DESIGNER AND DESIGN MANAGER

Mark Nayden has garnered a prestigious reputation and critical acclaim as a designer and design manager for film, television and live events. Recently, he has been developing and writing some new stage pieces, including Five Minutes, Miss Draper, co-created with Susan Campanaro, Richard Kennedy and music & lyrics by Lynn Portas.

Nayden's work in and around NYC includes designs for: Westbeth, The York Theatre Company, The Jewish Repertory, New York Performance Works, The Directors Company, as well as Manhattan School of Music. He was nominated for a New York Innovative Theatre Award for Set Design of the Invictus Theater Company’s production of Murder in the First, directed by Michael Parva. The production was recently remounted and redesigned for the Off Broadway production at The 59E59 Theater. He has designed several productions at NJPAC including Sweeney Todd and Carousel, which were also performed at The Algonquin Arts in Manasquan, NJ.

As guest artist at Montclair State University in 2003, he designed The Shape of Things. He was also an adjunct faculty member in Department of Theatre and Dance (2000-2001), teaching and advising in their undergraduate programs, as well as designing a production of Cloud 9. Previously, Mr. Nayden was an adjunct professor at The University of Bridgeport in the Graphic Design Department.

Mr. Nayden was the Associate designer on Broadway productions: Indiscretions (Les Parents Terribles), Tony Nomination; An Inspector Calls (Broadway and National Tour), Drama Desk Award and Tony Nomination; Translations and Wonderful Tennessee and at New York City Opera on The Visit of the Old Lady, directed by Joanne Akalitis. He has also collaborated with many Broadway designers including Paul Gallis on Cyrano the Musical and Richard Hudson on The Lion King.

He has designed for choreographer Paula Josa Jones on Wonderland at Jacob’s Pillow and the Altogether Different Festival at the Joyce Theatre in NYC; Raving in Wind at the Majestic Theatre in Boston, MA; and for her performance works: Eine Kliene Nachtmusik; The Yellow Wallpaper and Ghostdance for Lincoln Center Out of Doors.

In addition to his performance work, Mr. Nayden has an extensive resume of industrial and architectural projects including permanent installations with interactive/multimedia elements. He designed and was co-owner of Excelsior, a bar/cocktail lounge in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Zagat Survey’s Brooklyn Guide featured Excelsior as one of the top ten nightspots. It has also been featured in Time Out’s Best Bars 2001, The Best in NY 2000 by New York Magazine and The Village Voice. Excelsior moved to a new larger location in 2015 becoming a performance venue/club in addition to being a lounge.

Nayden was a designer with DMD Group, a full service design and management company for the entertainment industry founded by Duke Durfee. His industrial show design experience includes live events and videos designed for product introductions, press events and promotions for corporate clients around the world including:

IBM • Sony • Digital • MCI • Disney • Philip Morris • Universal Studios • Buick • Toyota • Daimler-Chrysler • Mastercard • Schering-Plough • Ford • Lincoln Mercury • Maritime Overseas Corp. • Moody’s Computerworld • The Paddington Corp. • Nortel • Avon • Beneficial

Mr. Nayden received his MFA in Scene Design from Boston University in 1990; his BFA in Graphic Design from Rhode Island School of Design in 1987 and studied experimental photography in a program at the Basel School of Design in Switzerland.

He lives in Salem, VA and is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829.

THE IT GIRL
Directed by BT McNicholl
The York Theatre Company
NY, NY

NEW YORK THEATRE

Five Minutes, Miss Draper

• Co-created and designed with Susan Campanaro, Richard Kennedy & Lynn Portas

Murder in the First

• Directed by: Michael Parva • 59E59Theater NY, NY
Midnight Madness

• Directed: Cynthia Meryl • NYMF at The Ailey Citigroup Theater NY, NY• Workshop at NJPAC, NJ
Murder in the First

• Directed: Michael Parva • The Invictus Theater Co. at The Directors Company NY, NY
Kiki and Herb - There’s a Stranger in the Manger

• Westbeth Theater Center NY, NY
The IT Girl

• Directed: BT McNicholl • The York Theatre Company NY, NY
Imperfect Love

• Directed: Brandon Cole • New York Performance Works NY, NY
Love in a Thirsty Land

• Directed: Bob Kalfin • Jewish Repertory Theatre NY, NY
Furious

• Set & Costume Design • Directed: David Elliott • New York Performance Works NY, NY
Chuppah

