Elaine J. McCarthy | |
|---|---|
 McCarthy in 2003 | |
| Born | (1966-05-11)May 11, 1966 (age 59) Woburn, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | video designer |
Elaine J. McCarthy (born May 11, 1966) is anAmerican projection and video designer fortheater andopera.[1]
She was born inWoburn, Massachusetts, and grew up in nearbyArlington, Massachusetts.
Intending to studyPolitical Science, McCarthy initially attendedCatholic University inWashington, D.C. but found herself drawn to theArchitecture studio. She subsequently left to take asemester of architectural courses atHarvard University Graduate School of Design then a year atUniversity of Massachusetts Boston studyingPhotography andScenic design. She eventually enrolled atNew York University where she earned aBFA in Photography & Imaging from theTisch School of the Arts,Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film & Television.[2]
McCarthy held an administrative job in the early years of theMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMedia Lab, where she learned aboutcomputers. “I was exposed to the most bleeding-edgetechnology and everybody in that environment had a point of view to add, whether you were atenuredProfessor, or, like me, a glorifiedSecretary — it was all part of the mix. That was my first exposure to a barrier-free environment.” This experience led her to the MIT Community Players which was her first exposure to the idea of theater as a potential career. After that she worked with anExperimental theatre company, the Pilgrim Theater Research and Performance Collaborative. While stage managing for them at theEdinburgh Festival it became clear to her that she wished to pursue a career in theater. She eventually worked her way toNew York City working as a design assistant to noted projection designerWendall K. Harrington through whose studio many of today's top projection design practitioners have passed. This is where she saw her varied interests in technology, art, design, photography, architecture, film and theater come together in one discipline, projection design for theater.”[3]
She has since gone on to work with a diverse group of notableTheatre directors includingLeonard Foglia,Michael Greif,Kristin Hanggi,Andrei Konchalovsky,James Lapine,Joe Mantello,Michael Mayer,Dejan Miladinović,Mike Nichols,Jack O'Brien,Diane Paulus,Tim Robbins,Peter Sellars,Julie Taymor,John Tillinger andRob Urbinati.[4]
She has manyBroadway productions to her credit includingAfter the Fall (2004 revival),Good Vibrations,The Green Bird,Judgment at Nuremberg,[5] theTony Award nominated productions ofMan Of La Mancha (2002 Revival)[1] andWicked[6] (the 4thlongest-running Broadway show[7] and the 10thlongest-running West End show) as well as the Tony Award winning productions ofInto The Woods (2002 Revival),Assassins[8] andMonty Python'sSpamalot.[9]
She designed projections forTan Dun's adaptation ofThe Peony Pavilion at theWiener Festwochen[10] as well asTchaikovsky´sMazeppa[11][12] and theAndrei Konchalovsky directed production ofProkofiev'sWar and Peace,[13] both co-productions of the Kirov Opera at theMariinsky Theater inSaint Petersburg and theMetropolitan Opera inNew York City. She recently designedAlfredo Catalani'sLa Wally[14] and Tchaikovsky's rarely performedIolanta[15] for TheDallas Opera.
