In Memoriam: Mark McCullough

	Mark McCullough

Lighting designer Mark McCullough died on December 31. He was 62. The cause of death was glioblastoma. He was a resident of Charlottesville, Virginia.

McCullough was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he attended Charlotte Country Day School. He graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a BFA in design and production. He earned an MFA in stage design from Yale School of Drama. Between undergraduate and graduate school, he worked as an assistant to the lighting designer at Ballet Met in Columbus, Ohio, where he met the dancer Theresa Carney, who would become his wife.

McCullough designed productions at many important international venues, including the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Bolshoi Theater, Covent Garden, Vienna State Opera, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, and Houston Grand Opera, as well as the Glimmerglass Festival, where he lit 20 productions. His theatre credits include a revival of Jesus Christ Superstar (Broadway and UK), Whistle Down the Wind (London), The White Devil and Don Carlos (Royal Shakespeare Company), West Side Story (Italy and elsewhere), and, Off-Broadway, Wendy Wasserstein's Old Money (Lincoln Center Theater), and How I Learned to Drive, and The Long Christmas Ride Home (Vineyard Theatre) His work in regional theatre included the Guthrie Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Mark Taper Forum, Hartford Stage, Steppenwolf, and Center Stage.

McCullough was also a co-owner of Ace Contracting, a Charlottesville-based business dedicated to building and remodeling houses.

A statement from Glimmerglass Opera says, "Mark first came to Glimmerglass in 1995 to assist Robert Wierzel, then returned to design lighting for more than 30 productions, beginning with Yeoman of the Guard in 1995. In recent years, Mark collaborated frequently with director Francesca Zambello, scenic designer Peter J. Davison, and choreographer Eric Sean Fogel.

"Many of Mark's designs -- including The Flying Dutchman (2013), Candide (2015), Porgy and Bess (2017), and West Side Story (2018) -- continue to have successful afterlives at opera companies around the world. Mark was known for his relentless pursuit of excellence, tempered with kindness and humor. Even when he was frustrated with people, he always smiled and called them 'Gorgeous.' He would patiently explain -- as many times as it took -- why details mattered. Many a Glimmerglass intern heard a lecture on the importance of the role of the followspot.

"Mark was in it to make something beautiful and important, and he insisted that everyone share his high standards. He was tough, but also generous, and when off the clock, you could find him at the grill, bringing his high standards to the task of creating community and feeding his colleagues well. We will miss him tremendously."

McCullough is survived by his wife, Theresa; his children, Matthew and Hope; his sister, Leigh Ann McCullough Steigman, her husband, Trey, and their children, Cole and Kaleigh; and a host of relatives.

A private celebration of McCullough's life will be held in January. Memorial contributions can be made to the National Brain Tumor Society, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, or the Glimmerglass Festival.