An overview of the lighting design processes for two main stage productions produced by the University of Massachusetts Amherst Department of Theater, EVERYBODY by Branden Jacobs Jenkins, and DANCE NATION by Clare Barron, with specific emphasis on the emotional, logistical, and pedagogical challenges of producing live theater in an educational setting after a year of isolation due to the covid pandemic. This thesis documents my design process for each production including text analysis,

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... ction process, collaboration with the assistant Lighting Designer Hyejung Kang and the production electrician Michael Dubin, and includes reflections on my experiences teaching and mentoring students throughout the collaborative and production processes.