Lee Watson
Encyclopedia
Leland H. "Lee" Watson7 was a Broadway
and television
lighting designer
and theatre
educator.5 His 1990 bio states that he worked "extensively in nearly all fields of lighting design."6
and is a graduate of the University of Iowa
. He received an Master of Fine Arts
from Yale University
in 1952.7
productions.6 Watson's first Broadway design was Harbor Lights which opened on Oct. 4, 1956. Other noted designs were Tony award
-winning The Diary of Anne Frank and Arthur Miller
's A View from the Bridge
, both in 1956, A Moon for the Misbegotten
in 1957, and Suddenly Last Summer in 1958.6 7
For 12 years, he lighted numerous Off-Broadway
productions and worked in New York City
with CBS
network TV and other television
groups.7 His lighting credits include over 60 operas, The Seattle World's Fair, The Cincinnati Ballet
, regional theatres, industrial shows, and many architectural projects.6 He designed in New York until 1961.1 2
in the graduate scenography program and undergraduate theatre core until 1989. His students remember his precise questions about a project's clues as to the design needed.5 The dancer Loie Fuller
was a favorite subject when describing the integration of light with performance.10
.5 After his death, a bright, periwinkle bowtie was attached to the lighting grid in the (now defunct) Experimental Theatre in Stewart Center on the Purdue campus.5 He was survived by his parents, Dallas V. and Hazel Dooley Watson of Charleston.7
local #829 in New York City. He was formerly president of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology
(1980-82) and a USITT Fellow, as well as holder of a USITT Founders' Award.
with a major of study in business, political science, or theatre with a preference given to theatrical lighting.8
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
lighting designer
Lighting designer
The role of the lighting designer within theatre is to work with the director, choreographer, set designer, costume designer, and sound designer to create an overall 'look' for the show in response to the text, while keeping in mind issues of visibility, safety and cost...
and theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
educator.5 His 1990 bio states that he worked "extensively in nearly all fields of lighting design."6
Early life and education
Watson was born in Charleston, IllinoisCharleston, Illinois
Charleston is a city in and the county seat of Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 21,838 as of the 2010 census. The city is home to Eastern Illinois University and has close ties with its neighbor Mattoon, Illinois...
and is a graduate of the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
. He received an Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1952.7
Broadway, Television, Opera and Dance Lighting Design
Watson designed lighting for 42 BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
productions.6 Watson's first Broadway design was Harbor Lights which opened on Oct. 4, 1956. Other noted designs were Tony award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-winning The Diary of Anne Frank and Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
's A View from the Bridge
A View from the Bridge
A View from the Bridge is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller that was first staged on September 29, 1955 as a one-act verse drama with A Memory of Two Mondays at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The play was unsuccessful and Miller subsequently revised the play to contain two acts; this...
, both in 1956, A Moon for the Misbegotten
A Moon for the Misbegotten
A Moon for the Misbegotten is a play by Eugene O'Neill. The play can be thought of as a sequel to the autobiographical Long Day's Journey into Night...
in 1957, and Suddenly Last Summer in 1958.6 7
For 12 years, he lighted numerous Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
productions and worked in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
network TV and other television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
groups.7 His lighting credits include over 60 operas, The Seattle World's Fair, The Cincinnati Ballet
Cincinnati Ballet
The Cincinnati Ballet is a professional ballet company founded in 1958 in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The current artistic director is Victoria Morgan.-Founding:...
, regional theatres, industrial shows, and many architectural projects.6 He designed in New York until 1961.1 2
Teaching at Purdue University
Watson taught lighting design at Purdue UniversityPurdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
in the graduate scenography program and undergraduate theatre core until 1989. His students remember his precise questions about a project's clues as to the design needed.5 The dancer Loie Fuller
Loie Fuller
Loie Fuller Loie Fuller Loie Fuller (also Loïe Fuller; (January 15, 1862 – January 1, 1928) was a pioneer of both modern dance and theatrical lighting techniques.-Career:...
was a favorite subject when describing the integration of light with performance.10
Death
Watson died at home in Lafayette, IN in 1989 after a long struggle with LeukemiaLeukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
.5 After his death, a bright, periwinkle bowtie was attached to the lighting grid in the (now defunct) Experimental Theatre in Stewart Center on the Purdue campus.5 He was survived by his parents, Dallas V. and Hazel Dooley Watson of Charleston.7
Affiliations
Watson served on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Lighting Designers and of United Scenic ArtistsUnited Scenic Artists
United Scenic Artists local USA 829, is a United States labor union of designers and artists in the entertainment industry. It is a nationwide autonomous Local of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes...
local #829 in New York City. He was formerly president of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology
United States Institute for Theatre Technology
The United States Institute for Theatre Technology 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 technology, and to generally promote their interests...
(1980-82) and a USITT Fellow, as well as holder of a USITT Founders' Award.
Watson Memorial Scholarship
The Watson Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund in memory of Dallas, Hazel and Leland Watson is given by the Hazel Watson Scholarship foundation, which was established through private contributions as a tribute to Mrs. Hazel Watson, one of Coles County's most prominent community leaders,9 and is offered to a student who is currently accepted and enrolled at Eastern Illinois UniversityEastern Illinois University
Eastern Illinois University is a state university located in Charleston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradually expanded into a comprehensive university with a...
with a major of study in business, political science, or theatre with a preference given to theatrical lighting.8
Books
Watson spent his final years revising two books, one on the practice of lighting design and also the history. Watson lamented that his publishers had asked him to separate the history books into smaller projects, which he agreed to do, then ended agreements with several publishers. Watson worried on more than one occasion that his parents, who were his only living family, would dispose of all the history materials, stacked neatly with hundreds of photos in his Purdue office. At the time of his death, the history was not published.- Theatrical Lighting Practice by Joel Rubin and Leland H. Watson, 19683
- Lighting Design Handbook (1990)4
- History of Lighting Design (unpublished at the time of his death)5