JEFF ROWLINGS
SET & LIGHTING DESIGNER / PRODUCTION MANAGER
Set & Lighting Designer, Production Manager (1980 - current). Designs include set and lights for Fool for Love, Eureka Day, I Am My Own Wife, Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Story, Paradise, and What the Constitution Means to Me at Mendocino Theatre Co. He did lights for Eureka Day, Hotter Than Egypt, The Oldest Boy, and Jazz at Marin Theatre; lights for Antipodes for Actors Reading Collective; at Aurora Theatre he did the set for Michael Gene Sullivan’s 1984 directed by Barbara Damashek and lights for Liz Duffy Adam’s Born With Teeth, Jonathan Spector’s This Much I Know, the world premiere of Eureka Day, for Temple, Detroit ’67, and The Heir Apparent. He also lit Dan Hoyle’s Talk to your People at The Marsh SF. Jeff was production manager and designed lights for Word for Word’s SMUT and Retablos by Octavio Solis at Z Below. He was Production Manager and designed sets & lights for Viola Davis’s west coast premiere of Paradise at the Odyssey and Matrix Theatres in LA. He designed lights for Berkeley Playhouse’s Pippin and Lee Sankowich’s presentation of his For Honor. In the “way back world”, he designed lights for Magic Theatre’s Sister Play and world premiere of Arlington. He produced and designed sets & lights for world premiere of The Pornographer’s Daughter and co-produced and designed sets & lights for FOGG Theatre’s world premiere musical, The Cable Car Nymphomaniac. Jeff currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for Mendocino Theatre Co.
Production Manager, American Conservatory Theatre (2001 – 2012). Responsible for production department operations including personnel, budgeting, and scheduling for main stage, second stage, Conservatory productions and events. ACT operates the 1,028 seat Geary Theater (LORT A, IATSE, USA, SSDC), the 140 seat Zeum Theater (LORT D, USA, SSDC) and the 59 seat Hastings Black Box Studio on $20 million annual budget. Member of Senior Management Team, Capital Acquisitions, Life/Safety & Human Resources Committees. Early member of the design team for the 300 seat Strand Theatre.
Producer/Designer, Foghouse Productions, LLC (1999 – 2003). Co-founded a commercial production company with the mission of transferring successful new works into the next phase of production. Produced R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe in San Francisco, Seattle and Chicago. Designed lights for Patrick Ball’s O’Carolan’s Farewell to Music and sets & lights for Culture Clash Anthology in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Producing Director/Resident Designer, San Diego Repertory Theatre (1996 - 1999). In addition to the Producing Director responsibilities (a glorified Production Manager) of a LORT D theatre, was also Resident Set and Lighting Designer. Designed sets and/or lights for 3 to 4 shows per season in SDR’s mainstage and black box theatres.
Production Manager/Resident Designer, Magic Theatre, San Francisco (1987 – 1996). In addition to the Production Manager responsibilities of this BAT Tier 3 theatre, was also Resident Set and Lighting Designer. Designed sets and lights for 5 to 6 shows per season in two 160 seat theatres.
Production Manager/Resident Designer, CitiArts, Concord, CA (1981 - 1987). In addition to the Production Management responsibilities of this regional theatre (producing in the Willows Theatre, Parkside Playhouse and Concord Pavilion), was also Resident Set and Lighting Designer. Designed set and lights for 5 to 6 shows per season. Designed the CitiArts production facility located in the City’s corporation yard.
University of Southern California (1976-1980). Bachelor of Fine Arts Program, emphasis in Design and Technical Theatre. Employed in the Scene Shop for three years. Focusing on new plays, designed for several faculty members at their theatres in Los Angeles as well as on campus.
SELECTED DESIGN EXPERIENCE
2026 I Am My Own Wife Noah Luce Mendocino Theatre Co Sets, Lights & Video
2025 Eureka Day Ann Woodhead Mendocino Theatre Co Sets & Lights
2025 Almost, Maine Ann Woodhead Mendocino Theatre Co Sets, Lights & Video
2025 Baskerville Alex Wright Mendocino Theatre Co Sets, Lights & Video
2025 Eureka Day Josh Costello Marin Theatre Sets & Lights
2024 The Thanksgiving Play Betty Abramson Mendocino Theatre Co Sets & Lights
2024 Antipodes Alyson Schacherer Actors Reading Collective Lights
2024 Who’s Dead McCarthy Paul Finocchiaro Word for Word Sets, Lights & Video
2023 1984 Barbara Damashek Aurora Theatre Co Sets
2023 Born With Teeth Josh Costello Aurora Theatre Co Lights
2023 Woody Guthrie’s American Song Beth Craven Mendocino Theatre Co Sets & Lights
2023 Paradise Ginny Reed Mendocino Theatre Co Sets & Lights
2022 Hotter Than Egypt John Langs Marin Theatre Co Lights
2022 Talk to Your People Charlie Varon Dan Hoyle/The Marsh Lights
2022 This Much I Know Josh Costello Aurora Theatre Co. Lights
2020 Retablos Sheila Balter/Jim Cave Word for Word Lights
2020 Doll’s House Part 2 Alex Rapport Mendocino Theatre Co. Sets & Lights
2019 Jazz Awoye Tiempo Marin Theatre Co. Lights
2019 Detroit ’67 Darryl Jones Aurora Theatre Lights
2019 Ideation Bob Cohen Mendocino Theatre Co. Sets & Lights
2019 Pippin Kimberly Dooley Berkeley Playhouse Lights
2019 Paradise Vicangelo Bulluck Odyssey & Matrix Theatre Sets & Lights
2018 Eureka Day Josh Costello Aurora Theatre Lights
2018 Rumors Bob Cohen Mendocino Theatre Co. Sets & Lights
2017 Temple Tom Ross Aurora Theatre Lights
2017 SMUT Amy Kossow Word for Word Sets & Lights
2016 The Heir Apparent Josh Costello Aurora Theatre Lights
2015 The Oldest Boy Jessica Thebus Marin Theatre Co. Lights
2015 Sister Play John Kolvenbach Magic Theatre Lights
2015 Cable Car Nymphomaniac Terry Berliner Z Below & Eureka Theatre Sets & Lights
2013 Arlington Jackson Gay Magic Theatre Lights
2009 Magic Forest Farm Ryan Rilette Marin Theatre Company Sets & Lights
2004 Relativity Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe Magic Theatre Sets
2000 Culture Clash Anthology Sam Woodhouse Los Angeles Theatre Center Sets & Lights
1996 A Park in our House Nilo Cruz Magic Theatre Sets & Lights
1992 Why we have a Body Jayne Wenger Magic Theatre Sets
1991 East Paul Hellyer Magic Theatre/La Mama ETC Sets & Lights
1990 The House of Yes Andy Doe Magic Theatre/Las Palmas, LA Sets
1989 Noises Off! Richard Seyd Marin Theatre Co/Marines Memorial Lights
1988 Moon for the Misbegotten John Lion Magic Theatre Sets
Member United Scenic Artists, Local 829
