David Zinn is a costume and scenic designer based in New York, New York. He has been nominated ten times for Tony Awards for both his costume designs and scenic designs. He has won two Best Scenic Design for a Play awards (The Humans in 2016 and Stereophonic in 2024), and one Best Scenic Design in a Musical award (SpongeBob SquarePants in 2018)."David Zinn Tony Awards" broadwayworld.com He has over 80 Off-Broadway credits in his lifetime.
Early life Zinn was born on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, Washington. He wanted to be an actor and then moved backstage to start designing in middle school.Brendon Lemon, "Making the Scene with David Zinn", Lincoln Center Theatre, January 30, 2017. After using his high school career at Bainbridge High School to work in and around Seattle and Bainbridge Island, Zinn decided to move to New York City.Houlihan, Mary. "It's a Matter of Minutes for Set Designer David Zinn's Latest Work", Chicago Sun, November 11, 2017. Zinn attended New York University's (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts for his MFA in Design for Stage and Film, where he said he was most influenced by musicals and by avant-garde theatre like the Wooster Group.Stuart Miller, "David Zinn Goes Big and Keeps it Real" American Theatre, March 2015.
Career Soon after leaving NYU, Zinn went to work as a costume designer for regional theater. After a big break at Santa Fe Opera, which featured his scenic and costume designs, he became known for both aspects of his work."David Zinn" Opera Stage He then went on to work in several Off-Broadway theater for years. He also worked closely with Target Margin Theater Company, headed by David Herskovits and graduate school friend Lenore Doxsee.Stuart Miller, "David Zinn Goes Big and Keeps it Real", American Theatre, March 2015. Target Margin Theatre Company Website
In 2010 Zinn worked on Broadway with his costume designs for Xanadu. He then went on to design costumes on Broadway for A Tale of Two Cities, In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play), Good People, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Other Desert Cities, The Other Place, Picnic, Rocky, Airline Highway, and An Act of God as well as scenic designs for The Realistic Joneses, Violet, The Real Thing, The Humans, and Present Laughter, and scenic and costume designs for Seminar, The Last Ship, Fun Home, Amélie, and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical."David Zinn Broadway" IBDB
Awards and nominations
Theater Source:"David Zinn Off-Broadway Credits" lortel.org
Year Award Show Result 2008 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Costume and Set Design N/A Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Scenic Design The Four of Us rowspan=20 Henry Hewes Design Award, Scenic Design 2009 Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Scenic Design Chairs 2010 Tony Award for Best Costume Design In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Scenic Design The Pride Henry Hewes Design Award, Costume Design Circle Mirror Transformation Henry Hewes Design Award, Scenic Design 2011 Henry Hewes Design Award, Scenic Design Middletown Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Costume Design Other Desert Cities 2012 Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Scenic Design The Select (The Sun Also Rises) Henry Hewes Design Award, Scenic Design The Submission Henry Hewes Design Award, Costume Design Look Back in Anger 2013 Henry Hewes Design Award, Scenic Design The Flick Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play 2014 Henry Hewes Design Award, Costume Design Fun Home 2015 Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Musical Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Play Airline Highway 2016 Henry Hewes Design Award, Costume Design Fondly, Collette Richland Henry Hewes Design Award, Scenic Design The Humans Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Scenic Design Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Play 2017 Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Play A Doll's House, Part 2 2018 Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Musical SpongeBob SquarePants Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Musical 2022 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical Kimberly Akimbo Outer Critics Circle Awards for Scenic Design (Play or Musical) The Minutes 2024Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a PlayJaja's African Hair Braiding Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a PlayStereophonic Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a PlayAn Enemy of the People Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Scenic Design (Broadway or Off-Broadway)Stereophonic
References
External links David Zinn Internet Broadway database David Zinn's personal website