Patton Campbell designs

1948-1995

Born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1926, Patton Campbell became interested in theatre and in costumes as an outgrowth of his boyhood participation in marionette productions. He graduated from Yale College in 1950 and received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama in 1952, where he studied design under Donald Oenslager. Although Campbell's training at Yale covered all aspects of theatre design - sets, lighting and costumes - costumes were to become his primary focus.

Campbell's Broadway debut in 1955 was as scenic and lighting designer for The Grand Prizeat the Plymouth Theatre. He then went on, early in his Broadway career, to assist such notable designers as Rouben Ter-Arutunian (on Redheadin 1959), William and Jean Eckart (on Fiorelloin 1959), and Cecil Beaton (on Tenderloinin 1960). All in all, Campbell designed or co-designed 22 Broadway shows, including the original production of Man of La Manchawhich he co-designed with Howard Bay, receiving a Tony nomination.

Campbell also designed twenty productions for the New York City Opera; sets, costumes and lighting for the Santa Fe (New Mexico) and Glimmerglass (Cooperstown, N.Y.) Opera Companies; costumes for productions in Tokyo and at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London, and for the National Tours of Oliver! After the Fall, and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.

Mr. Campbell taught design between 1955 and 1991, serving on the faculties of Columbia, Brandeis and New York Universities, Barnard College, Brooklyn College, SUNY Purchase, Pratt Institute, Southern Methodist University and the New School for Social Research.