In August 2015 McCarthy designed projections for the world premiere of the new operaCold Mountain composed byJennifer Higdon with a libretto byGene Scheer at theSanta Fe Opera.[16]
In the Fall of 2015 McCarthy returned to the Dallas Opera to design projections for the world premier production ofGreat Scott, a new opera byJake Heggie andTerrence McNally directed byJack O'Brien with Sets and Costumes byBob Crowley and Lighting byBrian MacDevitt .[17]
McCarthy designed projections for the world premiere ofJake Heggie's new operaIt's a Wonderful Life for theHouston Grand Opera December 2016. The production was directed byLeonard Foglia with Sets by Robert Brill, Lighting by Brian Nason and Costumes by David C. Woolard.[18]
Fall 2018 McCarthy designed projections forGloria: A Life, the story ofGloria Steinem at theDaryl Roth Theatre starringChristine Lahti in the title role. It is written byEmily Mann and directed byDiane Paulus with scenic design by Amy Rubin, costume design by Jessica Jahn, lighting design by Jeanette Yew and sound design by Leah Gelpe.[19]
Late summer 2016 McCarthy designed projections for theNew England premier production ofNotes from the Field: Doing Time in Education, created, written and performed byAnna Deavere Smith inBoston at theAmerican Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) then it moved toNew York City'sSecond Stage Theater that fall. Directed byLeonard Foglia with Set design by Riccardo Hernandez, costume design byAnn Hould-Ward, lighting design byHowell Binkley[20]
McCarthy designed sets and projections for the world premiere ofJoby Talbot's new operaThe Diving Bell and the Butterfly for theDallas Opera, originally scheduled for the 2020-21 season but postponed until fall of 2023 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[21] The production was directed byLeonard Foglia with Lighting by Gavin Swift and Costumes by David C. Woolard.[22]
McCarthy designed theFort Worth Symphony Orchestra's performance ofHaydn:The Creation presented in May 2023. Conducted byRobert Spano.[23]
McCarthy is a frequent collaborator with DirectorLeonard Foglia. She designed projections for his Off-Broadway productionThe Stendhal Syndrome;[24] his Broadway productionsThurgood,[25] andThe People in the Picture;[26] and his production of the Opera'sDead Man Walking[27] for theNew York City Opera as well as the World Premiere productions ofMoby-Dick[28] andEverest[29] for the Dallas Opera andEl Pasado Nunca se Termina for theLyric Opera of Chicago for which she designed both Sets and Projections. “What Elaine is able to do,” he says, “is to use my ideas as a departure for her own creativity. She will take my ideas and lift it out to a level I could never have imagined. It's what I pray every designer will do.”[1]
She is currently a Guest Lectrurer in Design for Advanced Discussions in Directing and Scenography[30] at theDavid Geffen School of Drama atYale University where she previously was aLecturer in Design teaching Projection Design in Practice.[31] She has also been anAdjunct instructor atBoston UniversityCollege of Fine Arts, School of Theatre,[32]Emerson College.,[33]New York University Tisch School of the Arts,Rutgers University,Mason Gross School of the Arts andTexas State University and has been a guest lecturer atCity University of New YorkCollege of Technology,Pace University,University of Alabama,University of Maryland,University of North CarolinaSchool of the Arts,Wesleyan University,University of Wisconsin, and numerous others.
She appeared as a guest speaker at theUSITT Conference,[34]Live Design's L.D.I.[35] andOpera America's Opera Conference.
McCarthy is a member ofUnited Scenic Artists local 829labor union representing designers in the entertainment industries in both theProjection designer andScenic designer categories. She is also a member ofUSITT and was aLucille Lortel Award voter 2019-2022.[34] McCarthy is an Associate Volunteer for as well as a member of the Steering Committee ofThe 1/52 Project, founded by Scenic designerBeowulf Boritt in 2022 as a financial grant program financed and run by working designers to encourage early career designers from historically excluded groups.[36]
In 2020 McCarthy was honored with theUSITT Distinguished Achievement Award for Digital Media.[37]
McCarthy's projection design work onGloria: A Life was recognized with theAmerican Theater Wing'sHenry Hewes Design Award Nomination for Notable Effects in August 2019.[38]
In June 2019 McCarthy won aBetty Mitchell Award for Outstanding Projection or Video Design for her work onEverest at theCalgary Opera.[39]
McCarthy was nominated in 2017 for theDrama Desk Award[40] theLucille Lortel Award[41] and theHenry Hewes Design Award[42] for Outstanding Projection Design forNotes from the Field at Second Stage and for anIRNE Award in the category Large Theater: Best Projection Design forNotes from the Field at theAmerican Repertory Theater.[43]
McCarthy was nominated for Best Video Design for Entertainment Today's Ticketholder Award in 2010 forThurgood at theGeffen Playhouse.[44]
McCarthy was nominated for theHenry Hewes Design Award in 2009 for Notable Effects[45] forFrequency Hopping produced by the Hourglass Group at the 3LD Arts & Technology Center inNew York City for which she designed both the scenery and projections.[46] The production was noted for its use of a fully robotic orchestra as well as McCarthy's utilization ofMusion Eyeliner, which is a modern version of the 19th centuryPepper's Ghost effect.[47]
McCarthy was nominated for Best Video Design for Entertainment Today's Ticketholder Award in 2007 for theCenter Theatre Group's World Premier production ofLisa Loomer's playDistracted at theMark Taper Forum for which she designed both Sets and Projections[48]
In 2003 she was awarded an Entertainment Design Magazine (nowLive Design) Eddy Award for Projection Design Excellence[49]
McCarthy is married, has adaughter and lives in Connecticut.[50]
