Lighting Design

Lighting Design by Justin Thomas

Often overlooked as an element of design, light literally illuminates our ability to see and understand our visual world. As a lighting designer, I bring musicality, rhythm, color, texture, intensity, and movement to compliment and support collaborative storytelling. Whether a single, crisp spotlight or the soft, warm glow of a candle, I compose each scene with lighting choices that create artistic worlds connecting audiences to the emotional context at the heart of a text while also grounding audiences in time, place, and visual style.

I love lighting. It is like painting a composition that continues to evolve, and I brush, spatter, scrape, drag, etch, dab, roll, stipple with every look and every instrument. With light, I make visual music, guided by the rhythms of story, at times angular and staccato and at others flowing and lyrical.

At the same time that artistry drives my choices, lighting requires technical specificity, organization, engineering, clarity, and exceptional collaboration and communication skills. I work equally well collaborating with technicians to determine electrical load and system capabilities as I do rhythm, look, and feel with directors and choreographers. Whether a design requires me to organize 500+ lighting fixtures, moving lights, strobes, and pixel mapping, or a smaller design with conventional fixtures, I catalog, coordinate, and communicate each choice so that a collaborative team of technicians and artists might build worlds of wonder and magic for our audience.

Explore My Lighting Design Portfolio

Multiple photographs of a theater stage set with vertical panels and green railings, displaying a black background and blue side walls.
Image showing a textured, patterned surface with vertical lines and abstract shapes in black and white.
Silhouette of a woman standing in front of illuminated wooden background, with her head bowed and hair falling over her face.
A dancer in a black outfit performs on stage, striking a pose with one arm extended and the other bent at the elbow, surrounded by four others in white shirts and black pants, with a dark background and blue lighting.
Group of dancers performing on stage with dramatic shadow effects on the backdrop.
Three actors on a dark stage with spotlight, two standing and one sitting, portraying a scene in a theater or play.
Three people standing on a circular stage in a dark setting; two are illuminated by spotlights, and one person appears in the foreground with their back to the camera. The background is mostly dark with a few chairs visible around the stage.
A theatrical scene with three actors standing around a circular stage with chairs and a suitcase. Two of the actors are wearing overcoats and hats, while the third woman is dressed in a purple coat. The stage is dimly lit with a dark background and s
Three actors performing a scene on a dimly lit stage with wooden flooring, two are seated at a table, and one is standing, dressed in vintage clothing.
The image features a theater stage with three actors - two women and one man - engaged in a scene. The stage is circular with a wooden floor and is illuminated with blue lighting. There are chairs on the stage, and the background is dark with only a
A theatrical performance with six actors on stage, some kneeling and others standing, engaging in a dramatic scene with a dark, textured backdrop.
Dance performance with six female dancers on stage, colorful costumes, purple-lit background.
A woman with dreadlocks kneeling and holding her face in her hands in a dimly lit room with candles on a table in the foreground.
The image shows a theater stage with actors performing under dark lighting, with colorful papers falling from above. In the background, there is a cityscape projected on a screen. The stage is decorated with furniture and props, including chairs, tab
Stage decorated with crinkled white fabric, illuminated by pink and purple lights. Multiple shelves and curtains are visible, with a spiral staircase in the center. The scene appears to be set for a theatrical performance or a play.
The photo shows a stage with a modern, textured wall backdrop illuminated by warm lighting, a pink spiral staircase at the center, and three chairs on the right side. The stage is framed by white curtains, and there is a black music or sound equipmen
The image depicts a scene from a theatrical performance showing children on stage. Some children are lying on the floor, covered with costumes resembling animals or characters, while others are sitting. In the background, a performer with a large, ro
Group of performers on stage, some striking poses with arms extended, in front of a backdrop with stars; stage is lit with colorful lights and a chandelier hangs overhead.
