shannon Mckinney

Shannon Lynn McKinney is Lighting Designer and Assistant Professor of Theatre at the University of Denver where she teaches Lighting Design, Scenic Design, Advanced Design Topics, Theatre Imagination and other introductory theatre courses. For over 25 years, Shannon has worked across the country as a freelance designer, designing traditional theatre, dance, opera, musical theatre, and has recently begun to explore the world of devised theatre. She believes passionately in the power of storytelling to bring people together.

Based in Chicago from 1991-1999, her credits included designs at Steppenwolf Theatre, The Goodman Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, Northlight Theatre, The Court Theatre and Indiana Repertory Theatre. She concurrently worked on national tours and as an assistant lighting designer on Broadway. Now based in Denver, Shannon has continued her freelance work at Colorado Shakespeare Festival, The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, The Arvada Center, and Curious Theatre Company where she is a long time Artistic Company Member designing over 40 shows. She is also an Artistic Associate at Local Theatre in Boulder, and has designed for many theatre companies in the region.

In early 2020, just before the pandemic hit, Shannon was invited, with Phamaly Theatre Company, to bring their production of Honk! to the Nippon Foundation’s International True Colors Festival in Tokyo, Japan. Additional international credits include projects in London, Toronto and the touring musical Wild Women Blues, which premiered in Berlin and Hamburg, Germany.

Shannon has recently begun a partnership with the DU Prison Arts Initiative as a mentor and consultant working with incarcerated men and women on theatre productions produced both inside and outside the prison. Projects have included If Light Closed It’s Eyes, A Christmas Carol, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Shannon has received seven Colorado Theatre Guild Henry Awards for Outstanding Lighting Design and has been nominated twenty-two times. She was a 2015 Recipient of the True West Award and the recipient of the first Michael Merritt Emerging Artist Award in 2000.

Degrees:
MFA, Stage Design, Northwestern University 1995
BA, English (Theatre) and Mass Communications, University of Denver 1989

Professional Affiliations:
United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829
United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc (USITT)