Charles E. McCarry, M.F.A.
Assistant Professor of Design/Technology
and Head of Scenic Design
Design/Technology Program
Conservatory of Theatre Arts & Film
Office: Social Sciences Bldg., Rm. 2026
Phone: (914) 251-6850
Fax: (914) 251-6839
Email: charles.mccarry@purchase.edu
Charles E. McCarry is a scenic designer and art director for theatre, film, and television and a member of United Scenic Artists, local 829. He has taught at Carnegie Mellon, New York University, Temple University, and Barnard College. His Broadway credits include The Will Rogers’ Follies, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, and Chess. McCarry’s Off Broadway and regional work includes the Yale Repertory Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, The Goodspeed Opera, and The Lambs Theatre. Selected film and television credits: The Departed, School of Rock, The Sixth Sense, and Wall Street; Ugly Betty, Sex and the City, The Late Show with David Letterman, and Saturday Night Live. His designs are featured in Designing and Drawing for the Theatre and Masters of Modern Costume Design by Lynn Pecktal.
Education
B.S., Temple University, 1976;
M.F.A, Yale School of Drama, 1986
Positions
Assistant Professor, 2005-present, Purchase College;
Assistant Professor, 1990-92, Carnegie-Mellon University;
Guest Instructor, Scenic Design: NYU, Barnard College, Temple University
Areas of expertise
Stage Design/ History of Stage Design/ Film and Television Production Design & Art Direction/ History of Film Production Design/ Set Decoration/ Architectural Design Consultation/ Drafting/ Scale model production/ Supervision of scenic construction and scenic painting crews/ Budgeting and Scheduling/ Teaching
Research interests
Architectural and social history, performance
Courses taught
SUNY: Scenic Design I, Scenic Design II, Scenic Design II, Design Fundamentals, Production Design (Grand Illusions), Production
Carnegie-Mellon: Scenic Design, Design Graduate Thesis
Temple University: Scenic Design
NYU: Production Design and Art Direction
Barnard: Scenic Design
Selected honors and awards
Ugly Betty, ABC, Art Director (Production Design Mark Worthington)
2006 Art Directors Guild Excellence in Production Design Award
Associated awards
American Gangster, Ass’t. Art Director, 2007 (Production Design, Arthur Max)
(Nominated) 2008 Academy Award, Best Achievement in Art Direction
(Nominated) 2008 Art Directors Guild Excellence in Production Design
(Nominated) 2008 Golden Globe Awards Best Picture – Drama
The Departed, Ass’t. Art Director, 2005 (Production Design, Kristi Zea)
2007 Academy Award, Best Picture of the Year
(Nominated) 2007 Art Directors Guild Excellence in Production Design
(Nominated) 2007 Golden Globe Awards Best Picture – Drama
Ugly Betty, Art Director 2007
2007 Golden Globe Best Television Series Musical or Comedy
The Producers, Ass’t. Art Director, 2005 (Production Design Mark Friedberg)
(Nominated) 2007 Academy Award, Best Picture of the Year
Sex and the City, Asst. Art Director, 1998, 1999, 2003; Art Director, 2000
(Nominated) 2003 Emmy Award, Outstanding Art Direction Single Camera
(Nominated) 2003, 2004, 2005, Golden Globe Best Television Series
2000, 2001, 2002 Golden Globe Best Television Series
The Sixth Sense, Ass’t. Art Director, 1998
(Nominated) 2000 Academy Award, Best Picture of the Year
The Will Rogers' Follies, Associate Designer 1991
1991 Tony Award Best Musical
City of Angels, Associate Designer 1990
Tony Award Best Musical & Best Scenic Design
Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Associate Designer 1989
Tony Award: Best Musical
Grants
Purchase College Affiliates Grants 2006, 2007
Books
Featured in "Designing and Drawing for the Theatre" by Lynn Pecktal, McGraw Hill, 1994;
Featured in “Costume Design Techniques of Modern Masters” by Lynn Pecktal, Back Stage Books, March 1, 1999