Elaine J. McCarthy (born May 11, 1966) is an American projection and

video design Video design or projection design is a creative field of stagecraft. It is concerned with the creation and integration of film, motion graphics and live camera feed into the fields of theatre, opera, dance, fashion shows, concerts and other live e ...

er for theater and opera.David Johnson
"The Next Generation of Projection Design"
''Live Design'', May 1, 2003

Early life

She was born in

Woburn, Massachusetts Woburn ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,876 at the 2020 census. Woburn is located north of Boston. Woburn uses Massachusetts' mayor-council form of governme ...

, and grew up in nearby

Arlington, Massachusetts Arlington is a New England town, town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The town is six miles (10 km) northwest of Boston, Massachusetts, Boston, and its population was 46,308 at the 2020 census. History ...

. Intending to study

Political Science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

, McCarthy initially attended Catholic University in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

but found herself drawn to the architectural studio. She subsequently left to take a semester of architectural courses at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

Graduate School of Design then a year at

University of Massachusetts Boston The University of Massachusetts Boston (stylized as UMass Boston) is a Public university, public research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the only public research university in Boston and the third-largest campus in the five-campus Un ...

studying photography and set design. She eventually enrolled at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

where she earned a B.F.A. in Photography & Imaging from the

Tisch School of the Arts The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic and media arts school of New York University. Founded on August 17, 1965, Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the a ...

, Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film & Television.

Career

Early career

McCarthy held an administrative job in the early years of the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

Media Lab, where she learned about computers. “I was exposed to the most bleeding-edge technology and everybody in that environment had a point of view to add, whether you were a tenured professor, or, like me, a glorified secretary — 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 an experimental theater company, the Pilgrim Theater Research and Performance Collaborative. While stage managing for them at the

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...

it became clear to her that she wished to pursue a career in theater. She eventually worked her way to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

working as a design assistant to noted projection designer Wendall 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.”

Steven McElroy Steven E. McElroy (born December 30, 1966) is an American director, actor, teacher and writer. Education and career highlights McElroy, a Providence, Rhode Island native, graduated with a B.A. in Theatre Arts and English Literature from Brown U ...

"From Afterthought to Essential"
''New York Times'', May 18, 2008 She has since gone on to work with a diverse group of notable directors including

Leonard Foglia Leonard Foglia (born August 24, 1954) is an American theatre director, librettist, and novelist. Foglia made his Broadway debut as the assistant director of ''The Heidi Chronicles'' in 1989. He also directed revivals of ''Wait Until Dark'' (1998) ...

Michael Greif Michael Greif (born ca. 1959 in Brooklyn, New YorkWelsh, Anne Marie, "New York and family call Michael Greif home", ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'', October 10, 1999, p.E-1) is an American stage director. He has won three Obie Award, Obie Awards a ...

Kristin Hanggi Kristin Hanggi (born: Murrieta Valley, California) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter; and theater director best known for the 2009 Broadway musical '' Rock of Ages''. The jukebox musical received five Tony Award nominati ...

Andrei Konchalovsky Andrei Sergeyevich Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky (russian: link=no, Андрей Сергеевич Михалков-Кончаловский; born 20 August 1937) is a Russian filmmaker. He has worked in Soviet, Hollywood, and contemporary Russian ...

James Lapine James Elliot Lapine (born January 10, 1949) is an American stage director, playwright, screenwriter, and librettist. He has won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical three times, for ''Into the Woods'', ''Falsettos'', and '' Passion''. He ha ...

Joe Mantello Joseph Mantello (born December 27, 1962) is an American actor and director known for his work on Broadway productions of ''Wicked'', '' Take Me Out'', and ''Assassins'', having gained notoriety in the 1993 cast of ''Angels in America''. Early li ...

, Michael Mayer,

Dejan Miladinović Dejan Miladinović, ( sr-Cyrl, Дејан Миладиновић; 2 December 1948 – 3 August 2017) was a Serbs, Serbian opera director. He was born in Belgrade, SFR Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia, in a family of opera artists (his father Dušan was ...

Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...

