Derek McLane (born June 14, 1958, in London, England) is an American

set designer Scenic design (also known as scenography, stage design, or set design) is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but in recent years, are mostly train ...

for

theatre 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 ...

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 ...

, and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

. He graduated with a BA from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher ...

and an MFA from 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 ...

Career

McLane has designed more than 350 productions at theatres throughout the United States and around the world, 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 ...

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

and major live television. He won a Tony Award for ‘''33 Variations''’ and Emmy Awards for the 2014 Oscars + ‘''Hairspray Live!''’ and an Art Directors Guild Award for his 2014 design of the Oscars. Broadway credits include: ''Moulin Rouge!'' (2020), ''A Soldier's Play'' (2020), '' Gigi'' (2015), '' Beautiful: The Carole King Musical'' (2014), ''

33 Variations ''33 Variations'' is a play by Moisés Kaufman, inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven's Diabelli Variations. It débuted on Broadway on March 9, 2009, starring Jane Fonda. Originally written in 2007, its world première was held at Arena Stage in Wash ...

'' (Tony Award, Best Scenic Design 2009), '' Grease'', ''

The Pajama Game ''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel '' 7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. and dances were staged by Bob Fosse in hi ...

'' (2006 Tony Nomination); ''

The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a " play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, '' The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with mu ...

'', ''

Little Women ''Little Women'' is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Alcott wrote the book, originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869, at the request of her publisher. The story follows the live ...

'', ''

I Am My Own Wife ''I Am My Own Wife'' is a play by Doug Wright based on his conversations with the German antiquarian Charlotte von Mahlsdorf. The one-man play premiered Off-Broadway in 2003 at Playwrights Horizons. It opened on Broadway later that year. The pla ...

'' (Tony Award, Best Play); '' Intimate Apparel'' (2005 Lortel Award), ''

Barefoot in the Park ''Barefoot in the Park'' is a romantic comedy by Neil Simon. The play premiered on Broadway in 1963, starring Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashley. It was made into a film in 1967, which starred Redford and Jane Fonda. Productions ''Barefoot ...

'', '' Lestat'', '' The Women'', ''

Present Laughter ''Present Laughter'' is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1939 but not produced until 1942 because the Second World War began while it was in rehearsal, and the British theatres closed. The title is drawn from a song in Shakespeare's ''T ...

'', ''

London Assurance ''London Assurance'' (originally titled ''Out of Town'') is a five-act comedy by Dion Boucicault. It was the second play that he wrote but his first to be produced. Its first production was by Charles Matthews and Madame Vestris's company and ...

'', ''

Holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or t ...

'', ''

Honour Honour (British English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teaching and of personal ethos, that manifests itself as a ...

'', ''

Summer and Smoke ''Summer and Smoke'' is a two-part, thirteen-scene play by Tennessee Williams, completed in 1948. He began working on the play in 1945 as ''Chart of Anatomy'', derived from his short stories "Oriflamme" and the then-work-in-progress "Yellow Bir ...

'', and '' Three Sisters''. Off-Broadway credits include: ''

Buried Child ''Buried Child'' is a play written by Sam Shepard that was first presented in 1978. It won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and launched Shepard to national fame as a playwright. The play depicts the fragmentation of the American nuclear family ...

'' (2016), ''

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 tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

'' (2015), ''Posterity'' (2015), '' The Scene'', ''

The Voysey Inheritance ''The Voysey Inheritance'' is a play in five acts by the English dramatist Harley Granville-Barker. Written in 1903–1905, it was originally staged at the Royal Court Theatre in 1905 featuring Mabel Hackney, and revived at the same venue in 196 ...

'' (2007 Lortel Award), ''

Two Trains Running ''Two Trains Running'' is a 1990 play by American playwright August Wilson, the sixth in his ten-part series ''The Pittsburgh Cycle''. The play takes place in 1968 in the Hill District, an African-American neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ...

'', '' Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'', ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

''(Shakespeare in the Park), '' Hurlyburly'', ''

Abigail's Party ''Abigail's Party'' is a play for stage and television, devised and directed in 1977 by Mike Leigh. It is a suburban situation comedy of manners, and a satire on the aspirations and tastes of the new middle class that emerged in Britain in the ...

'', '' The Great American Trailer Park Musical'', '' Aunt Dan and Lemon'', '' The Credeaux Canvas'' and '' Rafta, Rafta...''. McLane was the scenic designer for all of the productions of the entire Sondheim Celebration at the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

in Washington, DC. in 2002. His designs in opera and theatre have also appeared in London, Paris, Dublin, Glasgow, Moscow, Kraków, Sydney, Caracas and Warsaw. For television, McLane designed the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

, as well as the live television productions of '' The Sound of Music Live!'', '' Peter Pan Live! ''and ''

The Wiz Live! ''The Wiz Live!'' is an American television special that aired live on NBC on December 3, 2015. Produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, it is a performance of a new adaptation of the 1975 Broadway musical ''The Wiz'', a soul/ R&B reinterpretation ...

''. He has collaborated with renowned directors such as Alex Timbers, Kenny Leon,

Rob Ashford Rob Ashford (born November 19, 1959) is an American stage director and choreographer. He is a Tony Award, Olivier Award, Emmy Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award winner. Early life and education Born in Orlando, Florida and ...

