Profile

Theater Design

Most recently David Lighted Sea World Orlando’s Howl-O-Scream production of Monster Stomp.  Running Sept-October 31st.  Jack the Ripper is stalking Slasher Alley in a musical mashup of songs from the 90’s through today taking place in Old London’s streets.

David was the resident designer for Barrington Stage Company’s 2021 summer productions in the Main-Stage Tent.  He lighted two World Premiere Productions: the musical review, Who Could Ask For Anything More and the play Boca.   In addition David lighted Sister Sorry written by Alec Wilkinson loosely based on his 1993 New Yorker article “The Confession.”  Sister Sorry was performed indoors.

Barrington Stage had the distinction of being the first theater in North America to perform during the time of Covid19.  With massive safety measures in place, we performed in the summer of 2020 in a tent with 100 socially distanced audience members. This year we erected a tent twice the size that held an audience of  200+.

 

Past Highlights:

David received the 2011 Drama Desk Award for Best Lighting Design for Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Moisés Kaufman, starring Robin Williams.  He was also nominated for the American Theatre Wing’s Tony Award and Outer Critics Circle Award.

David received a 2009 Tony Award Nomination for Best Lighting Design for 33 Variations, written and directed by Moisés Kaufman, starring Jane Fonda at the Eugene O’Neil Theatre.

Recent Broadway productions include: Torch Song by Harvey Fierstein with Michael Urie and Mercedes Rhuel directed by Moisés Kaufman, and the Hit Cult Classic Musical The Lightning Thief, The Percy Jackson Musical.

Upcoming Projects:

– Jabari Dreams of Freedom – by Nambi E. Kelley- Touring Performing Arts Centers and Middle Schools throughout the nation.
Performing at the New Vic Theatre April 2022
– Rooted – by Deborah Zoe Laufer – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Jan, 2022

Recent Projects:

-Juilliard Opera Presents Handel’s Teseo.  Director Stephen Wadsworth.  Winter 2021.  Filmed Arias and Duets. A collaboration between Juilliard’s Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts and the Historical Performance program, the Juilliard Opera production of Teseo is a selection of arias from Handel’s five-act opera Filmed.

-“Toward Handel’s Teseo” A behind-the-scenes short documentary about the making of Handel’s Teseo production by Juilliard’s Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts and the Historical Performance program.

–Harry Clarke, Barrington Theatre Company, director Julianne Boyd.  Summer 2020.  First theatrical production in North America mid pandemic.  Safely produced in a tent.

– The Lightning Thief, The Percy Jackson Musical  ON BROADWAY  at the Longacre Theatre.  Limited run Sept 20,2019 – Jan 5,2020
– Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Huntington Theatre, director Peter DuBois
– Dog Man The Musical, TheatreworksUSA, book and lyrics by Kevin Del Aguila, music by Brad Alexander, director Jen Wineman
– Ozwald Boateng at the Apollo – Fashion Show – Sara Blonstein Creative Director

Past Productions:

–Torch Song by Harvey Fierstein at The Hayes Theatre, with Michael Urie and Mercedes Rhuel directed by Moisés Kaufman
–Mughal-E-Azam: Delhi, Mumbai, Singapore, Dubai
– The Flood, Opera Columbus, composer Korine Fujiwara and librettist/director Stephen Wadsworth
–The Mad Ones by Brian Lowdermilk and Kait Kerrigan at 59E59
–The Lightning Thief, The Percy Jackson Musical TheaterworksUSA at the Lucille Lortel Theater
–Love Love Love by Mike Bartlett, directed by Michael Mayer, Roundabout Theater Company Laura Pels Theater
–This Day Forward by Nicky Silver, directed by Mark Brokaw, Vineyard Theater
–The Tempest and Cymbeline at The Delecorte Theatre, New York Shakespeare Festival
–The Music Man at The Guthrie Theatre
–I Am Ann Hutchinson , I Am Harvey Milk an Oratorio, by Andrew Lippa with Andrew Lippa and Kristin Chenoweth.
-The Library directed by Steven Soderbergh with Chloë Moretz, at the Public Theatre

–Wakey Wakey written and directed by Will Eno featuring Michael Emerson,  Signature Theater NYC

“David Lander’s lighting and Christine Jones’ design clue us to the inevitable changing realities: a suggestion of a tasteful institutional setting, packing boxes and piles of clothing indicating material things that aren’t that important any longer, and a door just off to the side waiting to be opened.”

