Oct 6 - SET coordinator wins national theatre award

The coordinator of Douglas College's Stagecraft and Event Technology program has received an award recognizing his contributions to live performance in Canada.

Drew Young, who lives in Coquitlam, received the 2011 Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology (CITT) award in August. The award recognizes an individual's longstanding career achievement as an educator in a technical or related discipline, while preparing students for work within the Canadian live performance industry.

CITT is a national arts service organization that promotes the professional development of its members and works for the betterment of the Canadian live performance community.

Young says he was "completely taken aback" when he found out he won the award.

"Even though you're always working to stay connected, you still feel isolated because of all the time you put into shows. You never get a feeling that anyone really knows what you're doing - not that that matters, because you're focused on doing what you do - so when someone from the head office in Montreal emailed and said, ‘Hey, you won this award,' I felt very proud and surprised."

Young, who graduated from the UBC Theatre Department in 1982, helped establish the Stagecraft and Event Technology program at Douglas College in 1987 and has been program coordinator ever since.

Unique in B.C., the Stagecraft and Event Technology program offers a two-year diploma that prepares graduates to work in theatre, special events, film or television.

Drew Young, coordinator of the Stagecraft and Event Technology program, says he was "proud and surprised" when he heard he was receiving a national theatre award. David Denofreo photo