, Jack O'Brien,

Diane Paulus Diane Marie Paulus (born 1966) is an American theater and opera director who is currently the Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director of the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University.Colleen Walsh"Paulus reaches beyond boards" ''Harvar ...

Tim Robbins Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film ''The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for his role ...

Peter Sellars Peter Sellars (born September 27, 1957) is an American theatre director, noted for his unique contemporary stagings of classical and contemporary operas and plays. Sellars is professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where ...

Julie Taymor Julie Taymor (born December 15, 1952) is an American director and writer of theater, opera and film. Her stage adaptation of ''The Lion King'' debuted in 1997, and received eleven Tony Award nominations, with Taymor receiving Tony Awards for Best ...

John Tillinger John Tillinger (born June 28, 1938) is a theatre director and actor. Life and career Joachim F. Tillinger was born in Tabriz, Iran. His father was German Jewish and his mother was Protestant. Tillinger was raised in England, where he was first ...

and

Rob Urbinati Rob Urbinati (born August 12, 1952) is a freelance playwright, screenwriter, book author and theater director based in New York City. He is the Director of New Play Development at Queens Theatre. Background and education Rob Urbinati was born ...

Broadway

She has many

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 ...

productions to her credit including '' After the Fall'' (2004 revival), ''

Good Vibrations "Good Vibrations" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was composed by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Mike Love. It was released as a single on October 10, 1966 and was an immediate critical and commercial hit, topping record ...

'', '' The Green Bird'', ''

Judgment at Nuremberg ''Judgment at Nuremberg'' is a 1961 American epic courtroom drama film directed and produced by Stanley Kramer, written by Abby Mann and starring Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Maximilian Schell, Werner Klemperer, Marlene Dietr ...

'',Simi Horowitz
"The Multi Media Is The Message"
''Backstage'', June 6, 2001 the

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 cer ...

nominated productions of ''

Man Of La Mancha ''Man of La Mancha'' is a 1965 musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay ''I, Don Quixote'', which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervantes ...

'' (2002 Revival) and ''

Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe * '' Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' s ...

''Anita Gates
"The Screen’s Now Setting Many a Stage"
''New York Times'', March 2, 2010 (the 5th longest-running Broadway show) as well as the Tony Award winning productions of ''

Into The Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story ...

'' (2002 Revival), ''

Assassins An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder. Assassin may also refer to: Origin of term * Someone belonging to the medieval Persian Ismaili order of Assassins Animals and insects * Assassin bugs, a genus in the family ''Reduviida ...

'' and ''

Monty Python Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four ...

Spamalot ''Spamalot'' (also known as ''Monty Python's Spamalot'') is a musical comedy with music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, and lyrics and book by Idle. It is adapted from the 1975 film ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail''. Like the motion picture ...

''.David Barbour
"The Prevalence of Projections"
, ''American Theatre Magazine'', December 2011

Opera

She designed projections for

Tan Dun Tan Dun (, ; born 18 August 1957) is a Chinese-born American composer and conductor. A leading figure of contemporary classical music, he draws from a variety of Western and Chinese influences, a dichotomy which has shaped much of his life and ...

's adaptation of

The Peony Pavilion ''The Peony Pavilion'' ( zh, t=牡丹亭, s=牡丹亭, p=Mǔdān tíng, w=Mu-tan t'ing), also named ''The Return of Soul at the Peony Pavilion'', is a romantic tragicomedy play written by dramatist Tang Xianzu in 1598. The plot was drawn from the ...

at the

Wiener Festwochen __NOTOC__ The Wiener Festwochen (Vienna Festival) is a cultural festival in Vienna that takes place every year for five or six weeks in May and June. The Wiener Festwochen was established in 1951, when Vienna was still occupied by the four Allie ...

"The Peony Pavilion (1998)"
/ref> as well as

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

´s '' Mazeppa''Ellen Lampert-Greaux
"Still Life: Russian Roulette"
''Live Design'', April 1, 2006 and the

directed production of Prokofiev's ''

War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (russian: Война и мир, translit=Voyna i mir; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy that mixes fictional narrative with chapters on history and philosophy. It was first published ...

