Brian MacDevitt
Encyclopedia
Brian MacDevitt is a lighting designer
for theatrical productions. He has worked extensively on Broadway
and Off Broadway, as well as touring, Regional theatre
, and Industrial productions.
A Long Island, New York, native, Brian graduated from SUNY Purchase with a degree in Lighting Design from the Department of Design/Technology of the Division of Theatre Arts & Film. After graduation Brian spent a decade honing his craft with Off Broadway and other productions, and also developed a reputation as a teacher of design. He began teaching at Purchase as a visiting professor in 1986. He continued to balance his teaching career while breaking into Broadway
in 1994 with What's Wrong With This Picture? Brian started to achieve notice with the Terrence McNally
play Love! Valour! Compassion!
in 1995. His success continued through the 1990s, and eventually culminated with a Tony Award for Best Lighting Design
in 2002 for the revival of Into the Woods
. He won again in 2005 for The Pillowman
, in 2007 for The Coast of Utopia
, sharing the award with Kenneth Posner
and Natasha Katz
(The three also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design
for Utopia'.') Brian won the Tony in 2009 for his lighting of the play "Joe Turner's Come and Gone
".
In fall of 2009 season, Brian is designed the revival of Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs
, Broadway Bound
and David Mamet
's new play Race
. In the 2010 season he designed A Behanding in Spokane, Fences, Armida at The Metropolitan Opera, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. In 2011 he has designed The Book of Mormon, Le Compte Ory at The Metropolitan Opera and The House of Blue Leaves.
He is proud to have four former students designing on Broadway this season, Kenneth Posner, Jeff Croiter, Jason Lyons, and Jennifer Schriever.
Brian accepted a position as an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park
, starting in the fall of 2009.
Lighting designer
The role of the lighting designer within theatre is to work with the director, choreographer, set designer, costume designer, and sound designer to create an overall 'look' for the show in response to the text, while keeping in mind issues of visibility, safety and cost...
for theatrical productions. He has worked extensively on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and Off Broadway, as well as touring, Regional theatre
Regional theatre in the United States
Regional theaters, or resident theaters, in the United States are professional or semi-professional, theater companies that produce their own seasons. The term regional theatre most often refers to professional theatres outside of New York City...
, and Industrial productions.
A Long Island, New York, native, Brian graduated from SUNY Purchase with a degree in Lighting Design from the Department of Design/Technology of the Division of Theatre Arts & Film. After graduation Brian spent a decade honing his craft with Off Broadway and other productions, and also developed a reputation as a teacher of design. He began teaching at Purchase as a visiting professor in 1986. He continued to balance his teaching career while breaking into Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 1994 with What's Wrong With This Picture? Brian started to achieve notice with the Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally is an American playwright who has received four Tony Awards, an Emmy, two Guggenheim Fellowships, a Rockefeller Grant, the Lucille Lortel Award, the Hull-Warriner Award, and a citation from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has been a member of the Council of the...
play Love! Valour! Compassion!
Love! Valour! Compassion!
Love! Valour! Compassion! is a play by Terrence McNally. Its off-Broadway premiere took place at the Manhattan Theatre Club on October 11, 1994, in a staging by Joe Mantello that ran for 72 performances...
in 1995. His success continued through the 1990s, and eventually culminated with a Tony Award for Best Lighting Design
Tony Award for Best Lighting Design
This is a list of the winners of the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design in a play or musical, first presented in 1970. In 2005 the category was divided with each genre represented separately.-1970s:* 1970: Jo Mielziner – Child's Play...
in 2002 for the revival of Into the Woods
Into the Woods
Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
. He won again in 2005 for The Pillowman
The Pillowman
The Pillowman is a 2003 play by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh. It received its first public reading in an early version at the Finborough Theatre, London, in 1995...
, in 2007 for The Coast of Utopia
The Coast of Utopia
The Coast of Utopia is a 2002 trilogy of plays: Voyage, Shipwreck, and Salvage, written by Tom Stoppard with focus on the philosophical debates in pre-revolution Russia between 1833 and 1866...
, sharing the award with Kenneth Posner
Kenneth Posner
Kenneth Posner is an American theatrical lighting designer, working on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in American regional theatre. His most notable designs include the musicals Wicked and Hairspray, two highly regarded musicals of the early 21st century...
and Natasha Katz
Natasha Katz
Natasha Katz is a lighting designer for the theatre, dance, and opera. She was educated at Oberlin College and did an internship with Roger Morgan....
(The three also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors...
for Utopia'.') Brian won the Tony in 2009 for his lighting of the play "Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Joe Turner's Come and Gone is a play by American playwright, August Wilson, the second installment of his decade-by-decade chronicle of the African-American experience, The Pittsburgh Cycle...
".
In fall of 2009 season, Brian is designed the revival of Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs
Brighton Beach Memoirs
Brighton Beach Memoirs is a semi-autobiographical play by Neil Simon, the first chapter in what is known as his Eugene trilogy. It precedes Biloxi Blues and Broadway Bound.-Characters:*Eugene Morris Jerome, almost 15...
, Broadway Bound
Broadway Bound
Broadway Bound is a semi-autobiographical play by Neil Simon. It is the last chapter in his Eugene trilogy, following Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues....
and David Mamet
David Mamet
David Alan Mamet is an American playwright, essayist, screenwriter and film director.Best known as a playwright, Mamet won a Pulitzer Prize and received a Tony nomination for Glengarry Glen Ross . He also received a Tony nomination for Speed-the-Plow . As a screenwriter, he received Oscar...
's new play Race
Race (Mamet play)
Race is a play by David Mamet that premiered on Broadway on December 6, 2009.-Production:The cast included Emmy Award winner James Spader, David Alan Grier, Kerry Washington, and Richard Thomas. Mamet also directed...
. In the 2010 season he designed A Behanding in Spokane, Fences, Armida at The Metropolitan Opera, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. In 2011 he has designed The Book of Mormon, Le Compte Ory at The Metropolitan Opera and The House of Blue Leaves.
He is proud to have four former students designing on Broadway this season, Kenneth Posner, Jeff Croiter, Jason Lyons, and Jennifer Schriever.
Brian accepted a position as an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, starting in the fall of 2009.