Congratulations to Johnny Jonathan, a 2026 graduate of the Columbia College Chicago School of Theatre and Dance‘s Theatre Design Program, who is the 2026 recipient of the John Murbach Columbia College Chicago Academic Prize for Collaborative Design + Tech from the Michael Merritt Awards and Endowment Fund.
The Merritt Endowment Fund, named in honor of the late Joseph Jefferson Award-winning scenic designer and Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department faculty member Michael Merritt, presents the John Murbach Columbia College Chicago Prize annually to a graduating theatre design student at Columbia College. The prize is named in memory of the late scenic designer and Columbia College Theatre Department faculty member John Murbach.
Michael Merritt
The Michael Merritt Award, a national award unique in its emphasis on excellence in both design and collaboration, is presented annually to outstanding professional theatrical designers in memory of Merritt, who was noted for his designs for Chicago’s Goodman and Steppenwolf theatres as well as for Broadway and motion pictures. The Endowment Fund recognizes and encourages the work of young professionals and students through a national design exposition and prizes to promising theatrical design students from Columbia College, Northwestern University, DePaul University, Loyola University Chicago, and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The 2026 Michael Merritt Awards event will take place Monday, May 11, at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Theatre and Music, located at 1040 W. Harrison, Chicago. The evening begins at 5 PM with a Design and Technical Theatre Exhibition featuring work by established and aspiring professionals, including graduating students. A panel discussion at 7 PM will be followed by the awards ceremony at 8 PM. For tickets, click here.
