USITT is happy to announce Carlton Guc of Stage Research Inc. as our 2025 Thomas DeGaetani Award winner. Carlton will be honored on Thursday, March 6, at our Awards Awards Awards ceremony in Columbus as part of our USITT25 Conference & Stage Expo. Join us for the ceremony, and afterward be one of the first on the Expo floor as our winners drop the rope and open it for attendees!
The Thomas DeGaetani Award, named in honor of the first USITT president, honors an outstanding lifetime contribution to the performing arts or entertainment industry by an individual or a performing arts/entertainment-focused organization living and/or working in a particular region of the country, generally near the location of the Annual Conference & Stage Expo. Recipients of this award have distinguished themselves by their service or contribution in the arts or entertainment within that region.
Carlton Guc is a seasoned sound designer and co-founder of Stage Research, a company he started in 1993 with Brad Rembielak. Based in Northfield, Ohio, Guc has made significant contributions to the professional theater scene, developing software for show control and sound design.
Guc's expertise extends to working with top-tier audio equipment, including Lectrosonics, which he employed for The Beck Center's production of Disney’s "The Little Mermaid". Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic and the passing of his business partner, Guc continues to innovate and support the performing arts community. You can keep up with Carlton on his website.
Carlton Guc
"While Brad and I had framework to work within, it was countless hours of collaboration with the industry leaders that led to the advances in sound design, playback, and the release of SFX. Everyone mattered from the local community theatre to the theatres on Broadway and the West End.
Through technology we have an opportunity to tell a better story. We aspired to provide tools to let designers create art, not be hindered by technology. Having lost my partner due to cancer, it's a reminder that it's not about 'me' or 'self.' It's about what we can do to make meaning for others. A humble thanks for the award. A much larger thanks for the designers and technicians that use our tools to make meaning for others." -Carlton Guc