–The Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams directed by Michael Wilson, A.R.T Boston

“Then David Lander’s lighting turns this one night in Mexico into a series of paintings. And the closing scene of Act 1 becomes an awe-inspiring theatrical effect.”
“All that said, a first-rate, terrifying, act-ending thunderstorm executed by McLane and lighting designer David Lander takes us into a wholly energized second half. “
“The sky, gorgeously then forebodingly lit by David Lander, is a show in itself.”
“Most infallible, though, is David Lander’s subtly magnificent lighting…”

Lander has collaborated with many directors including:

Christopher Ashley, Stephen Brackett, Jo Bonney, Gregory Boyd, Julianne Boyd, Stephen Brackett, Mark Brokaw, Marc Bruni, Oliver Butler, Joe Calarco, Frank Dunlop, Scott Elliott, Terry Kinney,  Michael Greif, Doug Hughes, Moisés Kaufman, Dan Knechtges, James Lapine, Arthur Laurents, Noah Himmelstein, Pam MacKinnon, Michael Mayer, Maria Mileaf, Larry Moss, Lindsay Posner, David Saint, Giovanna Sardelli, Scott Schwartz, Steven Soderbergh, Jonathan Silverstein, John Miller-Stephany, Daniel Sullivan, Steven Wadsworth, Michael Wilson, Henry Wishcamper.

And Actors including:

Elisabeth Ashley, Jane Atkinson, Tom Aldrich, William Atherton, Craig Bierko, Jason Biggs, Stephen Bogardus, Larry Bryggman, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Chenoweth, Kieran Culkin, Jim Dale, Tyne Daly, Olympia Dukakis, Deanna Dunigan, Richard Easton, Jennifer Ehle, Michael Emerson, Mia Farrow, Jane Fonda, Penny Fuller, Boyd Gains, Malcolm Gets, John Glover, Zach Grenier, George Grizzard, Dee Hoty, Judith Ivey, James Earl Jones, Eartha Kitt, Kevin Klein, Frank Langella, Linda Lavin, Hamish Linklater, Andrew Lippa, Logan Marshall-Green, Maureen McGovern, Rita Moreno, Chloë Moretz, Michael Nouri, Ana Paquin, Steven Pasquale, Mary Beth Piel, Amanda Plummer, Lily Rabe, Molly Ringwald, Chita Rivera, Mercedes Ruehl, Michael Rupert, Debra Jo Rupp, Liev Schreiber, Douglas Sills, Jean Smart, Dan Stevens, David Strathairn, Richard Thomas, Michael Urie, Sam Waterston, Robin Williams, Karen Ziemba, Louis Zorich.

Architecture / Themed Attractions / Public Art

David designed the lighting and lighting system for Busch Gardens Tampa “Opening Night Critters.”  His completed projects include “Invitation,” a light-art installation for the Sam Hotel in Houston. “Luca et Vita Universae” with artist Lori Nozic, for Art-in-Public-Places, a sculpture and star field installation for Public School 58, Staten Island, NY. Sea World of Florida’s “Sea Port” waterfront, 3 themed restaurants, 4 retail shops and exterior waterfront, as old European Sea Port. Sea World of Florida and San Diego’s “Wild Arctic,” a themed arctic walk-through aquarium exhibit. Denver International Airport- Leni Schwendinger’s “Deep Time/Deep Space – a Subterranean Journey,” a light and sculpture installation in a one mile-long automated shuttle train tunnel. Pittsburgh Light Projects- Pittsburgh, PA. Lighting consultant to interpret and execute Robert Wilson’s public art light projects.

Education

MFA in Design, New York University, Tisch School of the Arts
BFA in Design, The Ohio State University