On Monday night, Apr. 27, Tony-nominated set designer Thomas Lynch will be receiving applause. Literally.

That's when Lynch, as selected by the McCarter Theatre, receives the New Jersey Theatre Group's 10th annual Applause Award, which honors a person or organization that makes "an outstanding contribution" to NJ theatre.

Lynch's McCarter credits include Having Our Say (which went on to Broadway), as well as The Perfectionist and The Mai. Other Broadway credits include his Tony-nominated turn for The Heidi Chronicles, as well as The Young Man From Atlanta and The Speed of Darkness. He's worked regionally at MN's Guthrie Theatre, IL's Goodman Theatre, and CA's Mark Taper Forum.

Lynch is something of an anomaly for the Applause Awards, since he's a theatre practitioner; most of the other Applause awards go to printers, contributors and board members. Other theatres in NJ Theatre Group include Crossroads, NJ Shakespeare Festival, Paper Mill Playhouse, George Street Playhouse, Two Rivers Theatre Company, Luna Stage and Playwrights Theatre of NJ.

The NJ Theatre Group's Star Award will go to Lawrence Capo, former president of the Group's board of directors. The Awards take place at the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick. -- By David Lefkowitz