Neil (he/they) (formerly Lauren) is a professional Scenic Designer and Art Director. Neil is also an Assistant Professor of Scenic Design at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a proud transgender/queer man.
The official press release announcing Neil's hire at UW-Madison can be found here: https://education.wisc.edu/news/news-and-notes-school-welcomes-16-new-faculty-members-for-2020-21-academic-year/
Neil's interests as a designer are diverse and include: television and film, museum exhibit design, attraction design, theatre, opera, and teaching.
In his free time, Neil enjoys: hanging out with his dog Millie, rock climbing, crocheting, playing hockey with the Madison Gay Hockey Association in the Winter, and playing softball with Badgerland Softball in the Summer.
Upcoming productions: Airness at Forward Theater Company in Madison, WI. - Winter 2023.
https://forwardtheater.com/show/airness
Recent productions include: Act a Lady (Stage Q, Fall 2022), and Peter and the Starcatcher (UW-Madison, Fall 2022).
Neil recently served as the Artistic Director for the University of Wisconsin Madison's TransTheatreFest which was performed virtually March 13th and 14th, 2021. More info can be found at: transtheatrefest.org
Prior to his appointment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Neil spent two years in Los Angeles working in themed entertainment as an Experience Designer for Themespace. Projects at Themespace included work on: The Secret Life of Pets at Universal Studios - LA, the Dodger Stadium All Star Game renovation, and Jurassic World the Ride at Universal Studios - LA among many others. Prior to his time in Los Angeles, Neil spent five years in New York City as a freelance Scenic Designer and Art Director working on over 100 productions there.
Selected credits: Stop/Kiss (University of Denver, Winter 2022), Bonnets (How Ladies of Good Breeding Are Induced to Murder (UW-Madison, Fall 2021), Rashomon (UW-Madison, Summer 2021), Sonnets for an Old Century (UW-Madison, Spring 2021), Killer Joe (University of Denver, Winter 2020), Tick...Tick...Boom! (University of Denver, Winter 2019), Lysistrata (Ursinus College, Spring 2018), Sensitive Guys by MJ Kaufman (Arcadia University, Spring 2018), and Pippin (Kean University, Spring 2018), Hair (Ursinus College, Fall 2017), The Time Machine by David Mauk and Brenda Mandabach (New York Musical Festival, Summer 2017), A Dog Story (Davenport Theatre, Off Broadway, Fall 2016), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Ursinus College, Spring 2016), My Fair Lady (Sharon Playhouse, June 2015), True Love (Sharon Playhouse, July 2015), Song From the Uproar (Associate Scenic Designer - Beth Morrison/LA Opera - Fall 2015), Absolution (Off-Broadway), The Happy Family (Off-Broadway), O Rex (Gia Forakis and Company), The Signal Season of Dummy Hoy (New York Deaf Theater), Fatelessness (GF&Co/HEREArts).
Neil was nominated along with the entire design team of The Time Machine for the New York Musical Festival's 2017 award for Best Overall Design.
He was awarded the 2013 Scenic Design Fellowship at the Chautauqua Theatre Company.
Television credits include Art Direction for episodes of The TODAY Show and Late Night with Seth Meyers.
Member: United Scenic Artists - USA 829
MFA Carnegie Mellon University.
Pronouns: he/him/they/them