ABOUT ME
Boston-based Lighting Designer
John Holmes (he/him/his) is fascinated by the extremely subjective nature of the art form that we call lighting design. He finds beauty in the immensely personal collaboration between the performer, director, and the lighting designer; and the sacred trust that is shared in something so fundamental as the way that we see the world - and how we choose to alter that. He sees lighting as so basic yet so complex, with the ability to have such a tremendous impact on anything that it touches. This pulled John into the world of lighting, and has kept him there since age twelve, when he first got the chance to operate a follow spot for his middle school’s production of Ragtime.
He finds the momentary and immediate nature of light so unique - we as lighting designers can prepare for months or even years, meticulously planning angles and colors and textures both on paper and in an imaginative visual world, but it all becomes tangible in one moment almost instantaneously, and it can become intangible once again just as quickly. That moment is magical to John.
John has an exceptional eye for detail, and is committed to doing the work to arrive at a complete vision. At the same time; any given viewer may connect to different aspects of a design, and even see a completely different picture. John thinks that this abstractness is beautiful, and feels lucky to get to work in a medium that has so much room for interpretation, and so many different elements that one can “find” within it.
Recently, John has enjoyed collaborating on several new works, telling stories about our lives and the human experience. John has had the opportunity to experiment with shadows and darkness; he finds that working in higher contrast enables him to create exceptionally strong images with intense directionality. John enjoys the uncharted waters of new works, and the opportunity to present a story to an audience who has never seen it before, and has no preconceived notions of what it will look like - thus getting to essentially dream an entirely new visual world, one that has a unique relationship and balance between realism and fantasy.
John has a passion for working with music as well; there is little else as satisfying as hitting every musical accent with a lighting bump. In his work designing lighting for musicals, as well as his work lighting concerts for artists such as The Mavericks, The Wailers, and The Bacon Brothers - John relishes the opportunity to get to respond to music through lighting. He strongly believes that lighting has an essential part in helping to tell the stories in music, as well as elevating the grandeur and intensity that the performers work so hard to bring to the stage.
Since relocating to Boston, John has had the opportunity to work with a variety of theatres. Recent design credits include Titanish (Greater Boston Stage Co), These Shining Lives (Boston College), Jado Jehad (Boston Playwright’s Theatre), Pocatello (Dean College), and White Christmas (Massasoit Theatre Company). When John isn't working on a show, he can be found on a walk in the Arnold Arboretum, painting a landscape, or blending up a smoothie. John loves the tranquility and magic of being so close to the ocean, surrounded by history and with easy access to nature.
John believes that making the art form of lighting accessible to all is essential, and education is an important part of this mission. In addition to his degree in Lighting Design from Boston University, John minored in Education, and currently works as a mentor with Brighter Boston, a Boston-based organization that provides paid internships in lighting in order to make it possible for those who can’t dedicate years without pay, to experience and learn this form of expression. John firmly believes in bringing all voices into our industry, and strives to hire and train individuals from all backgrounds.
Find him on social media @johnholmesdesign