HOWARD WERNER, a principal in the lighting design firm Lightswitch, has created lighting and media designs for theater, architectural installations, trade shows, special events, and corporate shows since 1982. He is a member and the resident lighting designer of the Atlantic Theatre Company in New York where among his many credits he designed American Buffalo, starring William H. Macy, which premiered in London before coming to New York. Werner has had the pleasure of lighting several productions at Chicago’s renowned Steppenwolf Theater Company including Death and the Maiden for which he was honored with a Jeff Award nomination for Best Lighting Design. An additional Jeff Award nomination came in 2002 for his work on Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s production of As You Like It. Werner was also nominated for an American Theater Wing Design Award for his lighting of the off Broadway hit Distant Fires at the Atlantic Theater.
As a projection and multimedia designer Werner has designed many large-scale projects. His award-winning design for Dreamgirls in Seoul, South Korean is currently touring the United States. Bye Bye Birdie, Lestat, The Pirate Queen, and Say Goodnight Gracie have represented Werner on Broadway. On election night 2004 the Kerry Edwards Campaign held an event in Boston’s Copley Plaza and Werner and Lightswitch were hired to light and project on the entire Boston Public Library. Other prominent projects include the son et lumière “Lights of Liberty” This THEA Award-winning design is a walking tour of historic Philadelphia that ends with the rousing conclusion of projection and lighting on Independence Hall. Howard is currently designing Spiderman: Tour off the Dark, directed by Julie Taymor with music and lyrics by Bono and Edge of U2.
His corporate credits include such clients as DaimlerChrysler having designed the exhibits at the major North American Auto Shows since 1999. Audi of North America, Volkswagen, Toyota, Ford, GM, Tyco Electronics, McDonalds, Vanity Fair, Liz Claiborne, Georgia Pacific, Xerox, Motorola, Nintendo, and many, many others. These designs have won many industry awards including the 2006 Corporate EVENT Magazine Judge's Choice Award Recipient.
Architectural and permanent install clients include the façade of Macy’s on Union Square, San Francisco, the Kips Bay House in New York City, The Potawatomi Casino, The Legetko Residence in New York City, The Baumgart Residence in Clearwater Florida as well as permanent art installation for the City of Los Angeles and the Jungle Rhythms Show at Busch Gardens Tampa.
Howard is a member of the United Scenic Artists as well as the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America