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Hello, I'm Joe Johnson, a scenic designer based in the Chicago. I earned an MFA in Scenic Design from Northwestern University and a BFA in Scenic Design from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and I love creating immersive environments that are driven by storytelling. My work ranges from intimate university productions to professional regional theatre, and I enjoy collaborating with directors, designers, and crews to bring spaces to life. In my practice I blend traditional hand drafting and model-building with modern tools like Photoshop, Procreate, and SketchUp to realize concepts from early sketches to fully realized designs. I'm excited to continue exploring versatility across genres and venues.…Hello, I'm Joe Johnson, a scenic designer based in the Chicago. I earned an MFA in Scenic Design from Northwestern University and a BFA in Scenic Design from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and I love creating immersive environments that are driven by storytelling. My work ranges from intimate university productions to professional regional theatre, and I enjoy collaborating with directors, designers, and crews to bring spaces to life. In my practice I blend traditional hand drafting and model-building with modern tools like Photoshop, Procreate, and SketchUp to realize concepts from early sketches to fully realized designs. I'm excited to continue exploring versatility across genres and venues.

Joe Johnson

Set Designer, Production Designer, Designer, +1

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Hello, I'm Joe Johnson, a scenic designer based in the Chicago. I earned an MFA in Scenic Design from Northwestern University and a BFA in Scenic Design from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and I love creating immersive environments that are driven by storytelling. My work ranges from intimate university productions to professional regional theatre, and I enjoy collaborating with directors, designers, and crews to bring spaces to life. In my practice I blend traditional hand drafting and model-building with modern tools like Photoshop, Procreate, and SketchUp to realize concepts from early sketches to fully realized designs. I'm excited to continue exploring versatility across genres and venues.…Hello, I'm Joe Johnson, a scenic designer based in the Chicago. I earned an MFA in Scenic Design from Northwestern University and a BFA in Scenic Design from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and I love creating immersive environments that are driven by storytelling. My work ranges from intimate university productions to professional regional theatre, and I enjoy collaborating with directors, designers, and crews to bring spaces to life. In my practice I blend traditional hand drafting and model-building with modern tools like Photoshop, Procreate, and SketchUp to realize concepts from early sketches to fully realized designs. I'm excited to continue exploring versatility across genres and venues.

Available to hire

Hello, I’m Joe Johnson, a scenic designer based in the Chicago. I earned an MFA in Scenic Design from Northwestern University and a BFA in Scenic Design from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and I love creating immersive environments that are driven by storytelling. My work ranges from intimate university productions to professional regional theatre, and I enjoy collaborating with directors, designers, and crews to bring spaces to life.

In my practice I blend traditional hand drafting and model-building with modern tools like Photoshop, Procreate, and SketchUp to realize concepts from early sketches to fully realized designs. I’m excited to continue exploring versatility across genres and venues.

Skills

Watercolour Illustration

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Watercolour Illustration

Expert

3D Model

Intermediate

DaVinci Resolve Studio

Intermediate

Language

English

Fluent

Work Experience

Assistant Scenic Design at Theatre Latte Da

January 1, 2026 - Present

Assisted scenic design for The Glass Menagerie and multiple productions, coordinating with designers and crews; credits include Humperdinks, Madagascar Jr., Merrily We Roll Along, Alice by Heart, Finding Nemo Jr., Inanimate, Selling Kabul, 9-5 the Musical, Footloose, Disney’s Descendants the Musical, Suor Angelica/Schicchi, Beauty and the Beast, Extra Yarn, Newsies, Legally Blonde the Musical, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Peerless, SpongeBob the Musical, Legally Blonde the Musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, Les Misérables, Noises Off.

Production Designer at Old Globe Theatre

January 1, 2025 - Present

Production design for Huzzah! (Todd Rosenthal) at Old Globe Theatre; upcoming 2025.

Production Designer at Steep Theatre

January 1, 2025 - Present

Production design for Girls and Boys (Sotirios Livaditis); 2025.

Production Designer at Northlight Theatre

January 1, 2025 - Present

Production design for Twisted Melodies (Sotirios Livaditis); 2025.

Production Designer at Drury Lane Theatre

January 1, 2025 - Present

Production design for The Da Vinci Code (Scott Penner); 2025.

Assistant Scenic Designer at The Glass Menagerie (Theatre Latté Da)

January 1, 2026 - Present

Assisted on scenic design for The Glass Menagerie; collaborated with the design team for upcoming production.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Humperdinks Hansel and Gretel (LAMF)

January 1, 2025 - Present

Contributed to scenic design development for a 2025 production; supported model-building and drafting.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Madagascar Jr. (Barrett Stages Theatre Co.)

