Lighting Design

A stage beautifully lit in orange and purple sunset colors, window frames suspended from the ceiling, curtains draped off to the sides, and two actors wearing white dresses and holding parasols are center stage.

Illuminating Possibilities

Carnegie Mellon School of Drama’s MFA Lighting Design program offers a holistic view of lighting as an art and craft, requiring both aesthetic and technical training and skill. Students receive theoretical training in the classroom and practical training in production. With access to top-flight facilities and equipment, students are prepared to design across a wide array of venues and genres. Our faculty and alumni work extensively throughout the industry, and are instrumental in helping new graduates launch their professional careers.

Photo of a lighting board and computer in the foreground and a mannequin being lit in purple light in the background.

Lighting Design Curriculum

Lighting students learn processes that explore all aspects of light as a visual design element. Students gain knowledge and expertise in the latest technology including automated lighting fixtures, LED fixtures, computer consoles, visualization software programs and media design software. Lighting students become efficient in focus and cueing, Vectorworks and Autocad drafting, designer and technical management paperwork, and lighting design for a range of genres, venues, and production scale.

MFA DESIGN CURRICULUM

Student Work

In the foreground, students are sitting at a table with computer screens lit up; in the background, we see a stage and set lit with stage lights.

Production Opportunities

Xotchil Musser (Class of 2023) was lighting designer for the School of Drama’s production of “this old haunt.”

See more of Xotchil’s work and process for this production here.

A stage beautifully lit in orange and purple sunset colors, window frames suspended from the ceiling, curtains draped off to the sides, and two actors wearing white dresses and holding parasols are center stage.

“A Little Night Music”

Jessica Winward (Class of 2024) was lighting designer for the School of Drama’s production of “A Little Night Music.” She took a unique approach to the show by opting to use CMY color mixing rather than RGB to light the cyc.

Click here to read more about her process.

A dancer wearing all white is mid-dance, with lights illuminating overhead and from the side wings.

Dance/Light

Dance/Light is an annual opportunity for students to explore the art form of dance. It is the largest and longest- running cross-discipline project in the School of Drama. The purpose is to unite the elements of choreography, performance, lighting design, costume design, and stage management in a concert dance format.

Xuewei Eva Hu (Class of 2024) was lighting designer for this piece (“Where’s the Catch?”) as part of Dance/Light 2024.

Choreographer: Samantha Pazos
Lighting Designer: Eva Hu
Costume Designer: Yinxue Wang
Stage Manager: Natalie Lawton
Dancer: Ana Schroeder

A box set of windows on all sides is illuminated on a stage with led lights around its perimeter; we see an actor inside the box in a spotlight, holding her hands up to the glass.

“A Doll’s House”

Xuewei Eva Hu (Class of 2024) was lighting designer for the School of Drama’s production of “A Doll’s House.”

Click here to see more of Eva’s work on this and other productions.

Four actors dressed in punk pop costumes and wigs sing into to standing microphones, with a row of lights overhead and a large projection behind them.

Production Designs

Zhengdao (Ernest) Wan (Class of 2024) was lighting designer for the School of Drama’s production of “I Think I’m Starting to Want to be a Mother.”

In the foreground, students are sitting at a table with computer screens lit up; in the background, we see a stage and set lit with stage lights.

Production Opportunities

Xotchil Musser (Class of 2023) was lighting designer for the School of Drama’s production of “this old haunt.”

See more of Xotchil’s work and process for this production here.

A stage beautifully lit in orange and purple sunset colors, window frames suspended from the ceiling, curtains draped off to the sides, and two actors wearing white dresses and holding parasols are center stage.

“A Little Night Music”

Jessica Winward (Class of 2024) was lighting designer for the School of Drama’s production of “A Little Night Music.” She took a unique approach to the show by opting to use CMY color mixing rather than RGB to light the cyc.

Click here to read more about her process.

A dancer wearing all white is mid-dance, with lights illuminating overhead and from the side wings.

Dance/Light

Dance/Light is an annual opportunity for students to explore the art form of dance. It is the largest and longest- running cross-discipline project in the School of Drama. The purpose is to unite the elements of choreography, performance, lighting design, costume design, and stage management in a concert dance format.

Xuewei Eva Hu (Class of 2024) was lighting designer for this piece (“Where’s the Catch?”) as part of Dance/Light 2024.

Choreographer: Samantha Pazos
Lighting Designer: Eva Hu
Costume Designer: Yinxue Wang
Stage Manager: Natalie Lawton
Dancer: Ana Schroeder

A box set of windows on all sides is illuminated on a stage with led lights around its perimeter; we see an actor inside the box in a spotlight, holding her hands up to the glass.

“A Doll’s House”

Xuewei Eva Hu (Class of 2024) was lighting designer for the School of Drama’s production of “A Doll’s House.”

Click here to see more of Eva’s work on this and other productions.

Four actors dressed in punk pop costumes and wigs sing into to standing microphones, with a row of lights overhead and a large projection behind them.

Production Designs

Zhengdao (Ernest) Wan (Class of 2024) was lighting designer for the School of Drama’s production of “I Think I’m Starting to Want to be a Mother.”

alumni stories

Photo of Brant Murray a white man with brown hair and glasses, wearing a collared shirt and suit jacket.

Brant Murray

 Photo of Cat Wilson, a white woman with blonde curly hair, wearing a deep purple v-neck sweater

Cat Wilson

 Photo of David Mann, a white man with blonde hair wearing a blue collared shirt and gray suit jacket.

David Mann

 Photo of Xotchil Musser, a woman with short black curly hair wearing a blue blazer with a black lapel.

Xotchil Musser

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Featured Faculty

Photo of C. Todd Brown - a white man with blonde hair, wearing a black shirt.

C. Todd Brown

Associate Teaching Professor of Lighting and Production Technology

Todd developed the Production Technology program within the Production Technology and Management area in the School of Drama and acts as the lead faculty in that program.

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Photo of Mary Ellen Stebbins, a white woman with light brown hair, pulled back, in a navy blue dress.

Mary Ellen Stebbins

Assistant Professor of Lighting Design

Mary Ellen Stebbins is a lighting designer working in theater, opera, dance, and music. She is Assistant Professor of Lighting Design in the School of Drama.

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Photo of Robert Thomson, a white man with grey/white curly hair wearing a black collared shirt with red and yellow accents.

Robert Thomson

Associate Professor of Lighting Design

Robert Thomson is widely recognized as one of Canada’s most versatile and active theater, opera and dance lighting designers. His acclaimed designs are noted for their precision, visual poetry, psychological insight and dramaturgical impact.

Read Full Bio
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