Niya John is a lighting designer in her junior year at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and beyond excited to be a recipient of this year's Pat MacKay Diversity In Design Scholarship. As a designer, she has a particular interest in the use of colored light on different mediums (skin, fabric, makeup, etc.). She is looking forward to designing future productions at her school, as well as in the professional world. Her ultimate goal is to be nominated for (and maybe even win) a Tony Award for her designs.
Live Design: Why did you apply for the Pat MacKay Diversity In Design Scholarship?
Niya John: I went to USITT in 2022 and I had to make a stop at the LDI booth on the show floor. The ladies there were so nice and we talked for like 45 minutes. I had never been to LDI, but they told me it was just like USITT but bigger and devoted to new lighting fixtures and programs. I was hooked. They painted this lovely picture of what LDI is and what it's all about. At the end of our conversation, they told me to make sure I applied for the scholarship when the applications went out. So I did, and here I am.
Live Design: What made you interested in the field of lighting design?
NJ: As a child, I always loved science lessons about light and the electromagnetic spectrum. Shining a flashlight through a prism or cup of water and seeing the rainbow come out on the other side was always mind-blowing. As I grew up, I fell in love with theatre and was looking for a way to merge my love for physics and light with theatre. Long story short, now I'm a lighting designer with s slight obsession with color mixing and color theory.
Live Design: What are some of your career goals?
NJ: My ultimate career goal is to win a Tony Award for lighting design. Extra cool points if I am the first Black woman/person to do so. Beyond that, I would love to end up in the position of teaching theatre at some point. I come from a very long line of teachers and have recently done a lot of youth theatre that I really enjoy.
Live Design: How can the industry better serve underrepresented communities?
NJ: There are multiple answers to this question involving things such as affordability, exposure, and general accessibility, but overall the theatre industry needs to take a risk on new people. There are so many people of so many backgrounds just waiting for a chance.
Live Design: Who or what are your influences, in terms of people or events?
NJ: I am greatly influenced by history and culture. I have family in New Orleans, and the Caribbean, so when you think of the cultural influence of those two places alone, there is a lot to go off of. Factoring in the vibrancy and life that comes with the music and performances; those uber-rich histories, it is very inspiring.
Live Design: Are there particular challenges you have faced?
NJ: I have been fortunate enough to have not faced any major challenges yet. I have definitely had a few surprises as I work more and expose myself to different works. The complexities of programming and electrician work have been the biggest shocks of all. There is so much that can go wrong very quickly. It's better to be safe than sorry, so asking questions until I have a clear ( for me) answer is a must. While also keeping with the pace of the production and continuing to meet deadlines.
Live Design: What is your number one bucket-list item?
NJ: A full access, all-inclusive trip to Comic-Con or the Disney Expo would be awesome. It would be extra cool if I also had a time machine so that I could visit and experience everything.
Live Design: Has the pandemic changed how you view your work or the industry?
NJ: 2020 was a big year for me. I received a theatre scholarship from my school and two days later everything shut down due to COVID. So I was put into this position of seeing the industry that I want to work in, being out of work and frantically trying to figure things, out. News articles were coming out about IATSE, and Actor's Equity, and it was a lot to process having just committed to pursuing theatre. But in all of that chaos, the arts really pulled through. Art, movies, music, all those things were able to unite humanity and keep us (somewhat) sane as we experienced this unprecedented time. If anything, the pandemic has made me more excited to work in theatre because I know people have missed it. You don't realize how important or influential something is until you don't have it.