Mielziner, Jo (1901-1976)

French-born set and theatre designer. In the course of his career, he designed the sets for over 400 Broadway plays, including most of the major productions from the 1930s to the 1950s. Turning his back on the earlier tradition of theatrical realism, he often employed mere suggestions of settings, using scrims and isolated scenic units to create further effects. His use of lighting to change the dramatic focus from one scene to another has been described as ‘cinematic’. He was the designer of the Washington Square Theatre and, with Eero Saarinen, of the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center. Mielziner was born in Paris, France.