Michael Giannitti

Michael Giannitti has extensive professional experience as a lighting designer and educator. He has designed lighting at many of the most prestigious venues around the country and has taught abroad as a two-time Fulbright Specialist Grant recipient.

mgiannitti@bennington.edu
michaelgiannitti.com

Biography

Giannitti has extensive professional experience as a lighting designer and educator. He designed lighting for the original Broadway production of August Wilson’s play Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, as well as for the pre-Broadway resident theatre tour, which included Arena Stage, Seattle Rep, Huntington, and Old Globe Theaters. His lighting design credits include his longstanding associations with the Studio Theatre in Washington (more than 40 productions and five years as resident lighting designer) and the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (more than 20 productions), and multiple credits at Trinity Repertory Company, Capital Repertory Theatre, Portland Stage Company, Shakespeare & Company, Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, Jomandi, Yale Repertory Theatre, and the Dorset Theatre Festival, where he also was the producing director for six seasons. He has also designed lighting for Barrington Stage Company, Chautauqua Theatre Company, Virginia Stage Company, Indiana Repertory Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Olney Theater Centre, and other companies and venues. New York dance lighting credits include Dance Theatre Workshop, Danspace Project, The Joyce, The Kitchen, and P.S. 122 for artists and companies including Susan Rethorst, Cathy Weis, Everett Dance Theater, Nugent & Matteson Dance, Marta Renzi, and others. Additional regional venues include the Spoleto Festival, Walker Art Center, Hopkins Center, Flynn Theatre, and Bates Dance Festival. As a Fulbright Senior Specialist grant recipient, Giannitti taught at the National University of Art, Theater and Cinema in Bucharest, Romania, in fall 2004 and at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School in summer 2006. BA, Bates College; MFA, Yale University School of Drama. Giannitti has taught at Bennington since 1992.