James F. Tilton Biography (1937-1998)

Full name James Floyd Tilton; born July 30, 1937, in Rochelle, IL; died of cancer, April 18, 1998, in East Hampton, NY; son of Norval Bailey Tilton and Magdeline Ripplinger Marelli; married Helga Strang, December 26, 1962 (divorced, November, 1976); companion of Joseph Patton.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Scenic designer
Birth Details: July 30, 1937; Rochelle, Illinois, United States
Death Details: April 18, 1998; East Hampton, New York, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Stage Work
Set Designer, Unless Otherwise Noted
Finian's Rainbow, John Drew Theatre, East Hampton, NY, 1963
Carousel, John Drew Theatre, 1963
Brecht on Brecht, John Drew Theatre, 1963
Come Blow Your Horn, John Drew Theatre, 1963
Irma la Douce, John Drew Theatre, 1963
Brigadoon, John Drew Theatre, 1963
Write Me a Murder, John Drew Theatre, 1963
Scapin, Phoenix Theatre, New York City, 1964
Right You Are If You Think You Are, Phoenix Theatre, 1964
The Lower Depths, Phoenix Theatre, 1964
Impromtu de Versailles, Phoenix Theatre, 1964
Herakles, Phoenix Theatre, 1964
Ah! Wilderness, Front Street Theatre, Memphis, TN, between 1964-1966
The Seven Year Itch, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
My Fair Lady, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
Damn Yankees, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
The Country Wife, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
The Sound of Music, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
The Little Hut, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
The Taming of the Shrew, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
Misalliance, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
My Three Angels, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
You Can't Take It with You, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
The Tavern, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
The Music Man, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
Roberta, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
The School for Scandal, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
We Comrades Three, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
Guys and Dolls, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
The Wild Duck, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
War and Peace, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
Pantagleize, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
The Show Off, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
Lighting designer, Exit the King, Front Street Theatre, between 1964-1966
Escurial, Professional Theatre Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, between 1967-1969
The Cat and the Moon, Professional Theatre Program, University ofMichigan, between 1967-1969
Sweet of You to Say So, Professional Theatre Program, University of Michigan, between 1967-1969
The Flies, Professional Theatre Program, University of Michigan, between 1967-1969
The Cherry Orchard, Professional Theatre Program, University of Michigan, between 1967-1969
The Cocktail Party, Professional Theatre Program, University of Michigan, between 1967-1969
The Misanthrope, Professional Theatre Program, University of Michigan, between 1967-1969
Ballad for a Firing Squad, Professional Theatre Program, University of Michigan, between 1967-1969
The Latent Heterosexual, Professional Theatre Program, Universityof Michigan, between 1967-1969
Chronicles of Hell, Professional Theatre Program, University of Michigan, between 1967-1969
Macbeth, Professional Theatre Program, University of Michigan, between 1967-1969
Play, Professional Theatre Program, University of Michigan, between 1967-1969
Love-In, Kansas City Opera Theatre, Kansas City, MO, 1969
The Doctor's Dilemma, 1969
Harvey, San Francisco, CA, 1970
The Merchant of Venice, San Francisco, 1970
Siamese Connections, San Francisco, 1970
The Selling of the President, American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco, 1971-72
Antony and Cleopatra, American Conservatory Theatre, 1971-72
Caesar and Cleopatra, American Conservatory Theatre, 1971-72
Charley's Aunt, Asolo State Theatre, Sarasota, FL, 1971-72
Rainbow, Asolo State Theatre, 1971-72

