The papers of Chris Parry, Tony Award-winning theatre lighting designer and University of California, San Diego, faculty. The materials illustrate his extensive production career for both stage and film lighting design from 1975-2006 and as a lighting design instructor.
Chris Parry Papers, 1975-2006 (MSS 686)
Extent: 16.3 Linear feet (40 archives boxes and 1 oversize folder)
Chris Parry, born in the United Kingdom on May 23, 1952, was an acclaimed transatlantic theatre and opera lighting designer originally from England and resided in San Diego. He taught lighting design in the University of California, San Diego, Theatre and Dance Department from 1988-2006. Trained in England, he designed internationally for more than 30 years, earning the Tony Award, the British Olivier Award, and 25 major awards and nominations including the New York Drama Desk Award and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award. His work included 160 British and American regional theatre and opera designs, as well as several Broadway productions, a section of the film Renaissance Man, and several retail design products in San Diego. Among his credits was The Who's Tommy, directed by Des McAnuff, for which he won a Tony Award. Other highlights of his career include 24 productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), lighting design for The Blue Angel, The Secret Garden and A Midsummer Night's Dream. He also worked with the Royal National Theatre in England, the Los Angeles Opera, the La Jolla Playhouse, and the Opera Theatre of Lucca in Italy. He was presented with the Lighting Designer of the Year Award in 1994 by Lighting Dimensions.
Chris Parry died on January 16, 2007.
Papers of Chris Parry, Tony Award winning theatrical lighting director and UCSD faculty in the department of theatre and dance. The bulk of the collection comprises production notebooks containing all aspects of lighting design from concept to production for stage plays Parry developed from 1979-2006. The materials include notes, sketches, scripts, schematic drawings, playbills, and photographic slides. Additionally the files contain reviews of productions and miscellaneous biographical materials.
The papers are arranged in four series: 1) LIGHTING DESIGN NOTEBOOKS, 2) REVIEWS OF PRODUCTIONS, 3) SLIDES OF PRODUCTIONS, and 4) MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS.