Dennis Parichy

Dennis Parichy is an American lighting designer. He won the 1980 Drama Desk Award for Talley's Folly and the Obie Award in 1981.

Career

Parichy has designed lighting for 25 Broadway productions since 1976, including: The Price, The Tenth Man, Coastal Disturbances, Penn & Teller, Burn This, The Nerd, As Is, Angels Fall, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Duet for One, Crimes of the Heart, The Water Engine, and Knock Knock.^[1]

He has designed for Off-Broadway and regional theatres as well.^[2] His first Off-Broadway show was Little Eyolf at the Actors Playhouse in 1964; he was the lighting designer for the Lanford Wilson plays Ludlow Fair at Caffe Cino in 1965 and Book of Days in a Signature Theatre Company production in November 2002.^[3]

Parichy has been nominated three times for a Tony Award, for his work on Redwood Curtain (1993), Fifth of July (1981), and Talley's Folly (1980), for which he won a 1980 Drama Desk Award.^[1]

He was the resident lighting designer for Circle Repertory Company where he worked with director Marshall W. Mason on the first productions of plays by many American playwrights. He lit many productions for the Manhattan Theatre Club, such as The Miss Firecracker Contest (1984), Bloody Poetry (1987) and Aristocrats (1989).^[3]

He has had a long working relationship with Athol Fugard.^[4] He designed the lighting for Fugard's Scenes from Soweto (Manhattan Theatre Club, 1978), Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act (Manhattan Theatre Club, 1978), Boesman and Lena (Off-Broadway, 1992), Playland (1993) (Manhattan Theatre Club), and My Children! My Africa! (Off-Broadway, 1989).^[3] At the McCarter Theatre, Princeton, New Jersey, he was the lighting designer for The Captain's Tiger (1998);^[5] at Seattle Repertory Theatre he designed the lighting for Valley Song in January 1998.^[6]

He is one of the company artists at People's Light and Theatre Company, Malvern, Pennsylvania, and has provided lighting for many shows there since 2004.^[7] He was the lighting designer for People's Light production of Nathan the Wise starring David Straithairn in September 2009.^[8]

Among his many works in regional theatre he designed the lighting for the Repertory of St. Louis Repertory Theatre and Hartford Stage production of Lanford Wilson's Book of Days in 1999, starring Dee Hoty.^[9] He was the lighting designer for the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park production of Tally's Folly in 2001.^[10] He was the lighting designer for the Pittsburgh Public Theater production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 1999, starring Bonnie Franklin.^[11]

He received the 1981 Obie Award for sustained excellence in lighting design.^[12]

Parichy teaches Theatre Design/Technology at Purchase College. He is a graduate of Northwestern University.^[13]

Further reading

• Parichy, Dennis (2009). Illuminating the Play: The Artistry of Lighting Design (First ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. p. 222 pp. ISBN 978-0-325-01200-1.

References

1. "Dennis Parichy Credits and Awards" playbillvault.com, accessed September 4, 2015
2. "Dennis Parichy 'Whos Who'"^{[permanent dead link‍]} playbillvault.com, accessed September 4, 2015
3. "Dennis Parichy Off-Broadway Credits" lortel.org, accessed September 4, 2015
4. Saltzman, Simon. "'Sorrows and Rejoicings': Athol Fugard's Newest Returns to Politics" Playbill, April 24, 2001
5. Lefkowitz, David and MacDonald, Laura. "Fugard's Tiger Roars at NJ's McCarter, May 8-24" Playbill, May 8, 1998
6. Hughes, David-Edward and Lefkowitz, David. "Fugard Collaborator Helms Seattle Rep 'Valley Song' Jan. 28" Playbill, January 28, 1998
7. "Listing" peopleslight.org, accessed September 4, 2015
8. "David Strathairn to Star in People's Light & Theatre Company Staging of 'Nathan the Wise'" Playbill, August 7, 2009
9. Jones, Kenneth and Simonson, Robert. "Dee Hoty Is Part of Lanford Wilson's 'Book of Days' Ensemble in MO and CT" Playbill, August 12, 1999
10. McBride, Murdoch. "Cincinnati Playhouse Season Closer, 'Talley's Folly', Runs Thru June 1" Playbill, May 4, 2001
11. Jones, Kenneth. "Bonnie Franklin is Albee's Martha in Pittsburgh Virginia Woolf, Opens Mar. 5" Playbill, March 4, 1999
12. "Negro Ensemble Wins an Obie", The New York Times, June 2, 1981, p.C7.
13. Faculty Design/Technology" purchase.edu, accessed September 4, 2015