January 1, 2025 - Present

Helped with scenic concepts and fabrications for youth production, coordinating with the production team.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Merrily We Roll Along (Burning Coal Theatre Co.)

January 1, 2025 - Present

Provided scenic design assistance and pre-production visualization for a main-stage season show.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Alice by Heart (East Ridge High School)

January 1, 2024 - Present

Supported scenic planning and drafting for a school-produced musical.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Finding Nemo Jr. (Barrett Stages Theatre Co.)

January 1, 2024 - Present

Contributed to set design development and shop drawings for youth theatre project.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Inanimate (Theater Wit)

January 1, 2024 - Present

Assisted on scenic concepts and production drafting for a contemporary production.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Selling Kabul (Northlight Theatre)

January 1, 2024 - Present

Provided scenic design support, including model-building and prop coordination.

Assistant Scenic Designer at 9-5 the Musical (The Phipps Center)

January 1, 2023 - Present

Assisted with set drawings and production documentation for a main-stage musical.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Footloose (McLeod Summer Playhouse)

January 1, 2023 - Present

Supported scenic design development and construction coordination for a summer show.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Disney’s Descendants the Musical (Barrett Stages Theatre Co.)

January 1, 2023 - Present

Collaborated on set design concepts and pre-production deliverables.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Suor Angelica/Schicchi (Bay View Music Festival)

January 1, 2023 - Present

Assisted with scenic layout, props planning, and fabrication oversight.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Beauty and the Beast (Bay View Music Festival)

January 1, 2023 - Present

Supported scenic design development for a festival production.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Extra Yarn (Lifeline Theater)

January 1, 2023 - Present

Assisted with design concepts, model-building, and production meetings.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Newsies (Maple Grove High School)

January 1, 2022 - Present

Youth-production support in scenic planning and build supervision.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Legally Blonde the Musical (East Ridge High School)

January 1, 2022 - Present

Contributed to set design and technical planning for a high school musical.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Skokie Theatre)

January 1, 2022 - Present

Supported scenic design process and shop coordination.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (Northwestern University)

January 1, 2022 - Present

Assisted with design development for a university production.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Peerless (Northwestern University)

January 1, 2022 - Present

Contributed to set design, drafting, and collaboration with faculty.

Assistant Scenic Designer at SpongeBob the Musical (East Ridge High School)

January 1, 2021 - Present

Provided scenic design support for a school musical.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Legally Blonde the Musical (Northwestern University)

January 1, 2020 - Present

Assisted with set design and production documentation.

Assistant Scenic Designer at The Drowsy Chaperone (East Ridge High School)

January 1, 2019 - Present

Supported scenic design and build process for a high school production.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Les Misérables (East Ridge High School)

January 1, 2018 - Present

Contributed to set design and production meetings.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Noises Off (University of Minnesota - Duluth)

January 1, 2017 - Present

Participated in design development and shop coordination for a university show.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Complete Works… Shakespeare (Abridged) (University of Minnesota - Duluth)

January 1, 2017 - Present

Supported scenic design concepts and production planning.

Production Designer at Huzzah! (Old Globe Theatre)

January 1, 2025 - Present

Main production designer for a 2025 project; developed overall visual concept and manage design team.

Production Designer at Girls and Boys (Steep Theatre)

January 1, 2025 - Present

Led scenic design for a 2025 Steep Theatre production; created models and shop drawings.

Production Designer at Twisted Melodies (Northlight Theatre)

January 1, 2025 - Present

Directed scenic design development and collaboration with directors and technical leads.

Production Designer at The Da Vinci Code (Drury Lane Theatre)

January 1, 2025 - Present

Oversaw overall scenic concept and fabrication planning for a 2025 production.

Production Designer at The Cave (Red Orchid Theatre)

January 1, 2025 - Present

Developed production visuals and led design execution for 2025 project.

Production Designer at A Slow Air (Steep Theatre)

January 1, 2025 - Present

Managed design process and realized scenic elements for 2025 show.

Production Designer at Circus Quixote (Lookingglass Theatre Co.)

January 1, 2025 - Present

Created visual narrative and built models for a 2025 Lookingglass production.

Production Designer at Little Women (Northlight Theatre)

January 1, 2024 - Present

Led scenic design for 2024 Northlight production; designed sets and floor plans.

Production Designer at It’s A Wonderful Life the Musical (Capital City Theatre)

January 1, 2024 - Present

Directed the scenic design development and pre-production visualization.

Production Designer at The Audience (Drury Lane Theatre)

January 1, 2024 - Present

Orchestrated set design concepts and collaboration with technical teams.

Production Designer at English (Goodman Theatre - Guthrie Theatre)

January 1, 2024 - Present

Led design decisions and collaborated on cross-venue production aesthetics.

