About Me
Dallas J. Cook is a lighting designer and theatrical technician from Charlotte, NC. He just graduated undergrad in May of 2025 from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte). Much of his lighting design has been focused in the area of dance, working on UNC Charlotte Department of Dance’s Walls and Mazes, Reach, Open Wounds, Our Many Gifts, Law of Humanity, Verve, Roll With It…, Under the Umbrellas, and Under Construction. For theatre, his work on Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully received a 2024 KCACTF Region IV Nomination for Lighting Design. He is also a 2024 ETC Fred Foster Student Mentee and a 2025 USITT Gateway Mentee.
Recent projects have included High School Musical Jr. at The Naples Players, Peter and the Starcatcher at Matthews Playhouse, and Measure for Measure at UNC Charlotte.​ He is currently the 2025-2026 lighting intern at The Naples Players in Naples, Florida.
Work Experience
The Naples Players - Naples, FL
Full-Season Lighting Intern
Aug–May 2024
-
Assist Director of Lighting Chris Riley on all lighting needs across six performance spaces at the Sugden Community Theatre
-
Coordinate and teach volunteer electricians on hang and focus calls, as lighting programmers, and as spotlight operators
-
Serve as Assistant Lighting Designer on four productions and Lighting Designer on five productions throughout the season
IATSE 322 - Charlotte, NC
Theatrical Stagehand
Mar 2022–Aug 2025
-
Load in and load out touring shows at theatrical venues, including the Knight Theater, Belk Theater, and Booth Playhouse
-
Set up large concert venues such as Spectrum Center, Bank of America Stadium, and PNC Music Pavilion
-
Work as a theater electrician, audio technician, theater carpenter, weight loader, spotlight operator, and general stagehand
UNC Charlotte: Production Arts and Operations - Charlotte, NC
Lead Lighting Lab Worker
Sept 2021–July 2025
-
Supervised student electricians on all UNC Charlotte performing arts productions under Rick Moll, Production Electrician
-
Assisted in hanging, focusing, circuiting, and programming lighting equipment across three performance spaces
-
Helped teach new students how to interpret light plots, read paperwork, and work with lighting equipment
UNC Charlotte: Student Activity Center and Venue Management - Charlotte, NC
Audio/Visual Technician
Sept 2021–May 2025
-
Operated sound board, light board, and Show Control for basketball games, football games, and commencement ceremonies
-
Set up and monitored audio/visual equipment for salon events
-
Conducted general sound, lighting, and video equipment troubleshooting and maintenance
The Naples Players - Naples, FL
Summer Lighting Intern
Jun–Aug 2024
-
Served as Co-Lighting Designer for 42nd Street and Lighting Designer for School of Rock
-
Set up and maintained lighting equipment for four mainstage productions over the summer season
Cannes Film Festival - Cannes, France
Filmfestivals.com Journalist
May 2024
-
Contributed videos, photos, and blog posts to Filmfestivals.com’s subscriber base of over 170,000 patrons
-
Attended and covered events such as talk sessions with Billy Zane, Meryl Streep, Demi Moore, and George Lucas
Charlotte Ballet – Charlotte, NC
Freelance Technician / Assistant Stage Manager
Oct 2022–Mar 2023
-
Ran sound board and coordinated backstage communication for multiple performances at the Center for Dance theater
-
Assisted in transforming the rehearsal space to a performance space through unrolling marley and setting up lighting booms
