John Morris
He has had distinguished careers in both professional theater and architecture. In 1986, he founded the firm James, Morris & Kutyla, where he designed residential and commercial projects. In addition, he headed the firm's theater design division, leading design teams for several adaptive re-use and new-construction theater projects, including the internationally-acclaimed Steppenwolf Theatre Company's home in Chicago. Other Morris-designed spaces in Chicago's Loop and off-Loop theater and performing arts districts include the Noble Fool, the Lookingglass Theatre, the Raven Theatre, the Beverly Arts Center theater, the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts, and the Old Town School of Folk Music's performance space.
For ten years prior to 1980, John worked on over 200 professional theater productions in Detroit, New York, and Chicago. He owned and operated an independent scenic studio in Chicago, where he designed sets and lighting for local productions. John has also worked as scenic artist, master carpenter, stage electrician, rigger, stage manager, and technical director. He has worked with the Goodman Theatre, Meadowbrook Theatre, The Apollo Theater, and Second City, among others. John was an artist-in-residence for the Chicago Council on Fine Arts, and taught in a graduate design studio at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
He has had distinguished careers in both professional theater and architecture. In 1986, he founded the firm James, Morris & Kutyla, where he designed residential and commercial projects. In addition, he headed the firm's theater design division, leading design teams for several adaptive re-use and new-construction theater projects, including the internationally-acclaimed Steppenwolf Theatre Company's home in Chicago. Other Morris-designed spaces in Chicago's Loop and off-Loop theater and performing arts districts include the Noble Fool, the Lookingglass Theatre, the Raven Theatre, the Beverly Arts Center theater, the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts, and the Old Town School of Folk Music's performance space.
For ten years prior to 1980, John worked on over 200 professional theater productions in Detroit, New York, and Chicago. He owned and operated an independent scenic studio in Chicago, where he designed sets and lighting for local productions. John has also worked as scenic artist, master carpenter, stage electrician, rigger, stage manager, and technical director. He has worked with the Goodman Theatre, Meadowbrook Theatre, The Apollo Theater, and Second City, among others. John was an artist-in-residence for the Chicago Council on Fine Arts, and taught in a graduate design studio at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
© Morris Architects Planners 2018