Production Designer at The Lehman Trilogy (The Zach Theatre)

January 1, 2024 - Present

Directed scenic realization and coordination of build with shop.

Production Designer at A Case for the Existence of God (Steep Theatre)

January 1, 2024 - Present

Managed production design process and collaborated with director.

Production Designer at Billy Elliot (Paramount Theatre)

January 1, 2023 - Present

Crafted set design concepts and supported construction coordination.

Production Designer at School of Rock (Paramount Theatre)

January 1, 2023 - Present

Led scenic design direction and execution for a 2023 production.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Latté Da Theatre

January 1, 2026 - Present

Assisted scenic design for The Glass Menagerie and supported design development, renderings, and production coordination with Justin Lucero.

Assistant Scenic Designer at LAMF (Lakes Area Music Festival)

January 1, 2025 - Present

Contributed to set design for Humperdink's Hansel and Gretel, collaborating with the design team for festival productions.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Barrett Stages Theatre Co.

January 1, 2025 - Present

Supported production design for Madagascar Jr. and related works; assisted with design research, drawings, and build oversight.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Burning Coal Theatre Co.

January 1, 2025 - Present

Assisted on Merrily We Roll Along with set design development and production coordination.

Assistant Scenic Designer at East Ridge High School

January 1, 2024 - Present

Contributed to Alice by Heart; assisted with design research, drawings, and build support.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Barrett Stages Theatre Co.

January 1, 2024 - Present

Finding Nemo Jr.; assisted with scenic design development, renderings, and production coordination.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Theater Wit

January 1, 2024 - Present

Inanimate; supported scenic design research and construction oversight.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Northlight Theatre

January 1, 2024 - Present

Selling Kabul; assisted with set design development and collaboration with the design team.

Assistant Scenic Designer at The Phipps Center

January 1, 2023 - Present

9-5 the Musical; contributed to production design and build coordination.

Assistant Scenic Designer at McLeod Summer Playhouse

January 1, 2023 - Present

Footloose; provided scenic design support, renderings, and on-site coordination.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Barrett Stages Theatre Co.

January 1, 2023 - Present

Disney’s Descendants the Musical; contributed to set design development and production support.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Bay View Music Festival

January 1, 2023 - Present

Suor Angelica/Schicchi and Beauty and the Beast; assisted with scenic concepts and builds.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Lifeline Theater

January 1, 2023 - Present

Extra Yarn; supported design development and construction oversight.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Maple Grove High School

January 1, 2022 - Present

Newsies; contributed to set design and production execution.

Assistant Scenic Designer at East Ridge High School

January 1, 2022 - Present

Legally Blonde the Musical; assisted with design research and builds.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Skokie Theatre

January 1, 2022 - Present

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; supported scenic design and fabrication.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Northwestern University

January 1, 2022 - Present

Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo; assisted with design development and technical drawings.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Northwestern University

January 1, 2022 - Present

Peerless; contributed to design research and production drafting.

Assistant Scenic Designer at East Ridge High School

January 1, 2021 - Present

SpongeBob the Musical; provided scenic design support and build oversight.

Assistant Scenic Designer at Northwestern University

January 1, 2020 - Present

Legally Blonde the Musical; assisted with research, drawings, and renderings.

Assistant Scenic Designer at East Ridge High School

January 1, 2019 - Present

The Drowsy Chaperone; contributed to set design and fabrication.

Assistant Scenic Designer at East Ridge High School

January 1, 2018 - Present

Les Misérables; assisted in design research and production processes.

Assistant Scenic Designer at University of Minnesota - Duluth

January 1, 2017 - Present

Noises Off; supported scene design and build coordination.

Assistant Scenic Designer at University of Minnesota - Duluth

January 1, 2017 - Present

Complete Works… Shakespeare (Abridged); assisted with design development and drafting.

Assistant Scenic Design at Theatre Latte Da

January 1, 2026 - Present

Assisted scenic design for The Glass Menagerie, collaborating with the design team and production staff. Responsibilities included drafting support, prop coordination, and model construction to aid development from concept to build.

Production Designer at Old Globe Theatre

January 1, 2025 - Present

Production design for Huzzah!; collaborated with the design team to develop visuals, build plans, and support on-stage environments for the production.

Production Designer at Steep Theatre

January 1, 2025 - Present

Production design for Girls and Boys; contributed to concept development, drafting, and coordination with directors and crews to realize the scenic elements.

Production Designer at Northlight Theatre

January 1, 2025 - Present

Production design for Twisted Melodies; assisted in design development and execution of scenic concepts in collaboration with the artistic team.

Production Designer at Drury Lane Theatre

January 1, 2025 - Present

Production design for The Da Vinci Code; contributed to concept development, drafting, and coordination with production staff to realize the scenic vision.