Rosenthal, Jean 1912-1969

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ROSENTHAL, Jean 1912-1969

PERSONAL: Original name, Eugenia Rosenthal; some sources cite name as Jean E. Rosenthal; born March 16, 1912, in New York, NY; died of cancer May 1, 1969, in New York, NY; father, a physician; mother, a physician. Education: Attended Yale University, 1930-33; studied at Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater, New York, NY, with Martha Graham.

CAREER: Lighting designer for stage productions, including dance productions of Martha Graham, 1933-69. Works Project Administration, technical assistant, beginning 1933; Mercury Theater, lighting designer, beginning 1933; Theater Production Service, Inc. (theatrical supply house), founder, 1940; New York City Ballet, lighting designer, 1948-57; Jean Rosenthal Associates (theatrical consulting firm), founder, 1958, and architectural consultant; American Ballet Theater, lighting designer, 1960-68; Metropolitan Opera, resident lighting designer, 1967; lighting designer for numerous Broadway plays and musicals, including West Side Story, 1957, The Sound of Music, 1959, Barefoot in the Park, 1963, Hello, Dolly, 1964, Fiddler on the Roof, 1964, Hamlet, 1964, The Odd Couple, 1965, and Cabaret, 1966. Also lighting designer for hotels, airports, and other venues.

AWARDS, HONORS: Henrietta Lord Memorial Award, Yale University School of Drama, 1932; Outer Critics Circle Award, 1968-69, for contribution to stage design.

WRITINGS:

(With Lael Wertenbacker) The Magic of Light: The Craft and Career of Jean Rosenthal, Pioneer in Lighting for the Modern Stage, illustrated by Marion Kinsella, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1972.

Contributor to periodicals, including Theatre Arts, Opera News, Musical America, and Impulse.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

books

International Dictionary of Modern Dance, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1998.

International Dictionary of Theatre, Volume 3: Actors, Directors, and Designers, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1996.

Rosenthal, Jean, and Lael Wertenbacker, The Magic of Light: The Craft and Career of Jean Rosenthal, Pioneer in Lighting for the Modern Stage, illustrated by Marion Kinsella, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1972.