Alana Shepherd

Alana Shepherd is an award-winning lighting designer and the founding principal of Intangible Light, an architectural and theatrical lighting design firm located in Spokane, Washington. She also serves as the Resident Lighting Designer for Stage Left Theater in Spokane. She received her Master of Fine Arts in Lighting Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Before returning to her hometown and founding Intangible Light, she was a part of the New York City architectural lighting world for 15 years. Notable architectural projects include: Harriet Tubman Monument, Newark, NJ; Times Square Ball (ALD/programmer – IESNY Lumen Citation), NYC; W Hotel Times Square (IES Award of Merit), NYC; Thompson Hotel Miami Beach (IES Award of Merit). Recent stage productions include “Pass Over” (Stage Left, winner - WSCTA Outstanding Lighting Design, AACTfest Outstanding Production, AACTfest Magic Moment Award), “Sweeney Todd” (Stage Left, honorable mention – AACTfest Design Competition), “Sondheim on Sondheim” (Pittsburgh Playhouse), “The Rocky Horror Show” (Stage Left) and “According to Coyote” (Spokane Ensemble Theatre).

In 2020, Alana founded the North American Coalition of Lighting Industry Queers after coming out as transgender and seeing a need for LGBTQIA+ advocacy within the lighting community. She sits on several committees and working groups relating to inclusion and belonging, and she frequently contributes to industry periodicals and podcasts. Her essay on queer inclusion in architectural lighting for the June 2022 issue of LEDs Magazine is a 2023 Eddie Award finalist.

When she’s not designing shows or fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights, she can be found onstage, performing stand-up comedy. She is a regular featured performer for Space Queers and That Time of the Month, both in Spokane, and she does open mics wherever she can find them.

• “Industry Needs to Light the Way to Equity” LEDs Magazine, June 2022
• “Redefining Good: Changing Illumination Awards Criteria for Inclusion and Justice” LD+A Magazine, April 2022

• Matilda—Lake City Playhouse, 2023
• An Aviary for Birds of Sadness—Stage Left Theater, 2023
• According to Coyote (remount)—Spokane Ensemble Theatre, 2023
• Pass Over (festival remount)—Stage Left Theater, 2023
• Sweeney Todd—Stage Left Theater, 2023
• Sondheim on Sondheim—Pittsburgh Playhouse, 2022
• The Rocky Horror Show—Stage Left Theater, 2022
• According to Coyote—Spokane Ensemble Theatre, 2022
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch—Stage Left Theater/Spokane Ensemble Theatre, 2022
• Much Ado About Nothing—Spokane Ensemble Theatre, 2022
• Angels in America Part 1: Millennium Approaches—Pittsburgh Playhouse, 2022
• Corpus Christi—Stage Left Theatre, 2022
• RENT—Eastern Washington University Theatre, 2021

• Stage Left Theater—Director; DEIR Committee Chair
• North American Coalition of Lighting Industry Queers—Founder and Executive Co-Chair
• Equity in Lighting—Advisory Board
• Illuminating Engineering Society—DEIR Committee
• International Association of Lighting Designers—DEIR Exploratory Committee
• U.S. Department of Energy—DEI Working Group
• Women in Lighting + Design—DEIR Committee Member; Lamplighter Coalition Committee

• Eddie Award finalist—“Industry Needs to Light the Way to Equity”
  Eddie and Ozzie Awards, NYC, 2023.
• Outstanding Lighting Design Honorable Mention—Sweeney Todd
• People’s Choice Magic Moment Award – Pass Over
  AACTfest Nationals, Louisville, KY, 2023.
• Outstanding Lighting Design – Pass Over
• WSCTA Magic Moment Award – Pass Over
  Kaleidoscope Festival, Tacoma, WA, 2023
• Women in Lighting Award Nominee
  Women in Lighting, 2021
• IES Illumination Award of Merit – W Hotel Times Square
  Illuminating Engineering Society, 2015.
• [d]arc Awards Finalist – W Hotel Times Square
  [d]arc Magazine, 2015.
• IES Illumination Award of Merit – Thompson Hotel Miami Beach
  Illuminating Engineering Society, 2015.
• IESNY Lumen Award of Merit – Mohegan Sun Casino of the Wind
  Illuminating Engineering Society NYC Section, 2009.
• IESNY Lumen Citation – 100th Anniversary Times Square Ball
  Illuminating Engineering Society NYC Section, 2008.