KOI-USA Awards Reveal 2019 Theatre Shortlist

	Reza Behjat's design for Nina Simone: Four Women, shortlisted for the Altman Lighting Award for Plays (Small Venue). Photo: Sean Fanning

The Knight of Illumination Awards USA (KOI-USA), which celebrates the creative talents of local and international lighting and video designers across the US, has revealed the nominees for the 2019 Theatre category shortlist, following long deliberation by the Theatre judging panel.

Dance critic Lauren Warnecke of the Chicago Tribune led the Theatre judging panel in her new role as panel chair. She was joined by journalist, dancer, and founder of Black Dance Magazine, Norma Porter; critic and performing arts editor for the Independent (KC), Paul Horsley; editor in chief of Arts and Culture Texas, Nancy Wozny; theatre critic for Chicago Tribune, Chris Jones; lighting designer Clifton Taylor; and dance critic for Eye on the Arts, Celia Ipiotis.

The 2019 KOI-USA theatre shortlist is as follows:

The Notch Award for Projection Design
* Roma Flowers for A Bon Coeur
* Brad Peterson for Broadway Bounty Hunter
* Tal Yarden for Network

The ETC Award for Dance
* Burke Brown for Framing Time
* Brandon Stirling Baker for Reflections
* Kaili Story for III. Third

The Altman Lighting Award for Plays (Large Venue)
* Neil Austin for Ink
* Natasha Katz for Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
* Jan Versweyveld for Network

The Altman Lighting Award for Plays (Small Venue)
* Reza Behjat for Nina Simone: Four Women
* Elizabeth Harper for Mysterious Circumstances
* Thomas C. Hase for The Resurrection of Son House

The ACT Lighting Award for Opera
* Heather Carson for Abraham in Flames
* Josh Epstein for Ellen West
* Jiajing Qi for Eugene Onegin

The PRG Award for Musicals (Large Venue)
* Bradley King for Hadestown
* Peter Mumford for King Kong
* Justin Townsend for Moulin Rouge

The Rosco Award for Musicals (Small Venue)
* Jason Lyons for Rock of Ages
* Tori Mays for Spring Awakening
* Christina Watanabe for The Wild Party

Commenting on the importance of the work of lighting and video designers, which is recognized and celebrated through the KOI-USA Awards, Warnecke says, "Lighting and video have the ability to transform the environment on stage, contextualizing what might otherwise just seem like bodies moving through space."

The second annual edition of the KOI-USA Awards ceremony and gala dinner will be held at The Joint, at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel on Friday, November 22, to coincide with the LDI Conference and Tradeshow.