'',"War and Peace"
Metropolitan Opera Archives both co-productions of the Kirov Opera at the

Mariinsky Theater The Mariinsky Theatre ( rus, Мариинский театр, Mariinskiy teatr, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music th ...

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

and the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

. She recently designed Alfredo Catalani's ''

La Wally ''La Wally'' is an opera in four acts by composer Alfredo Catalani, to a libretto by Luigi Illica, first performed at La Scala, Milan, on 20 January 1892. The libretto is based on a hugely successful ' by Wilhelmine von Hillern (1836–1916), ' ...

''Olin Chis
"Review: Dallas Opera hits a double"
Star-Telegram, January 31, 2013 and Tchaikovsky's rarely performed ''

Iolanta ''Iolanta'', Op. 69, (russian: Иоланта, links=no ) is a lyric opera in one act by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. It was the last opera he composed. The libretto was written by the composer's brother Modest Tchaikovsky, and is based on the Danish play ...

''Catherine Womac
"The Dallas Opera Sheds Beautiful Light on the Rarely Performed Iolanta"
D Magazine, April 13, 2015 for The

Dallas Opera The Dallas Opera is an American opera company located in Dallas, Texas. The company performs at the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, one venue of the AT&T Performing Arts Center. History The company was founded in 1957 as the Dallas Civic ...

. In August 2015 McCarthy designed projections for the world premiere of the new opera '' Cold Mountain'' composed by Jennifer Higdon with a libretto by Gene Scheer at the

Santa Fe Opera Santa Fe Opera (SFO) is an American opera company, located north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. After creating the ''Opera Association of New Mexico'' in 1956, its founding director, John Crosby (conductor), John Crosby, oversaw the building of the fir ...

. In the Fall of 2015 McCarthy returned to the Dallas Opera to design projections for the world premier production of '' Great Scott'', a new opera by

Jake Heggie Jake Heggie (born March 31, 1961) is an American composer of opera, vocal, orchestral, and chamber music. He is best known for his operas and art songs as well as for his collaborations with internationally renowned performers and writers. B ...

and

Terrence McNally Terrence McNally (November 3, 1938 – March 24, 2020) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," ...

directed by Jack O'Brien with Sets and Costumes by

Bob Crowley Bob Crowley (born 10 June 1952) is a theatre designer (scenic and costume), and theatre director. He lives between London, New York and West Cork in the south west of Ireland. Career Born in Cork, Ireland on 10 June 1952, Bob Crowley is th ...

and Lighting by

Brian MacDevitt Brian MacDevitt is a lighting designer and educator. He has worked extensively on Broadway and Off Broadway, as well as touring, Regional theatre, and Industrial productions. He won the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design for his work on the ...

. McCarthy designed projections for the world premiere of

's new opera ''

It's a Wonderful Life ''It's a Wonderful Life'' is a 1946 American Christmas by medium#Films, Christmas Fantasy film, fantasy drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet ''The Greatest Gift'', which Philip Van Doren Stern se ...

'' for the Houston Grand Opera December 2016. The production was directed by

with Sets by Robert Brill, Lighting by Brian Nason and Costumes by David C. Woolard.

Off Broadway and Regional

Late summer 2016 McCarthy designed projections for the

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

premier production of '' Notes from the Field: Doing Time in Education'', created, written and performed by

Anna Deavere Smith Anna Deavere Smith is an American actress, playwright, and professor. She is known for her roles as National Security Advisor Dr. Nancy McNally in ''The West Wing'' (2000–06), hospital administrator Gloria Akalitus in the Showtime series ''Nur ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

at the

American Repertory Theater The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is a professional not-for-profit theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1979 by Robert Brustein, the A.R.T. is known for its commitment to new American plays and music–theater explorations; to ne ...

(A.R.T.) then it moved to

Second Stage Theater Second Stage Theater is a theater company founded in 1979 by Robyn Goodman and Carole Rothman and located in Manhattan, New York City. It produces both new plays and revivals of contemporary American plays by new playwrights and established wri ...

that fall. Directed by

with Set design by Riccardo Hernandez, costume design by

Ann Hould-Ward Ann Hould-Ward (born April 8, 1954, in Glasgow, Montana)Biography and credits
filmreferen ...

