March 6, 2025
The University of Texas at Austin Theatre and Dance department was well represented at USITT's Awards, Awards, Awards ceremony as part of their 65th Annual Conference & Stage Expo. Karen Maness, a faculty member in the UT Live Design and Production area, was honored as an incoming Fellow of the Institute and UT Live Design and Production M.F.A. candidates Daniel Ruiz Bustos, Matthew Smith and Zach Young were recognized for their excellent work in theatre design. Behind the scenes Katelyn Nguyen, an undergraduate student pursuing a B.A. in Theatre and Dance, worked on the conference and expo itself through USITT's Stage Management Mentorship Program.
Daniel Ruiz Bustos was selected as a 2025 Student Ambassador for USITT. The Student Ambassador Program pairs international USITT presenters from the Annual Conference & Stage Expo with student members interested in working in theatre abroad. Ruiz Bustos was paired with Tanja Beer, an ecological designer and senior lecturer in design at the Queensland College of Art at Griffith University in Australia, whose work explores how theatre design can be more environmentally responsible.
Matthew Smith is the recipient of the 2025 Student Engagement Grant, which is awarded to encourage and support emerging theatre artists. Some of Smith’s work at The University of Texas at Austin includes serving as the lead draper for the "Old Green Grasshopper" in James and the Giant Peach and "Romeo" in Romeo y Juliet.
Zach Young, a lighting, scenic and projections designer, is the recipient of the Bernhard R. Works Master Crafts Award. Established in 2013, the Bernhard R. Works Master Crafts Award is part of USITT's 2025 Young Designers, Managers and Technicians (YDMT) Awards to recognize and support the excellent work of young designers.
Faculty member Karen Maness was honored as a 2025 USITT Fellow, a designation recognizing leaders in their craft with many years of exceptional participation in various aspects of USITT and the live entertainment industry. At The University of Texas at Austin, Maness teaches painting and visual communication to digital and analog artists through observational painting and Hollywood motion picture scenic art history. She is also a practicing studio artist in Austin, Texas and co-author of the award winning book The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop.
A week-long event like the USITT Conference & Stage Expo requires the work of highly skilled and experienced stage managers. USITT's Stage Management Mentorship Program connected undergraduate Katelyn Ngyuen with these professional stage managers. Ngyuen was able to gain hands-on experience throughout the week as a mentee and assistant stage manager for the Awards Awards Awards Ceremony and the Joel E. Rubin: Celebration of Life.
Learn more about the 2025 USITT Conference & Stage Expo.