The Matchmaker, Asolo State Theatre, 1971-72
The American Dream, John Drew Theatre, 1972-73
The Long Christmas Dinner, John Drew Theatre, 1972-73
What the Butler Saw, John Drew Theatre, 1972-73
The Palace at 4 A.M., John Drew Theatre, 1972-73
Dudes, John Drew Theatre, 1972-73
The Government Inspector, John Drew Theatre, 1972-73
The Merchant of Venice, John Drew Theatre, 1972-73
End of Summer, Phoenix Theatre Company, John Drew Theatre, 1973-74
The Private Ear and the Public Eye, Phoenix Theatre Company, JohnDrew Theatre, 1973-74
The Rehearsal, Phoenix Theatre Company, John Drew Theatre, 1973-74
Tonight at 8:30, Phoenix Theatre Company, John Drew Theatre, 1973-74
That Championship Season, Studio Arena Theatre, Buffalo, NY, 1974
Flint, Studio Arena Theatre, 1974
Set designer, Seascape, Broadway production, New York City, 1975
Twenty Seven Wagons Full of Cotton, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
A Memory of Two Mondays, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
They Knew What They Wanted, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
Boy Meets Girl, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
Secret Service, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
Ladyhouse Blues, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
American Modern/Canadian Gothic, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
Marco Polo, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
A Sorrow beyond Dreams, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
GR Point, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
Scribes, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
Hot Grog, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
Uncommon Women, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
The Elusive Angel, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
One Crack Out, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
City Sugar, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
Big and Little, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
Later, Phoenix Theatre, between 1975-1978
Death of a Salesman, Studio Arena Theatre, 1976
The Cat and the Fiddle, Cleveland Playhouse, Cleveland, OH, 1976
Vieux Carre, Hartman Theatre Company, Stamford, CT, between 1977-1979
Galileo, Hartman Theatre Company, between 1977-1979
The Auction Tomorrow, Hartman Theatre Company, between 1977-1979
Flying Blind, Hartman Theatre Company, between 1977-1979
Pagliacci, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 1979
Clari; or, the Maid of Milan, 1980
Light Up the Sky, John Drew Theatre, 1981-82
Rogues to Riches, John Drew Theatre, 1981-82
The Importance of Being Earnest, John Drew Theatre, 1981-82
Twice around the Park, Cort Theatre, New York City, 1983-84
You Can't Take It with You, Broadway production, New York City, 1983-84
(And lighting designer) The Madwoman of Chaillot, Mirror Theatre Company, Theatre at St. Peter's Church, New York City, 1985
Clarence, Mirror Theatre Company, Theatre at St. Peter's Church, 1985
Vivat! Vivat Regina! Mirror Theatre Company, Theatre at St. Peter's Church, 1985
Lighting designer, The Loves of Anatol, Circle in the Square Theatre, New York City, 1985
(And lighting designer) The Time of Your Life, Mirror Theatre Company, Theatre at St. Peter's Church, 1985
Children of the Sun, Mirror Theatre Company, Theatre at St. Peter's Church, 1985-86
The Circle, Mirror Theatre Company, Theatre at St. Peter's Church, 1986
Lighting designer, Light Up the Sky, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 1986-87
(And lighting designer) The Boys Next Door, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miami, FL, 1989-90
(And lighting designer) Steel Magnolias, Coconut Grove Playhouse,1989-90
(And lighting designer) Shirley Valentine, Coconut Grove Playhouse, 1990-91
(And lighting designer) Driving Miss Daisy, Coconut Grove Playhouse, 1990-91
(And lighting designer) Other People's Money, Coconut Grove Playhouse, 1990-91
Tales of Tinseltown, Coconut Grove Playhouse, 1991-92
(And lighting designer) I Hate Hamlet, Coconut Grove Playhouse, 1991-92
(And lighting designer) The Substance of Fire, Coconut Grove Playhouse, 1991-92
(And lighting designer) Lips Together, Teeth Apart, Coconut GrovePlayhouse, 1992-93
(And lighting designer) Don't Dress for Dinner, Coconut GrovePlayhouse, 1992-93
(And lighting designer) Beau Jest, Coconut Grove Playhouse, 1992-93
Him, Her, and You, Coconut Grove Playhouse, 1992-93
Marriage Play, Coconut Grove Playhouse, 1992-93
Sullivan and Gilbert, Phoenix Theatre Company, Performing Arts Center, State University of New York College at Purchase, Purchase, NY, 1993
(And lighting designer) The Gift Horse, Jewish Repertory Theatre,Playhouse 91, New York City, 1994
(And lighting designer) The Crucifier of Blood, Phoenix Theatre Company, Performing Arts Center, State University of New York College at Purchase, 1994
Also designed sets for Chaplin and His Time, Declaration, Knuckle, The Miracle Worker, and Shakespeare Is Alive and Well and Living in America. Affiliated with Broadway productions of Private Lives, 1969, and The Grass Harp, 1971.
Touring Productions
Set Designer
Cock-a-Doodle Dandy, U.S. cities, 1969
Hamlet, U.S. cities, 1969
Private Lives, U.S. cities, 1969
Oh! Calcutta! U.S. cities, 1969
Butterflies Are Free, National Theatre Company, U.S. cities, 1973
The Age of Shaw, National Theatre Company, U.S. cities, 1973
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, National TheatreCompany, U.S. cities, 1973
Television Work
Set Designer
Secret Service, PBS, 1977
Uncommon Women and Others (special), PBS, 1978
A Conflict of Interest, PBS, 1981
You Can't Take It with You, PBS, 1984
Film Work
Art Director
(As James Tilton) Dear Dead Delilah, Avco-Embassy, 1972

Further Reference

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

TCI, July, 1998, p. 13.

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