Nelda K. Balch  | Karen Berthel | Todd Espeland |
Elaine Kauffman | Ed Menta | Lanford J. Potts | Jon Reeves | Michelle Swonder

Lanford J. Potts

Professor of Theatre; Associate Provost

Lanny is a professional designer and consultant with over 25 years experience.  His portfolio includes international lighting and production design; national tour designs for opera and dance; regional designs for opera, modern dance, ballet, drama, and corporate events; concert work for Willow Creek and the Indigo Girls; work in architectural lighting and consulting; TV studio production design and consulting; and, consultant planning for performance venues and events (including the 1996 Olympics).  In addition to this professional work Lanny has sustained a 20 year career within the higher education academy while also providing guest “masterclass” design instruction at various venues; and providing professional presentations on lighting design, design communication, and leadership and creativity within the arts at professional conferences and workshops.  He has presented portfolio examples of his work at regional conferences, worked at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and has received numerous professional awards including a Michigan Governor’s Commendation and Atlanta Critic’s Choice awards for his design work (including the Atlanta premier of A Few Good Men).  Having just completed the first U.S. non-professional premier of Miss Saigon (scenic and lighting design) his current endeavors (2007-2008 year) include international lighting and production design work with the Willow Creek Organization in Wetzlar, Germany; completion of production design work for a DVD, architectural and lighting consulting for two regional youth centers, and scenic and lighting design work for local and regional companies.  Lanny is the technical and creative producer for “180 Productions” which is a weekly youth ministry program which sees approximately 120 high school students each week from 8-10 high schools in the surrounding community. 

269-337-7156

email: lpotts@kzoo.edu

Lanny (tall guy in the middle) with lighting and programming colleagues in Germany.