The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) honored USITT Fellow Sonny Sonnenfeld at its annual Conference & Stage Expo, which took place March 16 – 19 in Salt Lake City. Sonnenfeld was awarded the Distinguished Achievement Award in Lighting Design & Technology for his more than 60-year career in the lighting industry. Sonnenfeld’s career has extended to both the theatrical and architectural lighting communities. He started his lighting career in New York as the 92nd Street Y’s technical director and went on to work for Century Lighting (now Strand Lighting), ETC, and City Electrical. He founded the Broadway Lighting Master Classes, a four-day lighting seminar series with fellow colleague and friend, Broadway lighting designer Jules Fisher. A past president of the Illuminating Engineering Society’s New York Section, Sonnenfeld has been involved with the USITT since its founding in 1960. He was inducted as a Fellow in 1997. Sonnenfeld was part of Architectural Lighting’s inaugural Hall of Fame series in 2001.
Along with Sonnenfeld, four other individual were recognized with USITT Distinguished Achievement Awards: U.K. Sound Designer John Leonard, Broadway Scene Designer Anna Louizos, Costume Designer/Author/Educator Joy Spanabel Emery, and Arts Safety & Health expert Monona Rossol.
