USITT is saddened to hear of the passing of legendary scenic designer and dramaturg John Conklin, who died on June 24, 2025, in Cooperstown, NY, at age 88. A transformative force in American theater and opera for more than six decades, Conklin's work spanned Broadway and the world’s great opera houses and theatres, where his designs reshaped how stories are told on stage.

A longtime Member of the USITT community, Conklin was the 2017 Distinguished Achievement Award for Education winner and heavily involved in the Prague Quadrennial (PQ) acting as the Artistic Director of PQ in 1991 as well as the winner of the Golden Triga for the U.S. PQ in 1987. Conklin's influence extended far beyond his own celebrated designs. As a teacher, mentor, and collaborator, he shaped generations of theater artists. He served on the faculty of NYU Tisch for over four decades and held leadership roles at Boston Lyric Opera and The Glimmerglass Festival. Remarkably, Conklin came out of retirement to design four productions for Glimmerglass’s 50th anniversary season this summer, an act that exemplifies both his artistry and his deep love for the work he does.

Conklin leaves behind a body of work that will live on in the memories of those he has worked with, audiences, students, and artists. He will be extremely missed but remembered but many. 

"A brilliant light in our stratosphere has gone out - I'm deeply saddened by the loss of scenic designer, mentor, and disruptor John Conklin. I had the pleasure of working on "the Spanish Trilogy" that John designed early in my career - as set that could configure to play FIDELIO, CARMEN, and BARBER OF SEVILLE, which I thought was brilliant and was surprised that everyone didn't do to utilize opera scenery in a way that served many shows. I worked in an office at Opera America for 11 years which was named for John, and I will never forget the image of him sitting on the staff desk just outside my door next to the plaque with his name on it. It reminded me daily during my time at OA that questioning everything ("do you really need to do the overture to DUTCHMAN?") and employing collaboration, curiosity, and creativity in every answer would bring about some of the most amazing things. Glimmerglass Festival will never be the same without him. Rest well, Uncle John. We will miss you until our next adventure together." -Laura Lee Everett, USITT Executive Director

Click here to read more about John's legacy.