Biography.guide
Home › People › Lighting designer › Pat Collins
Portrait of Pat Collins

Pat Collins

1932 – 2021

Lighting designer

Lighting designer
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Pat Collins

Lived 1932 – 2021 (aged 88). Pat Collins was an American lighting designer.

Patricia Jane Collins (April 3, 1932 – March 21, 2021) was an American lighting designer.

Career Collins made her Broadway debut with a 1976 revival of Threepenny Opera. Her additional New York City credits include Ain't Misbehavin', King of Hearts, I'm Not Rappaport, Execution of Justice, The Heidi Chronicles, Conversations with My Father, The Sisters Rosensweig, Proof, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and Doubt.

In 1986, Collins won the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design for I'm Not Rappaport and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design for Execution of Justice.

Pat Collins was also active with regional theaters such as Hartford Stage Company, Goodman Theater, McCarter Theater, Steppenwolf, Lincoln Center, Mark Taper Forum, Old Globe Theater and Ford's Theater.

"Good People" In the production "Good People", Collins' goal was to bring naturalism to the show. Collins was aware not only of the need to hear actors but also the need to see them speak. She said that the lighting was dictated by what scenic designer John Lee Beatty did with the sets, but her job went a little deeper than that. "It is really quite specific in its locations, and it is about trying to make you believe those locations that became my job as well as making sure that you heard because you could see those actors all of the time."

Productions Pat Collins was a Lighting Designer for all of the following productions:

The Widow Lincoln [Ford's Theatre, 2015] How the Grinch Stole Christmas! [The Old Globe, 2013] Orphans [Broadway, 2013] How the Grinch Stole Christmas! [Broadway, 2006] Doubt [Broadway, 2005] Sight Unseen [Broadway, 2004] How the Grinch Stole Christmas! [San Diego, CA (Regional), 2003] I'm Not Rappaport [Broadway, 2002] Proof [Broadway, 2000] A Moon for the Misbegotten [Broadway, 2000] How the Grinch Stole Christmas! [San Diego, CA (Regional), 1998] Once Upon a Mattress [Broadway, 1996] Paper Moon [Broadway, 1993] Into the Woods [West End, 1990] One Two Three Four Five [Off-Broadway, 1988] Ain't Misbehavin' [Broadway, 1988] In a Pig's Valise [Regional (US), 1986] I'm Not Rappaport [Broadway, 1985] Quartermaine's Terms [Off-Broadway, 1983] Baby [Broadway, 1983] Livin' Dolls [Off-Off-Broadway, 1982] Snapshot [Off-Off-Broadway, 1980] Ain't Misbehavin' [West End, 1979] King of Hearts [Broadway, 1978] Sammy Stops the World [Broadway, 1978] Ain't Misbehavin' [Broadway, 1978] The Threepenny Opera [Broadway, 1976]

Awards and nominations Drama Desk Award 1988: Outstanding Lighting Design for Woman in Mind - Nominee 1986: Outstanding Lighting Design for Execution of Justice - Winner 1981: Outstanding Lighting Design for Penguin Touquet - Nominee

Tony Award 2005: Lighting Design of a Play for Doubt - Nominee 1986: Lighting Design (Play or Musical) for I'm Not Rappaport - Winner 1977: Lighting Design (Play or Musical) for The Threepenny Opera - Nominee

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Lighting designer
Nationality
Education
Pembroke College in Brown University, Yale School of Drama
Awards
Tony Award for Best Lighting Design
Also known as
Patricia Jane Collins

People in Pat Collins's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Pat Collins's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Pat Collins?

lighting designer (1932-2021)

When was Pat Collins born?

Pat Collins was born on 3 April 1932 in New York City.

When did Pat Collins die?

Pat Collins died on 21 March 2021 in Branford.

What was Pat Collins's occupation?

Pat Collins was a lighting designer.

What nationality was Pat Collins?

Pat Collins was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Pat Collins

· Wikidata: Q7143311

· DBpedia: Pat Collins (lighting designer)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Pat Collins. https://biography.guide/pat-collins-lighting-designer/

MLA: "Pat Collins." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/pat-collins-lighting-designer/.

Chicago: "Pat Collins." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/pat-collins-lighting-designer/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:25 UTC