With the theme "Raising The Bar Backstage," the 12th annual EDDY Awards, to be held Friday, June 18 in New York, will honor a wide range of support teams who make the difference on a production.

This year’s recipients include a tireless trade association, a Broadway costume designer and her team, the technical director of an innovative theatre space, a top concert lighting designer and his assistant and programmer, a top rental, staging, and support company for audio, lighting and projection, and the entire design and technical crew of a regional theatre festival.

The honorees are:

ESTA (Entertainment Services & Technology Association): For its ongoing efforts in standards, certification, and other programs designed to create a safer and more productive industry.

Costume Designer Susan Hilferty and The Entire Costume Team From Wicked: For excellence in a theatrical production.

The Actors Theatre of Louisville/Humana Festival Design and Technical Department: For sustained excellence in theatrical stagecraft.

Lighting Designer Patrick Woodroffe, Assistant Lighting Designer Adam Bassett, and Lighting Director/Programmer Dave Hill: The consummate lighting design team.

Lorrie Snyder, Technical Director, REDCAT: For sustained excellence in technical direction.

Scharff Weisberg: For creative support and solutions in audio, video, and lighting.

You can read more about these artisans in the May issue of Entertainment Design. The EDDY Awards will be held on Friday, June 18, 2004, at John Jay College Theatre, 899 10th Avenue (between 58th and 59th Streets) in New York City. This year’s ceremony will begin with a cocktail reception at 7:30pm, followed by the awards presentation beginning at 8:30pm. The 2003 EDDY Awards are presented in conjunction with the 10th annual Broadway Lighting Master Classes and the second annual Broadway Sound Master Classes, a two-part professional training program that runs from June 17 through June 20, 2004.

Celebrating their 12th anniversary this year, the prestigious EDDYs pay tribute to those whose work has made an impact in our industry. The editors of Entertainment Design select the winners with an eye toward true excellence in technical and design-related fields.

Since 1991, nearly 40 individuals, nine design or production teams, one union, one creature shop, one consultancy, one concert construction company, one full-service scenic shop, and one theatrical production department have been so honored. In recent years, the EDDY Awards have celebrated both the spirit of collaboration, and remarkable individual achievement, as well as technical advancement with a series of product awards in professional audio, lighting, staging, and projection categories.