, lighting design by

Howell Binkley Howell Binkley (July 25, 1956 – August 14, 2020) was a professional lighting designer in New York City. He received the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design in a Musical for ''Jersey Boys'' in 2006, and again in 2016 for ''Hamilton''. He died du ...

Fall 2018 McCarthy designed projections for ''Gloria: A Life'', the story of

Gloria Steinem Gloria Marie Steinem (; born March 25, 1934) is an American journalist and social-political activist who emerged as a nationally recognized leader of second-wave feminism Second-wave feminism was a period of feminist activity that began in ...

at the

Daryl Roth Theatre The Daryl Roth Theatre is an off-Broadway performance space at 101 East 15th Street, at the northeast corner of the intersection with Union Square East, near Union Square, Manhattan, New York City. The theater, opened in 1998, is housed in the ...

starring

Christine Lahti Christine Ann Lahti (born April 4, 1950) is an American actress and filmmaker. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1984 film '' Swing Shift''. Her other film roles include '' ...And Justice for All'' (19 ...

in the title role. It is written by Email Mann and directed by

with scenic design by Amy Rubin, costume design by Jessica Jahn, lighting design by Jeanette Yew and sound design by Leah Gelpe.David Gordo
"Gloria Steinem Bioplay, Starring Christine Lahti, Announces Full Casting"
''TheaterMania'', September 4, 2018

Recent and planned projects

McCarthy will design projections for the world premiere of

Joby Talbot Joby Talbot (born 25 August 1971) is a British composer. He has written for a wide variety of purposes and an accordingly broad range of styles, including instrumental and vocal concert music, film and television scores, pop arrangements and wo ...

's new opera '' The Diving Bell and the Butterfly'' for the

, originally scheduled for the 2020-21 season but postponed until fall of 2023 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. The production will be directed by

with Sets by Robert Brill, Lighting by Gavin Swift and Costumes by David C. Woolard. McCarthy will design for the

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (FWSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Fort Worth, Texas. The orchestra is resident at the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall. In addition to its symphonic and pops concert series, the FWSO a ...

's performance of

Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...

: The Creation to be presented May 2023. Conducted by

Robert Spano Robert Spano ( ; born 7 May 1961, Conneaut, Ohio) is an American conductorDavidson, Justin. "CLASSICAL MUSIC: Looking for Magic: Mixing visuals and language into a performance is just part of conductor Robert Spano's pursuit of orchestral risk" ...

. McCarthy is a frequent collaborator with Director

. She designed projections for his Off-Broadway production ''The Stendhal Syndrome''; Charles Isherwood
"Review: ‘The Stendhal Syndrome’"
''Variety'', February 16, 2004 his Broadway productions ''

Thurgood Thurgood is a surname and a given name, and may refer to the following people: Surname *Albert Thurgood (1874–1927), Australian rules footballer *Graham Thurgood, linguist * Josh Thurgood (1985–), Australian rules footballer * Rose Thurgood (b ...

'',Frank Rizzo
"Review: Thurgdood"
''Variety'', May 14, 2006 and ''

The People in the Picture ''The People in the Picture'' is a musical with book and lyrics by Iris Rainer Dart and music by Mike Stoller and Artie Butler. The musical is about a grandmother recalling her life in the Yiddish theater and the Holocaust. Production ''The Peopl ...

'';

Ben Brantley Benjamin D. Brantley (born October 26, 1954) is an American theater critic, journalist, editor, publisher and writer. He served as the chief theater critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1996 to 2017, and as co-chief theater critic from 2017 to ...

"The People in the Picture"
''New York Times'', April 28, 2001 and his production of the Opera's '' Dead Man Walking'' Charles Isherwood
"Review: Dead Man Walking"
''Variety'', September 19, 2002 for the

New York City Opera The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through 2013 (when it filed for bankruptcy), and again since 2016 when it was revived. The opera company, du ...

as well as the World Premiere productions of ''

Moby-Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the obsessive quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler, whaling ship ''Pequod (Moby- ...

