John Rickus

John Rickus is a prolific theatrical lighting designer. His most recent light design was described by Buffalo News arts critic Ben Siegel as “…dramatic enough to be its own character.” John has a degree in Communication Television and Theatre Arts from Valparaiso University. He has been the resident designer for Road Less Traveled Theatre (RLTP) since it’s 2003 inception and designs annually for Theatre of Youth (TOY) (Artistic Director Meg Quinn), Runway fashion show (Producer Erin Habes), and Torn Space Theatre (Artistic directors Daniel Shanahan and Melissa Meola.) John has been nominated for numerous Buffalo Artie awards for outstanding lighting design. He was awarded the honor five times for The Man with All the Luck (RLTP 2009), A Wrinkle in Time (TOY 2012), Clean House (RLTP 2013), An Iliad (RLTP 2014), and Frankenstein (RLTP 2017). He also was the environmental lighting designer for EnLIGHTen, a collaboration between the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) and artist Projex. In EnLIGHTen the BPO played a concert of works by composers who lived with mental illness while creating great works accompanied by a video art installation projected on the architecture of the Richardson Complex, the former site of the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane. John also works as the Head Carpenter for the UB Production Group at UB Center for the Arts.     

John collaborates often with partner, Carlie Todoro-Rickus, through their company Eclectric Oil and Light.

Bio courtesy of the artist