We recently connected with Ziggy Bornas and have shared our conversation below.

Ziggy, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about the best boss, mentor, or leader you’ve ever worked with.

I have worked with Lana Schwartz for many years now. In June we finished our 3rd show “Fun Home”. Lana and I work very well together, and throughout the last 3 years we have created a great workflow from pre – production to show. When I first met her, she was the Assistant Director of a show that I was in and we were talking about lighting, and I told her how much I was interested in it, she then told me about her company: “Nxt Generation Theatrics” (NGT) and offered me the position as the Lighting Designer. This was the first time I was ever given such a big responsibility. And I by no means knew what I was doing, But that moment changed the trajectory of my life forever. The fact that Lana gave me that creative freedom and responsibility made me love lighting even more. Throughout the first show we did together (Next To Normal) I learned so much about working with other people, and creating these worlds to draw audiences into. 3 years later we are still working together and Lana always makes everyone on the team feel so special. I have worked on many other shows now and I have yet to work with a director who is so open to ideas and changes. NGT is a very special thing that Lana has made, and I am very grateful to design their shows every year.

Ziggy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a 16 year old Lighting Designer. I study Technical Theater at LaGuardia HS. And have done many shows at school and professionally.

I work as the lighting designer at NGT, and have done multiple shows there. The first production was “Next To Normal”, It was followed by “Violet”, which I won a Broadway world award for: “Best Lighting Design Of A Musical”. In June of this year I designed Fun Home. And we are starting production of “Sunday in the Park with George”, opening July of 2025.

Outside of NGT, I designed “Death of a Driver” which performed at the Chain Theater, and “The Options Game” which is opening this September.

Lighting Design is such a important part of theatre. Working with a team of people to create these realities for audiences to fall into is super special. And It is something that I really enjoy doing.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me it’s sitting in the audience on opening night and watching the work that me and my team have spent months working on, come together. The magic of watching different elements of design combine into one is truly a one of a kind feeling. It’s like a little secret that only YOU know how much work went into it, and when specific moments happen, only YOU know how it was done. The ability to make someone watching the show “wonder” is a very special thing that we get to do. In some peoples lives, there isn’t that much stimulation for “wonder”, and theater can be an escape for people, to pull them out of reality and experience something truly beautiful.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I think my journey is rooted in a passion for storytelling. Whether designing for theater or experimenting with new ideas, I’m driven by the desire to create immersive experiences that evoke emotions in the audience. For me, lighting isn’t just about showing the scene, it’s about showing the world, and shaping how the audience views the story.

Light is a tool for storytelling. It is crucial in transforming spaces into worlds where audiences can fully immerse themselves, forget the outside world, and live in the moment we’ve created for them. Lighting has the unique ability to shape perception and mood, influencing how we experience time and space within a performance. I see it as a form of visual storytelling, each beam, shadow, and color working in harmony to tell a deeper story beyond words or actions.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Ziggybornas.com
• Instagram: zig.zag.nyc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ziggy-bornas-619284296/
• Other: https://www.nxtgenerationtheatrics.com/