Jimmy Humphries, associate professor of theatre and dance, is no stranger to the award stage. Already a member of the Ohio Educational Theatre Association’s Hall of Fame, Humphries can now add an Ostrander Award to his collection.

Honoring excellence in locally produced community and college theatre, the Ostrander Awards are presented annually by the Greater Memphis Arts Council and Memphis Magazine. A slate of judges selected by the arts council nominated Humphries in the categories of set dressing and set design for the Memphis-based Playhouse on the Square’s production of Proof. The original New York City production of Proof took home both a Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award for best play in 2001, and Humphries won for set dressing in the Playhouse’s rendition of the award-winning play.

The category examines all props, upholstery and drapery among other items used in a set, and the judges hailed Humphries’ Proof set dressing for its attention to detail, including the “dried leaves under the porch.”

Humphries is currently working on the set for Guys and Dolls at the Playhouse, and he has also been asked to design the set for Philadelphia Story later this year.