CMU School of Drama


Friday, February 16, 2024

School of Drama Wins Big at USITT

Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama: Each year, the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) honors practitioners of theater design and technology who excel in their fields. This year, the 66th annual conference and stage expo will take place in Seattle, Washington, where five artists from the School of Drama will be recognized for their exemplary work.

7 comments:

Penny Preovolos said...

USITT is something that I have been interested in getting involved in for a long time. I have been hearing about the conference since high school and it seems like not only a really great event to network in but also a sort of community event that I think I would love. There are a lot of workshops and presentations and things that I have heard about and it seems like I would just learn so much from attending. That is why it is so exciting to see Carnegie Mellon alumni and active students not only participate but win awards. I mean, I have never gotten to go so, of course, i do not really know what it would be like but I would really love to go one day and I would be excited to participate as a Carnegie Mellon student and or Alum. Also… go Susan Tsu!

Joshua Egolf said...

I find this so cool and congratulations to Susan and the other award winners. Seeing graduates from our school get these prestigious awards and thinking that I could get those awards in the future is really cool to me. I want to start getting involved with USITT and all of the opportunities it offers. I really want to go to the Prague Quadrennial in the future because every time Susan or Olivera talks about the amazing work they have seen there it puts a smile on my face. I do hope that I can have a piece of my work in the PQ sometime in the future. I really like what Susan said in the article about her international experiences. The way that the international experiences that she has had throughout her career influence the way she sees, thinks, and speaks about art is inspiring and incredible.

Alex Reinard said...

Articles about our alumni and the people involved in our school are always really exciting to read. I think it’s (ironically) easy to forget that we go to a great school and that when we get out we can really go places. The things that the school does do for its students, like organizing trips to the Prague Quadrennial, are really exciting for both design and production students alike. It helps students get a foot in the door of the real world and make connections. Also, like Susan says, it’s great that the Prague Quadrennial is held outside the US and thus an international convention, because it allows designers from all parts of the world to exchange ideas and see different approaches to work. I would love to go to a USITT convention someday; there’s always a lot of articles on the blog about cool exhibits and other stuff that happen there.

Karter LaBarre said...

It makes me really happy to see this article on the news comment page. I know all of the professors and staff at the school of drama are very close, and love to support each other, but it's cool to see that in action. I love Susan so much and she is such a wonderful teacher, person, designer, and so much more she honestly really deserves the USITT award. I'm really glad that there are different Awards and programs that recognize theater artists' abilities, and that people actually write about them. I do think it's really interesting how people get chosen for this award, and how the choice is made. I hope that she's incredibly talented, and she's taught so many years of incredible artists. She needs a lot to the entire sod as a whole and I don't know what we would do without her. We love you Susan.

Helen Maleeny said...

Congrats to everyone who was recognized! I remember when these were first announced, and everyone was posting on instagram congratulating everyone. It is amazing they’re being recognized for their work, and I especially loved it as I learned more about the work of some CMU School of Drama Alumni that I hadn’t researched before! Of course, it’s been incredible being taught by Susan, and so exciting that she was recognized this year as well for the Distinguished Achievement Award for Costume Design, it’s amazing being in a school with so many unbelievably talented people, from the professors to the students and alumni. A few of my professors (including Susan!) are alumni which I think is really cool as it shows how important this school was for them that they came back to teach. Overall it is so cool that these amazing theater makers and practitioners were recognized by USITT, Congratulations!

Aster said...

It’s so cool to know I go to a school with so many amazing and talented people. Part of the reason I chose CMU is because of how active so many of the alums and faculty are in the industry. This creates so many amazing opportunities for all CMU drama students which I think is just great. I’m also so proud of everyone who was nominated. They definitely definitely deserve it. The only winner I know is Susan, however she has been one of the best teachers I have ever had. Though many times I can barely understand how she thinks, she still manages to teach me so much. I have improved greatly as an artist since I’ve had her as a teacher. On top of being a wonderful teacher and designer, she is also such a kind person. She always sent us the sweetest emails and they always made me smile. She also always brings us food, which as college students, we most certainly love. I sometimes try to explain Susan’s class to my family and I don’t think they could ever understand the magic of Susan Tsu without meeting her first.

Ella McCullough said...

This was such an exciting article to read. Honestly, before coming here I had never heard of USITT, and I really still do not fully understand what it is. What I do understand is that it is a big deal and winning an award is a big accomplishment. Obviously, it was really exciting to read about Susan Tsu. As someone who has been given the opportunity to learn from her she really is one of a kind and just extraordinary in every way. I am so happy for her and so blessed to say I am one of her students. It was also exciting to see other CMU alumni that I did not have any knowledge of prior to hearing about these awards. I especially liked reading about the young artist awards. It is really encouraging to see people who just recently graduated getting recognition in the industry. Overall, this was such a lifting article to read.