Four theatre artists will be honored at the 52nd annual Henry Hewes Design Awards, which will take place in New York November 7 and recognize productions such as Shuffle Along and the Broadway-bound Dear Evan Hansen. Eighty-four artists were nominated for outstanding artistry in 63 productions presented during the 2015-16 season.
The 2016 honorees are:
Mimi Lien (John, Signature Theatre Company) - Scenic Design
Ann Roth (Shuffle Along) - Costume Design
Mark Barton (John, Signature Theatre Company) - Lighting Design
Peter Nigrini (Dear Evan Hansen, Second Stage) - Notable Effects (Projection Design)
Lien, Roth, and Nigrini have all been honored with a Hewes Design Award in the past.
READ MORE: HOW A “TOTAL ACCIDENT” LED THIS COSTUME DESIGNER TO A TONY-WINNING SHOW
The November 7 ceremony will also honor the 2015 honorees, as the 51st annual ceremony was postponed in honor of the late Jane Hewes, who passed away in October last year. They are Riccardo Hernandez for scenic design for The Invisible Hand at New York Theatre Workshop; Paul Tazewell for costume design for Hamilton at The Public Theater; Howell Binkley for lighting design for Hamilton at The Public Theater; and Nevin Steinberg for notable effects (sound design) for Hamilton at The Public Theater.
The annual awards honor designers for work in venues on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway, recognizing not only the traditional categories of scenic design, costume design, and lighting design, but also “notable effects,” which “encompass sound, music, video, puppetry and other creative elements,” according to the HHDA committee.
The committee is made up of theatre critics Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, chair; David Barbour; David Cote; Glenda Frank; Helen Shaw; and Michael Sommers.
Originally known as the Maharam Awards at their inception in 1965, the Hewes Awards were later known as the American Theatre Wing Design Awards. They were renamed in 1999 for noted critic Henry Hewes, who created the awards and served as a board member of the American Theatre Wing until his death in 2006.
