville
Costume Design & Technology – Professor Alessia Carpoca, University of Montana
Lighting Design & Technology – Professor Miguel Vando, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras
Projection/Media Design – Associate Professor Jessica Mueller, Belmont University
Properties Design – Assistant Professor Matthew Georgeson, Frostburg State University
Scenic Design & Technology – Professor Jason Foreman, Oklahoma City University
Sound Design & Technology – Professor Hideaki Tsutsui, University of Texas, El Paso
Technical Direction – Professor Daniel Volonte, Citrus College
Institutions
Acting – Norfolk State University
Design & Technology – University at Buffalo
2020 Award Recipients
Individuals
Acting – Dr. Eve Graves, Clark Atlanta University
Costume Design & Technology – Adjunct Instructor Katie Curry, Concordia College
Lighting Design & Technology – Professor Lonnie Alcaraz, UC, Irvine
Projection/Media Design –Professor Bill Wallace, Hamline University
Scenic Design & Technology – Cathia Pagotto, Concordia University
Technical Direction – Associate Professor David Pierce, Northern Michigan University
Institutions
Acting – Clark Atlanta University
Design & Technology – Western Michigan University
2019 Award Recipients
Individuals
Acting – Associate Professor Jacqueline Duprey, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras
Costume Design & Technology – Professor Chrisi Karvonides, UCLA
Lighting Design & Technology – Professor Stanley Kaye, University of Florida
Projection/Media Design – Associate Professor Price Johnston, Colorado State University
Props Design – Assistant Professor Dyan Burlingame, University at Buffalo
Scenic Design & Technology – Professor Myung Hee Cho, UCLA
Sound Design & Technology – Assistant Professor Brian Redfern, California State University, Chico
Technical Direction – Associate Professor Ed Baker, Wichita State University
Institutions
Acting – Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras
Design & Technology – UCLA