, Marc Bruni, Scott Elliott,

Moisés Kaufman Moisés Kaufman (born November 21, 1963) is a Venezuelan theater director, filmmaker, playwright, founder of Tectonic Theater Project, based in New York City, and co-founder of Miami New Drama at the Colony Theatre. He was awarded the 2016 Nat ...

Kathleen Marshall Kathleen Marshall (born September 28, 1962) is an American director, choreographer, and creative consultant. Life and career Born in Madison, Wisconsin, she graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1980 and ...

, Daniel Sullivan, Mark Brokaw,

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 ...

and Michael Mayer. McLane is on the board of directors for

The New Group The New Group, is a New York City Off-Broadway theatrical troupe founded by Artistic Director Scott Elliott, that produced its first play, Mike Leigh's '' Ecstasy'', in 1995. The New Group is run by founding Artistic Director, Scott Elliott, an ...

and Fiasco Theater Company, and is also a mentor with the Theatre Development Fund's Open Doors Program. With his first wife, McLane has three children; he is currently married to

Sony Pictures Entertainment Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio Conglomerate (company), conglom ...

executive

Lia Vollack Lia Vollack (born c. 1965) is an American record executive. Vollack graduated from high school at 15, and the year after worked as a roadie for Johnnie Thunders and the Ramones. In 1974 she moved to New York City, where she would find work as a s ...

Awards and nominations

Tony Award Nomination: Best Scenic Design of a Musical: MJ • 2022 Tony Award: Best Scenic Design of a Musical: MOULIN ROUGE! • 2021 Drama Desk Award: MOULIN ROUGE! • 2020 Art Directors Guild: 90th ACADEMY AWARDS • 2019 Emmy Award Nomination: 90th ACADEMY AWARDS • 2018 Emmy Award: HAIRSPRAY LIVE! • 2017 Art Directors Guild Nomination: 88th ACADEMY AWARDS • 2017 Art Directors Guild Nomination: HAIRSPRAY LIVE! • 2017 Emmy Award Nomination: 88th ACADEMY AWARDS • 2016 Emmy Award Nomination: The WIZ LIVE! • 2016 Drama Desk Nomination: FULLY COMMITTED • 2016 Art Directors Guild Award: Excellence in Production Design • 2015 Art Directors Guild Award: 87th ACADEMY AWARDS • 2014 Emmy Award: 86th ACADEMY AWARDS • 2014 Drama Desk Nomination: FOLLIES • 2012 Drama Desk Award: ANYTHING GOES • 2011 Tony Award Nomination: ANYTHING GOES • 2011 Tony Award Nomination: Best Scenic Design of a Musical: RAGTIME • 2010 Lucille Lortel Award Nomination: Outstanding Scenic Design: A LIE OF THE MIND • 2010 Garland Award: Excellence in Southland Theater - Backstage: BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO • 2010 Tony Award Nomination: Best Scenic Design of a Play: 33 VARIATIONS • 2009 Henry Hewes Design Award: Best Scenic Design: 33 VARIATIONS • 2009 Henry Hewes Design Award Nomination: Best Scenic Design: RUINED • 2009 Vivian Robinson Audelco - 'The Viv' : Set Design Award: RUINED • 2009 Drama Desk Nomination: 33 VARIATIONS • 2009 Outer Critics Circle Award Nomination: 33 VARIATIONS • 2009 Henry Hewes Design Award Nomination: Best Scenic Design: RAFTA, RAFTA • 2008 Lucille Lortel Award Nomination: Outstanding Scenic Design: 10 MILLION MILES • 2008 San Diego Critics Circle Noel Award: Outstanding Scenic Design: 33 VARIATIONS • 2008 Drama Desk Nomination: 10 MILLION MILES • 2008 Dora Award, Toronto: ELEKTRA • 2007 Lucille Lortel Award: THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE • 2007 Outer Critics Circle Award Nomination: THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE • 2007 Tony Award Nomination: Best Scenic Design of a Musical: THE PAJAMA GAME • 2006 Lucille Lortel Award Nomination: ABIGAIL'S PARTY • 2006 Drama Desk Nomination: ABIGAIL'S PARTY • 2006 Lucille Lortel Award: INTIMATE APPAREL • 2005 Drama-Logue Award: INTIMATE APPAREL • 2005 Audelco Award: INTIMATE APPAREL • 2004 OBIE Award: Sustained Achievement 2004 Lucille Lortel Award: I AM MY OWN WIFE • 2004 Drama Desk Nomination: I AM MY OWN WIFE • 2004 Michael Merrit Award for Collaboration: : CHICAGO • 2003 Drama Desk Nomination: THE WOMEN • 2002 Drama Desk Nomination: EAST IS EAST • 2000 Drama Desk Nomination: MISALLIANCE • 1998 Drama-Logue Award: HARMONY • 1997 OBIE Award: Sustained Achievement 1997 Drama Desk Nomination: PRESENT LAUGHTER • 1997 Drama Desk Nomination: THE MONOGAMIST • 1996

References

Notes Sources
"What I Love"
''The New York Times''
"What's In Your Bag"
''Wall Street Journal''
"From Broadway to Hollywood, the Scenic Designs of Derek McLane"
Live Design
"Behind the Scenes with the Oscars Production Designer Derek McLane
''New York Post''

External links

* * * *
Derek McLane designs, 1988–2015
held by the Billy Rose Theatre 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:McLane, Derek American scenic designers 1958 births Living people Harvard College alumni Yale School of Drama alumni Primetime Emmy Award winners Tony Award winners