''Steve Smith
"A Role for the Roiling Sea as Ahab Hunts His Whale"
''New York Times'', May 2, 2010 and ''

Everest Mount Everest (; Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow heigh ...

''Heidi Waleson
"Tragedy Makes for the Peak of Drama"
''Wall Street Journal'', Feb 3, 2015 for the Dallas Opera and ''El Pasado Nunca se Termina'' for the

Lyric Opera of Chicago Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria ...

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.”

Other

McCarthy is currently a Lecturer in Design at the

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

School of Drama. She was formerly an Adjunct Instructor at

and has been a guest lecturer at

City University of New York The City University of New York ( CUNY; , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven Upper divis ...

College of Technology,

Pace University Pace University is a private university with its main campus in New York City and secondary campuses in Westchester County, New York. It was established in 1906 by the brothers Homer St. Clair Pace and Charles A. Pace as a business school. Pace ...

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

School of the Arts,

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

, and numerous others. She has also appeared as a guest speaker at the

USITT The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) is a membership organization which aims to advance the skills and knowledge of theatre, entertainment and performing arts professionals involved in the areas of design, production and tec ...

Conference,

Live Design ''Live Design'' is a monthly digital trade magazine, owned by Questex, that covers the latest projects and gear in live entertainment, including theatre, film, concerts, opera, ballet, architainment, and more. Columbia College Chicago's Theatre ...

's L.D.I. and

Opera America __NOTOC__ Opera America, styled OPERA America, is a New York-based service organization promoting the creation, presentation, and enjoyment of opera in the United States. Almost all professional opera companies and some semi-professional companies i ...

's Opera Conference. McCarthy is a member of

United Scenic Artists United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, formerly known as United Scenic Artists of America (USAA), is an American labor union. It is a nationwide autonomous Local of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. It organizes designer ...

local 829 and

and was a

Lucille Lortel Award The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986. They are produced by the League of Off-Broadway Theatre ...

voter 2019-2022.

Awards

In 2020 McCarthy was honored with the

Distinguished Achievement Award for Digital Media. McCarthy's projection design work on ''Gloria: A Life'' was recognized with the

American Theater Wing The American Theatre Wing (the Wing for short) is a New York City–based non-profit organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre", according to its mission statement. Originally known as the Stage Women's War Relief ...

's Henry Hewes Design Award Nomination for Notable Effects in August 2019. In June 2019 McCarthy won a

Betty Mitchell Award Betty Mitchell Awards were created in 1998 to celebrate and honour outstanding achievement in Calgary's professional theatre community. It is commonly called the Betty Award and is named for Calgary theatre pioneer Dr. Betty Mitchell. Awards The ...

for Outstanding Projection or Video Design for her work on ''

'' at the

Calgary Opera Calgary Opera is a Canadian opera company based in Calgary, Alberta. The company has its administrative base at the Mamdani Opera Centre, a facility in the Wesley United Church, since July 2005. The company gives its seasonal mainstage productio ...

. McCarthy was nominated in 2017 for the

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. Fo ...

the

and the Henry Hewes Design Award for Outstanding Projection Design for '' Notes from the Field'' at Second Stage and for an

IRNE Award The IRNE Awards are presented annually by the Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) to honor the best achievements in Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealt ...

in the category Large Theater: Best Projection Design for '' Notes from the Field'' at the

. McCarthy was nominated for Best Video Design for Entertainment Today's Ticketholder Award in 2010 for ''Thurgood'' at the

Geffen Playhouse The Geffen Playhouse (or the Geffen) is a not-for-profit theater company founded by Gilbert Cates in 1995. It produces plays in two theaters in Geffen Playhouse, which is owned by University of California Los Angeles. The Playhouse is located ...

