Vanessa Jimenez is a lighting designer based in Los Angeles and San Diego. Her career extends various facets of lighting - from theatre to live events, concerts, and dance. Additionally, Vanessa is a skilled electrician, Assistant Lighting Designer, followspot operator, programmer, and overall stagehand. Before relocating to San Diego to further her education, Vanessa was a resident lighting designer and programmer at the Bonita Center for the Arts, Haugh Performing Arts Center, and the Fox Theater (Pomona, CA). For the past 2 years, she also served as the lighting director for local indie post-punk band Israel’s Arcade, where she busked and designed at venues all over Los Angeles - including The Roxy, The Troubadour, The Echo, and many more. 

 

As a recent graduate of San Diego State University, Vanessa holds a BA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Design and Technology as well as an ADT in Theatre Arts and an Emerging Theater Technology (ETT) certificate from Citrus College. During her time at Citrus, she was the 2024 KCACTF Region 8 National Lighting Design Award recipient for her design in Dracula. Other notable projects throughout her academic career as lighting designer include Rio Hondo, Mary Poppins, Avenue Q, Christmas Peril, and How to Defend Yourself. Vanessa has also been a highly regarded assistant lighting designer in productions including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Waiting for Godot, Six Characters in Search of an Author, and When She Became the Moon. 

 

As of recently, Vanessa works as a freelance electrician at Cygnet Theater and house LD at the Music Box. She also just served as the lighting director for Kelsey Lu during her residency shows at the Blue Note in LA this past April. Vanessa is passionate about not only her career, but also her background and culture, which she incorporates in her work. She hopes to be able to pave the way and inspire women of color into pursuing a career within technical theatre and concert touring.