Jennifer Tipton (born September 11, 1937) is an award winning American

lighting designer In theatre, a lighting designer (or LD) works with the director, choreographer, set designer, costume designer, and sound designer to create the lighting, atmosphere, and time of day for the production in response to the text while keeping ...

. She has designed for

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

, and

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

. She is known for working on many productions of

American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual ei ...

Life and career

Tipton was born in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...

. In 1958, she graduated from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

. While performing as a dancer and rehearsal mistress, she noticed the importance of lighting, and studied dance lighting with

Thomas Skelton Thomas R. Skelton (September 24, 1927 – August 9, 1994) was an American lighting designer. In a career spanning more than four decades, he was best known for his lighting designs for ballet and Broadway theatre productions. Biography Born in N ...

, becoming his assistant.A Brief History of Stage lighting
northern.edu, accessed May 26, 2009 Her first lighting design for

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

was in 1969 for ''

Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 thr ...

''. Among her many awards and nominations, she won the 1977

Tony Award for Best Lighting Design This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design for outstanding lighting design of a play or musical. The award was first presented in 1970. Since 2005, the category was divided into Lighting Design in a Play ...

for lighting

Andrei Serban Andrei Șerban (born June 21, 1943) is a Romanian-American theater director. A major name in twentieth-century theater, he is renowned for his innovative and iconoclastic interpretations and stagings. In 1992 he became Professor of Theater at the ...

's production of ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...

'' and the 1989 Tony Award for lighting for ''

Jerome Robbins' Broadway ''Jerome Robbins' Broadway'' is an anthology comprising musical numbers from shows that were either directed or choreographed by Jerome Robbins. The shows represented include, for example, '' The King and I'', '' On the Town'' and ''West Side Stor ...

''. She also has won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design twice. She is known for her designs for dance and is the principal lighting designer for the

Paul Taylor Dance Company Paul Taylor Dance Company, is a modern dance company, formed by dancer and choreographer Paul Taylor (1930—2018). The modern dance company is based in New York, New York and was founded in 1954. Taylor originally performed in the companies of ...

. Choreographers she has worked with include

Mikhail Baryshnikov Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Барышников, p=mʲɪxɐˈil bɐ'rɨʂnʲɪkəf; lv, Mihails Barišņikovs; born January 28, 1948) is a Soviet Latvian-born Russian-American dancer, choreograp ...

Jiří Kylián Jiří Kylián (born 21 March 1947) is a Czech former dancer and contemporary dance choreographer. Life Jiří Kylián was born in 1947 in Prague, Czechoslovakia, to his father Václav who was a banker and to his mother Markéta, who was as a ...

, Dana Reitz,

Jerome Robbins Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his nu ...

, Paul Taylor,

Twyla Tharp Twyla Tharp (; born July 1, 1941) is an American dancer, choreographer, and author who lives and works in New York City. In 1966 she formed the company Twyla Tharp Dance. Her work often uses classical music, jazz, and contemporary pop music. Fr ...

, Dan Wagoner, and

Shen Wei Shen Wei () is a Chinese-American choreographer, painter, and director who resides in Chinese Americans in New York City, New York City. Widely recognized for his defining vision of an intercultural and interdisciplinary mode of movement-based p ...

. Tipton has designed lighting on many plays for the

, starting with ''A Soldier's Tale'' (1971). Other productions she worked on include ''Amnon'' ''V’Tamar'', ''Bach Partita'', ''

Le Baiser de la Fée ''Le Baiser de la fée'' (''The Fairy's Kiss'') is a neoclassical ballet in one act and four scenes composed by Igor Stravinsky in 1928 and revised in 1950 for George Balanchine and the New York City Ballet. Based on Hans Christian Andersen's s ...

'', ''

Ballet Imperial ''Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2'', also titled ''Ballet Imperial'', is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 2. ''Ballet Imperial'' was choreographed for American Ballet Caravan's 1941 South Americ ...

'', ''Brief Fling'', '' Bruch Violin Concerto No.1'', and ''Bum’s Rush''. She designed the lighting for Baryshnikov's production of ''

The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaik ...

'', both for the stage and for television. In 2001, Tipton was awarded

The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize or Gish Prize is given annually to "a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind's enjoyment and understanding of life." It is among the most prestigious and on ...

, one of the richest prizes in the arts, given annually to "a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind's enjoyment and understanding of life." In January 2008, Tipton designed a large lighting display for the

Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center The Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) is a multi-venue arts center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, which opened on October 3, 2008. The building is named after Curtis Priem, co-founder ...

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute () (RPI) is a private research university in Troy, New York, with an additional campus in Hartford, Connecticut. A third campus in Groton, Connecticut closed in 2018. RPI was established in 1824 by Stephen Van ...

Troy, NY Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany ...

. It was her first non-theatrical installation. In September 2008, she won a MacArthur Grant. She has served as Professor (Adjunct) of Design at the

Yale School of Drama The David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University is a graduate professional school of Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1924 as the Department of Drama in the School of Fine Arts, the school provides training in e ...

since 1981. Tipton trained many lighting designers, including

Donald Holder Donald Holder is an American lighting designer in theatre, opera and dance based in New York. He was born in 1962. He has been nominated for fourteen Tony Awards, winning the 1998 Tony Award for Best Lighting Design as well as the Drama Desk Awar ...