• Directed: Frank Pisco • Intar NY, NY
Dr. Faustus

• Directed: David Elliott • The Salon NY, NY
Orphans

• Directed: Aaron Davidman • The Raw Space NY, NY
Those Left Behind

• Directed: Judy Minor • The Directors Company NY, NY
The Hidden Sky

• Directed: BT McNicholl • The Directors Company NY, NY
Flaherty’s Window

• Directed: Carol Goodheart • Daedalus Theatre Co. NY, NY
The Lion King

• Assistant Set Design • Design: Richard Hudson • Directed by Julie Taymor

• New Amsterdam Theatre NY, NY
Indiscretions (Les Parents Terribles)

• Associate Set Design • Design: Stephen Brimson Lewis • Directed: Sean Mathias

• Ethel Barrymore Theatre NY, NY
Translations

• Associate Set Design • Co-Design: Ashley Martin Davis • Directed: Howard Davies

• Colonial Theatre Boston, MA • Plymouth Theatre NY, NY
An Inspector Calls

• Associate Set Design • Design: Ian MacNeil • Directed: Stephen Daldry

• Royale Theatre NY, NY • National Tour
Wonderful Tennessee

• Associate Set Design • Design: Joe Vanek • Directed: Patrick Mason • Plymouth Theatre NY, NY
Cyrano the Musical

• Assistant Set Design • Design: Paul Gallis • Associate Design: Duke Durfee • Directed: Eddy Habbema • Neil Simon Theatre NY, NY

REGIONAL THEATRE

Seaside Music Theatre Daytona Beach , FL
The Telephone / The Medium

• Directed: Lester Malizia
Five Guys Named Moe

• Directed: Harry Bryce
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

• Directed: Wendy Lehr
Street Scene

• Directed: Lester Malizia
Rags

• Directed: Lester Malizia
High Spirits

• Directed: Mark Harborth
Children of Eden

• Directed: Lester Malizia

Cazenovia Theatre Company, Cazenovia, NY
The World Goes Round

• Directed: Pamela Sousa
Personals

• Directed: Darin Baker
I Do! I Do!

• Directed: Patrick Quinn
Starting Here, Starting Now

• Directed: Michael Lichtefeld
Vanities

• Directed: Mark Harborth

Corning Summer Theatre, Corning, NY
Rumors

• Directed: Peter Lawrence
Other People’s Money

• Directed: Richard Jenkins

Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, MA
The Lady from Maxim’s

• Assistant Set Design • Design: John Falabella • Directed: Larry Carpenter
The Merry Wives of Windsor

• Assistant Set Design • Design: John Falabella • Directed: Edward Gilbert

Other
Sweeney Todd

• Directed: Cynthia Merrill • NJPAC, Newark, NJ• Algonquin Arts, Manasquan, NJ
Carousel

• Directed: Cynthia Merrill • NJPAC, Newark, NJ• Algonquin Arts, Manasquan, NJ
The Shape of Things

• Directed: Susan Kerner • Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
Once on this Island

• Directed: Cynthia Merrill • New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, NJ
Cloud 9

• Directed: Susan Kerner • Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
West Side Story

• Directed: Barry Ivan • Yale University New Haven, CT
The Man Who Came to Dinner

• Directed: Richard Seer • Boston University Theatre Boston, MA

OPERA

Manhattan School of Music, NY, NY

Savitri / Trouble in Tahiti
• Directed: Michael Montel

Opera Scenes
• Directed: Gordon Ostrowski

New York City Opera, NY, NY

The Visit of the Old Lady
• Associate Set Design • Design: Marina Draghici
• Directed: Joanne Akalatis • New York City Opera NY, NY

Other

The Turn of the Screw

• Directed: Will Graham • Tsai Performance Center Boston, MA

DANCE

Paula Josa-Jones Performance Works

Ghostdance

• Lincoln Center Out of Doors NY. NY

Raving in Wind

• The Majestic Theatre Boston, MA

Wonderland

• Jacob’s Pillow Lee, MA • The Joyce Theater NY, NY

The Yellow Wallpaper

• NUArts Boston, MA

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

• Dance Umbrella Boston, MA

FEATURE FILM

Private Parts

• Assistant Art Direction • Production Design: Charles Rosen
• Art Direction: Rick Butler • Directed: Betty Thomas • NY, NY

RELATED EXPERIENCE

Montclair State University • Montclair, NJ
• Guest Artist and Adjunct Faculty • Department of Theatre and Dance

DMD Group • New York, NY
• Designer • Art Direction, Set Design for television, film, theatre, industry

University of Bridgeport • Bridgeport, CT

• Adjunct Faculty • Graphic Design

South Street Seaport Museum • New York, NY
• Exhibit Specialist • Design, Installation of Temporary/Permanent Exhibits

EDUCATION

Boston University

• MFA Scene Design

Rhode Island School of Design

• BFA Graphic Design

Basel School of Design/Switzerland

• Six weeks experimental photography

References and Portfolio available upon request

DESIGNER AND DESIGN MANAGER

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M NAYDEN DESIGN