Michael cunningham

is a New York City based lighting designer. Before moving back to his hometown of New York City, he was the Assistant Technical Director at the Cleveland Play House (Recipient of the 2015 Regional Theater Tony Award). He as also served as the Technical Director for the Cleveland Public Theatre.

Michael is equally at home in the worlds of Opera, Dance, Theater, Musical Theater and Live TV.

Michael was the resident Lighting Designer for The Second Avenue Dance Company and NYU Tisch Dance from 2017-2019.

Michael has designed work for The Lyric Opera of Guatemala, The Clarion Orchestra, Chicago Summer Opera, Oberlin Conservatory, Baldwin Walace Conservatory, The Cleveland Public Theater, The Cleveland Dance Exchange, Oberlin Summer Theater Festival, NYU Experimental Theater Wing, Playwrights Horizon Theater School, The Marymount School of Manhattan, Midtown International Theater Festival, Planet Connections Theater Festivity, The Broadway Bound Theater Festival, The Build Studios (Verizon).

This Fall Michael will be working with Salisbury University and Fairleigh Dickinson University as well as assisting on off broadway shows.

Michael holds a MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in the Department of Design for Stage and Film and a BA in theatrical design and production from Oberlin College.