Christopher Akerlind Christopher Akerlind (born May 1, 1962, in Hartford, Connecticut) is an American lighting designer for theatre, opera, and dance. He won the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design for ''Indecent''. He also won the Tony Award for Best Lighting Desig ...

, Michael Chybowski, M.L. Geiger and

Robert Wierzel Robert Wierzel (born July 1, 1956) is an American lighting designer. Mr. Wierzel has worked with artists, directors and designers from diverse disciplines and backgrounds in theatre, dance, contemporary music, museums and opera on stages throug ...

. 2006

Tony award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

winner Howell Binkley assisted her for many years. A 1991 biographical article in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' stated: "There are perhaps a dozen lighting designers in the country who work steadily enough to support themselves by their art, and maybe half a dozen who are acclaimed and in demand. Among these is Jennifer Tipton, characterized most often for the impeccability of her taste and a certain precision and cerebral quality to her work -- which have earned her two Tony awards, among other prizes during her 25 years in the theater." In a ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' article, Tipton stated: "I feel that light is like music. In some abstract, emotional, noncerebral, nonliterary way, it makes us feel, it makes us see, it makes us think, all without knowing exactly how and why.""Tipton,Jennifer" ''Current Biography Yearbook 1997'' The H. W. Wilson Company. 1997. page 560. She talks about how probably 99.9% of the audience isn't even really aware of it. A lot of thought is put into the lighting of a show, dance, performance, etc. and almost no one really appreciates it. Tipton believes that the most important differences with designing lighting for dance and theater is that in dance, darkness is forbidden. You have to see dance to know what's going on but in theater, you just need to listen to it.

Politico ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...

described Tipton as seeing light "as a potent, versatile, mysterious, art form". In 2018, she designed for ''

To Kill a Mockingbird ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a novel by the American author Harper Lee. It was published in 1960 and was instantly successful. In the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' has become ...

''.

Stage work and awards (selected)

*''

'' - 2018 - Tony Award Best Lighting Design of a Play nominee *''

A Doll's House, Part 2 ''A Doll's House, Part 2'' is a 2017 play written by Lucas Hnath. The play premiered at the South Coast Repertory, in April 2017, before transferring to Broadway at the John Golden Theatre. The play "picks up after Henrik Ibsen's 1879 play ''A D ...

'' - 2017 - Tony Award Best Lighting Design of a Play nominee *''

The Testament of Mary ''The Testament of Mary'' is a short novel by Irish writer Colm Tóibín. The book was published on 13 November 2012 by Scribner's. The novel is written from the point of view of Mary, mother of Jesus, reflecting in her old age on her son's li ...

'' - 2013 - Tony Award Best Lighting Design of a Play nominee *''Spectral Scriabin'' - 2010 - a "piano theatre" collaboration with pianist Eteri Andjaparidze *''La Bete'' - 1991 - Tony Award Best Lighting Design nominee *''

'' - 1989 - Tony Award Best Lighting Design winner and

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...

Outstanding Lighting Design winner *'' Long Day's Journey Into Night'' - 1989 - Drama Desk Award Outstanding Lighting Design winner *''Worstward Ho'' - 1987 - Drama Desk Award Outstanding Lighting Design nominee *''Hamlet'' - 1986 - Drama Desk Award Outstanding Lighting Design nominee *''

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...

'' - 1985 - Drama Desk Award Outstanding Lighting Design nominee *''

Sophisticated Ladies ''Sophisticated Ladies'' is a musical revue based on the music of Duke Ellington. The musical ran on Broadway in 1981–83, earning 2 awards and 8 nominations at the 35th Tony Awards. Production ''Sophisticated Ladies'' opened on Broadway at th ...

'' - 1981 - Tony Award Best Lighting Design nominee *''Lunch Hour'' - 1981 - Drama Desk Award Outstanding Lighting Design nominee *''

Bosoms and Neglect ''Bosoms and Neglect'' is a play by American playwright John Guare, first staged in 1979 at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. Productions ''Bosoms and Neglect'' opened on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre on May 3, 1979, where it ran fo ...

'' - 1979 *''

'' - 1977 - Tony Award Best Lighting Design winner and Drama Desk Award Outstanding Lighting Design winner *''

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf ''for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf'' is Ntozake Shange's first work and most acclaimed theater piece, which premiered in 1976. It consists of a series of poetic monologues to be accompanied by dance moveme ...

'' 1977 - Drama Desk Award Outstanding Lighting Design winner

References

External links

*
NY Times article by Nan Robertson, February 11, 1984

Bibliography of books and articles about Tipton
from the Dance Heritage Coalition
Jennifer Tipton lighting designs, 1958-2013
Jerome Robbins Dance Division,

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, is located in Manhattan, New York City, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side, between the Metro ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tipton, Jennifer 1937 births Cornell University alumni Living people American lighting designers Tony Award winners Drama Desk Award winners Ballet designers MacArthur Fellows *Jennifer Tipton Artists from Columbus, Ohio Bessie Award winners