CHARLES KIRBY PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Charles is based in New York City and has worked as a designer for the last 15 years doing film, theater, commercials and industrial events internationally. Charles and the other Thematics designers formed a partnership a few years ago to consolidate our community ideals and focus our efforts toward a common goal, design dedicated to themes of space.

They have had varied careers and been fortunate to work on a wide range of projects, some recent projects include : his first feature film production design to be released in Jan 2003, currently titled CORN, written and directed by David Silver and a revival tour of WORKING, a Steven Schwartz James Taylor musical circa 1978 going out.

LIGHTBOX is one of the most exciting projects Charles and Thematics have ever designed and this time we are producing too. A patent-pending system for teachers and designers which we have recently gone public with and are looking for other designers to work with and integrate into thier process. In other places on this site you can see lightbox and some of the model building and integrated lighting cues.

Charles production designed the electro-pop extravaganza art happening FISCHERSPOONER in SOHO NYC @ Jeffery Deitch's Gallery May 2002 and their upcoming BASIL, MIAMI show. He has designed various commercials for A& E/Bravo Networks, Clearview Cinemas, and many others; industrials for everyone from Dick Clark to Chase Bank.

Architecturally he has lit VERATEX's acclaimed showroom series and shaped Colletia's atrium. On the theater side Charles has two beautiful productions out on national tours of PETER PAN and HELLO, DOLLY! He has collaborated on a new play by Josh James, TALLBOY WALKIN', directed by Nick Corley and Charles was honored to become the first recipient of the Kert Lundell Design Award for the international scenic designer who recently past away.

A few short films are doing the festival circuit : GREETINGS FROM A POLITE SOCIETY, written by Christopher Hickman and directed by Jason Chaet; LINOLEUM written and directed by Gregor Clark; and THE POOL written and directed by James Brodsky.

Other credits include: scenery for the Lincoln Center Director's Lab production of Kipp Erante Cheng's THE RIDDLE OF BAMBOO directed by Rebecca Holderness; a new adaptation of the play PELLEAS AND MELISANDE by Tom Sellar, directed by Lane Savadove, produced by George Steele at The Miller Theater; JERSEY CITY by Wendy Hammond at the Old Red Lion, London's Time Out Mag new play festival award winner; a new adaptation of Richard Adams' WATERSHIP DOWN for the Raleigh, NC group Burning Coal directed by Eric Tucker; Stephen Belber's TAPE directed by Steve Pickering at Access Theater. Last Spring he designed the One-Act Play Marathon at Ensemble Studio Theatre with world premieres by David Ives, Frank D. Gilroy, Susan Kim, Laurence Klavan, Billy Aronson, Cherie Vogelstein, and Tom Coash; directed by Keith Reddin, Jason Buzas, Chris Smith, Jaime Richards, Curt Dempster and Mark Roberts. A highly praised production of DEEP DOWN, a new play by Doug Grissom was produced at INTAR, NYC and moved to The Venture in Philadelphia. Lucy Thurber's KILLERS AND OTHER FAMILY directed by John Lawler premiered at Rattlestick Productions and a new Judy Blume musical adaptation of OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SHEILA THE GREAT is currently touring North America.

Charles has a MFA from New York University, and BFA from Syracuse University. He has taught at The Tower School, Manhattan Marymount, Spence and is currently an artist in residence at The Collegiate School in NYC.

See Thematics' Portfolio