Biography

Jon Young is a Full Professor of Scenic Design and was recently named the James Garner Chair in Drama at the University of Oklahoma. In 2020 Young was inducted into membership in the National Theatre Conference. Young was a recipient of the 2016 Rothbaum Presidental Professor of Excellence in the Arts from the University of Oklahoma and a 2015 Gold Medallion from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. 

Young has mentored student scenic designers on over 50 productions at the University of Oklahoma for Dance, Drama, Opera and Musical Theatre. His students have received over 80 regional and national awards in Scenic Art, Properties and Scenic Design from USITT, KCACTF and SETC.

Regional design credits: Street Scene and Don Giovanni at Shepherd School of Music; King Lear, Macbeth, Cymbeline, Much Ado About Nothing, Julius Caesar and As You Like It at Houston Shakespeare Festival; Dream: the music of the Everly Brothers, Ring of Fire, Ultimate Christmas, Who’s Holiday, I and You, Midnight Clear, Stupid F##king Bird and Luna Gale at Stages Repertory Theatre; The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild, The Liar, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way To the Forum,Pants on Fire 2013, Is He Dead?, Harry the Great at Creede Repertory Theatre; The Rocky Horror Show, The Mystery of Irma Vep and Altar Boyz at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma; You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown at Black Hills Playhouse; Mauritius, Faith Healer, The Great American Trailer Park Musical at Unicorn Theatre; After Juliet and The Night Before Christmas at the Coterie Theatre; Dangerous Dirty Little Liaisons, The Woman, Santaland Diaries at Late Night Theatre. Young has designed over 30 productions at the University of Oklahoma for Dance, Drama, Opera and Musical Theatre. The design for Stupid F##king Bird was published in the Summer 2016 issue TD & T. Designs for Sunday in the Park with George and The Odyssey were published in the Summer 2012 issue TD & T. His scenic design for After Juliet was invited to be a part of the World Stage Design 2009 exhibit in Seoul Korea. In 2008 Young was a recipient of a National Teaching Artist Grant from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Young has also worked as a scenic artist for the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival as well as commercial installation projects. 

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