Katz to Receive Morley Award; Lambert Also Honored, 6/15

The League of Professional Theatre Women has announced that its 2006 Ruth Morley Designing Woman Award will be given to Natasha Katz, lighting designer for her outstanding work in the field of lighting design.  The League's Lucille Lortel Award for emerging creative talent will be given to Justine Lambert, Artistic Director of the Looking Glass Theatre.  Both will be honored at the League's Awards Luncheon on June 15th at noon at Trattoria Dopo Teatro, 125 West 44th Street in New York City.

Katz has designed extensively for the theatre, opera, and dance.  She is currently represented on Broadway by Tarzan, for which she has been nominated for a 2006 Tony Award.  Other currently running Broadway productions includes Beauty and the Beast and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.  In 2000, Katz received a Tony Award for Aida.  In 2002 and 2003, she received the National Broadway Theatre Award for Best Visual Presentation for the touring production of Aida.  Other Broadway design credits include Taboo, Lennon, Urban Cowboy, Flower Drum Song, Sweet Smell of Success, Twelfth Night, Dance of Death, The Capeman, Gypsy, Barrymore, Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, Aren't We All?, Shogun, Breaking The Code, and Pack of Lies.  She has also designed the lighting for the worldwide productions of Beauty and the Beast and Aida.  Her other design credits include Cyrano at the Metropolitan Opera, Don Quixote for American Ballet Theatre, Tryst for the Royal Ballet of London and Continuum at the San Francisco Ballet.  Katz has designed extensively Off-Broadway and for American regional theatres.

The League of Professional Theatre Women initiated The Ruth Morley Designing Woman Award in 1998, in honor of costume designer Ruth Morley, one of the professional's leading designers in theatre and film.  Her credits include costumes for Deathtrap, The Miracle Worker, Inherit the Wind, A Thousand Clowns, Toys in the Attic, Annie Hall, Tootsie, and Prince of Tide. Ruth Morley served on the League's Board of Directors.

Past recipients of this award include Jane Greenwood, costume designer; Jennifer Tipton, lighting designer; Willa Kim, costume designer; Marjorie Bradley Kellogg, scenic designer; Tharon Musser, lighting designer; Carrie Robbins, costume designer; Heidi Ettinger, set designer.

The Lucille Lortel Award was established with an endowment given by Lucille Lortel, which carries a $2500 award to an aspiring woman in any disciple of theatre who shows great creative promise and deserves recognition and encouragement in her efforts.  The work of Justine Lambert, Artistic Director of The Looking Glass Theatre best exemplifies the purpose of this award for 2005-2006.

Previous Lucille Lortel Award winners include Melanie Joseph, founder of the Foundry Theatre; Cara Reichel, founder of the Prospect Theatre Company;  and Mandy Hackett, founder of the Underwood Theatre Company.

The League of Professional Theatre Women is a not-for-profit advocacy organization promoting visibility and increasing opportunities for women in the Professional Theatre.

The luncheon is $30, with advance reservations required by calling 212 501-6667.