Inside a Gothic cathedral with high vaulted ceilings illuminated in purple and orange lights, stained glass rose window at the end of the nave, and flags hanging on the sides.
Stage scene from a theatrical production with two actors, one man in a shirt and trousers standing near a chair, and a woman in dark clothing working with a laundry basket. The stage has a large wooden log backdrop and minimal furniture, illuminated
Scene from a play or performance showing a young boy sitting in a chair at center stage with a serious expression, wearing overalls and a brown shirt. To the right, a girl is playing a white piano or keyboard. The stage has a rustic setting with a da
A rustic outdoor scene at night with a wooden table and chairs, illuminated by red and blue lighting, with a decorative wooden fence, a refrigerator, and a vintage-style cooler.
A theatrical stage designed like a rustic outdoor scene with a fake grass floor, surrounded by rows of chairs, and a backdrop resembling a wooden fence with blue and brown tones. There are various props, including a small table, a wheelbarrow, a refr
A woman in a bathrobe standing barefoot next to a washing machine with towels hanging on it. Behind her is a dark wall with a window decorated with orange and yellow drapes. She appears to be doing laundry or folding clothes.
Young man standing on a stage, wearing overalls and a button-up shirt, with a trolley and scattered papers nearby. Dim lighting with a single overhead light illuminating him, as part of a theater or performance setting.
A dimly lit outdoor dining area with a wooden table, chairs, a small refrigerator, and a cake with lit candles, surrounded by a blue fabric backdrop.
Two dancers performing in front of a backdrop with text and projection effects.
The image depicts a lively stage performance with multiple performers. In the foreground, a man dressed in a red and black jacket stands center stage, surrounded by women in black outfits dancing. Additional performers are on stairs and a balcony in
Group of people gathered around a science experiment with fire and smoke, engaging in a dramatic demonstration.
Two men performing on stage, one playing violin and the other singing or speaking, in a dark setting with a floral mural in the background.
Theatrical stage with actors, colorful curtains, seating, and a large, illuminated backdrop with text.
Two actors on stage, a woman in a pink dress looking at a man in a military uniform who is standing with hands clasped, illuminated by stage spotlight.
A musician playing electric guitar on stage in a dimly lit venue with exposed brick walls and stage lights hanging from the ceiling.
A musician performs on stage in a dimly lit venue with brick walls. The performer is playing an acoustic guitar and singing into a microphone, with stage lights overhead.
Dimly lit stage with a group of people sitting in chairs on the left and a group standing on the right, with a blue spotlight shining from the right in a theatrical or concert setting.
A scene with four people in a dimly lit room with plain walls. Two young men are seated at a table, each holding a pack of cigarettes. Another young man is standing, leaning over the seated man on the left, and appears to be speaking or whispering to
A stage setup with a theatrical performance featuring actors in costume, including an elephant and a person sitting on a throne, under a blue and green curtain, with stage lights overhead and a decorative face in the background.

Selected Show Credits

  • Producer: Grinnell College, Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies

    Director/Choreographer: Aguibou Bougabali Sanou

    Costume Design: Erin Howell-Gritsch

    Lighting Design: Me

    Scenic Design: Me

    Recently Selected from Juried Exhibition for Publication by United States Institute for Technical Theatre

    My USITT Website with further details if necessary.

    Photos by: Kate Baumgartner

    Renderings and Drawings: Me

  • Producer: Grinnell College, Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies

    Director/Choreographer: Aguibou Bougabali Sanou

    Costume Design: Erin Howell-Gritsch

    Lighting Design: Me

    Photos: 1) Kountefaga Photos by Justin Hayworth

    2) Errance Photos labeled with KB by Kate Baumgartner

  • Producer: Lize Lerman Dance Exchange and VSA Arts

    Chroeography: Peter DiMuro

    Lights: Me

  • Producer: Studio Theatre

    Lights: me

  • Producer: Round House Theatre

    Directed by: Matthew Gardiner

    Scenery by: Misha Kachman

    Lighting by: me

  • Producer: Washington National Cathedral

  • Producer: Studio Theatre

    Lighting by me