Finnegan is a third-year student at the Pennsylvania State University studying for his BFA in Theatre Design and Technology, with an emphasis in Lighting Design. This program has provided him with hands-on and classroom experience in lighting design, projection design, rigging, sound design and engineering, electrics, technical direction, and more.

 

Finnegan’s primary focus is lighting design, with over five years of experience in lighting and electrics and more than two years of experience as a designer. He has worked for the Penn State Centre Stage, designing Much Ado About Nothing in November 2024. For the Penn State School of Theatre, he has designed Damned Without Vision during April 2024 and Make or Break in April 2023. Outside of Penn State, Finnegan has designed Alice by Heart during the summer of 2023 and Head Over Heels summer 2024 for Wildwood Summer Theatre, while also serving as a tenured member of their board. Finnegan also had the opportunity to pursue his first design in New York City recently, designing the Boombox Burlesque Festival for Beatbox Burlesque in the Five Angels Theater at The 52nd Street Project.

 

Along with his studies, Finnegan is a part-time designer, programmer, and stagehand for the Bryce Jordan Center and Center for Performing Arts at Penn State. At these venues, he garners hands-on experience in handling the pressure and demands of professional theaters and arenas and is integrated into the touring segment of the industry. He has worked on tours such as Come from Away and Fiddler on The Roof along with acts like Zach Bryan (one of his favorite artists) and Drake. Over the summer, Finnegan has worked for Opera Theatre Saint Louis, gaining valuable experience in summerstock theatre through a variety of challenges and accomplishments.

 

Aside from his theatrical work, Finnegan is also a freelance photographer. He has spent his childhood and recent years studying and producing photography. His primary passion is landscape and architecture photography; however, he has also been learning stage and portrait photography. Once mastering these, Finnegan wants to develop his skills in sports photography and is invested in learning about drone aerial photography. Photography has taught Finnegan valuable lessons and concepts such as depth, saturation, and texture, which he is now incorporating throughout his work.

 

While Finnegan is at Penn State, he plans to seek further opportunities to design and learn more about lighting. His next stop on the Centre Stage is a position as the Associate Lighting Designer of Loves Labour's Lost.

 

Finnegan loves the opportunity to make art and learn with others. He is excited for the opportunity to learn more about lighting and the variety of fields that encompass show and event production. He is very passionate about his projects and has extensive plans to continue making art while learning through the process.