.Travis Michael Holde
"The 20th Annual Ticketholder Awards 2010"
''Entertainment Today'', January 25, 2011 McCarthy was nominated for the Henry Hewes Design Award in 2009 for Notable Effects Henry Hewes Design Award
Notable Effects
/ref> for ''Frequency Hopping'' produced by the Hourglass Group at the 3LD Arts & Technology Center in

for which she designed both the scenery and projections. The production was noted for its use of a fully robotic orchestra as well as McCarthy's utilization of

Musion Eyeliner The Musion Eyeliner is a proprietary high definition video projection system that allows moving images to appear within a live stage setting. The system is patented. The Musion eyeliner was invented by Uwe Maass the owner of the original patent. ...

, which is a modern version of the 19th century

Pepper's Ghost Pepper's ghost is an illusion technique used in the theatre, cinema, amusement parks, museums, television, and concerts. It is named after the English scientist John Henry Pepper (1821–1900) who began popularising the effect with a theatr ...

effect. McCarthy was nominated for Best Video Design for Entertainment Today's Ticketholder Award in 2007 for the

Center Theatre Group Center Theatre Group is a non-profit arts organization located in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the largest theatre companies in the nation, programming subscription seasons year-round at the Mark Taper Forum, the Ahmanson Theatre and th ...

's World Premier production of

Lisa Loomer Lisa Loomer (born 1950) is an American playwright and screenwriter who has also worked as an actress and stand-up comic. She is best known for her play ''The Waiting Room'' (1994), in which three women from different time periods meet in a moder ...

's play ''Distracted'' at the

Mark Taper Forum The Mark Taper Forum is a 739-seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center designed by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of Downtown Los Angeles. Named for real estate developer Mark Taper, the Forum, the neighboring ...

for which she designed both Sets and ProjectionsTravis Michael Holde
"Ticketholder Awards 2007"
''Entertainment Today'', January 11, 2008 In 2003 she was awarded an Entertainment Design Magazine (now

) Eddy Award for Projection Design ExcellenceSarah Rushton-Ried
"EDDY Awards presented at special ceremony in New York"
, ''Lighting and Sound International'', July 4, 2003

Personal life

McCarthy is married, has a daughter and lives in Connecticut.Hannah Kate Kinnersley
"Re:Sources–Elaine J. McCarthy"
''Live Design'', August 1, 2004

References

local 829 *Dan Via
"From Online To Onstage"
''Washington Post'', April 6, 2001 *Elaine McCarthy
"ON Projection: Shadow Play, Part I"
''Live Design'', September 1, 2002 *David Barbour and David Johnson
"Hocus Pocus: Wicked On Broadway"
''Live Design'', February 1, 2004 *Hannah Kate Kinnersley
"Re:Sources–Elaine J. McCarthy"
''Live Design'', August 1, 2004 * Robert Cashill
"Spam Filters"
''Live Design'', June 1, 2005 * Marian Sandberg
"Hitchcockian Style"
''Live Design'', June 1, 2006
Touring The Two Tonys
Projection Lights & Staging News (PLSN), October 16, 2006 *Eric Grode
The World of a Broadway Projection Designer

Theatre Development Fund The Theatre Development Fund (TDF) is a non-profit corporation dedicated to assisting the theatre industry in New York City. Created in 1968 to help an ailing New York theatre industry, TDF has grown into the nation's largest performing arts nonp ...

, July 28, 2011 *Lee Cullum
"Sheer Magic
Patron Magazine, October/November 2015
''Wicked'': Behind The Emerald Curtain - Projections''Moby-Dick'': 24-hour Timelapse on Stage
*Light Talk with the Lumen Brothers - Episode 115
Storyteller - Interview with Elaine J. McCarthy
June 22, 2019 *Caitlin Vincent
"Trends and challenges of digital scenography in opera"
Scenography Today, November 11, 2021 *Equity through Design Mentorship - "Saturday Sessions
Lighting and Projection Design"
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCarthy, Elaine J. 1966 births Living people American scenic designers Women scenic designers Broadway projection and video designers Theatre designers Opera designers Yale School of Drama faculty People from Woburn, Massachusetts People from Arlington, Massachusetts Catholic University of America alumni Tisch School of the Arts alumni American people of Irish descent

Early life

Career

Early career

Broadway

Opera

Off Broadway and Regional

Recent and planned projects

Other

Awards

Personal life

References

External links