James Noone

“In this production [The Marriage of Figaro (2015|16)], I wanted to create a simple design, where all you see is the performer,” says the American set designer. “The actor really comes forward. It’s not about the set – it’s about how the actors connect with each other, and how they get everything across so that the audience can connect with them. This isn’t a big opera like Verdi or Wagner – the music is light and delicate. We wanted to be able to get the sound out to the audience as well, and not have it be buried in a deep set.” Noone is closely associated with the Glimmerglass festival, and his operatic work has also been seen at the New York City, Houston, Los Angeles, Washington, and Canadian opera companies. He has worked for such prestigious New York theaters as Playwrights Horizons, Manhattan Theatre Club, Lincoln Center Theater, and Roundabout Theatre Company. Off-Broadway credits include the original productions of Frankie and Johnny at the Clair de Lune, Three Tall Women, and A Bronx Tale; Cowgirls, Breaking Legs, the musical Ruthless; the first revival of The Boys in the Band; and the solo shows Full Gallop and Fully Committed. Broadway productions include Jekyll and Hyde, A Class Act, A Bronx Tale, Come Back, Little Sheba, and numerous productions for Tony Randall’s National Actor’s Theatre. Among Noone’s many awards are the Drama Desk, American Theatre Wing Design Award, two Helen Hayes Awards, the LA Ovation Award, and two NAACP Theatre Design Awards. Noone is head of the scenic design department at Boston University.

Previously at Lyric Opera: The Marriage of Figaro (2015|16); Macbeth (2010|11).

Last updated: September 26, 2015