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Natalie Lunn
1937-2013



Natalie Anne Lunn was born in Mineola, New York on November 1, 1937 to Natalie Maxwell Lunn and James Snow Lunn. A graduate of the Northfield School for Girls, she received a B.A. in Philosophy from Wellesley College. But her heart belonged to the theatre. She spent two years at Southampton College as the Technical Director/Designer before being hired by Bard College in 1972. For nearly three decades she served as Technical Director, Staff Designer, Production Manager, and eventually Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Bard Theatre of Drama and Dance (1972 to 1999).

At Bard, Natalie Lunn shared her passion for the joys, complexities, and rigors of technical theater, as well as her love of coffee, scotch, and Scrabble with countless students and faculty. Beyond the limits of any job description, Natalie was a mentor, a friend, and a place of safety for generations of Bardians. From the confines of her marvelously cluttered Tewksbury-adjacent apartment, she fostered a diverse and vibrant community of students, faculty, and alumni/ae that remains a family to this day.

As an artist and technician, Natalie tirelessly spun gold out of straw, working with tiny budgets and tight deadlines. She was a force of nature, fueled by enthusiasm, talent, ingenuity, and raw stubbornness. Over the course of her career, she designed costumes and sets for companies from Provincetown to Tuscany. Her singular contributions to the theater community of the mid-Hudson Valley were recognized with a special citation from the Dutchess County Executive’s Arts Awards in 1995 and the Rodney Plimpton Distinguished Service Award from the Center for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck in May 2013.

She died Monday, July 22, 2013 due to complications resulting from lung cancer.

In her memory the Natalie Lunn Technical Theater Award of Bard College has been established by her form students and friends to honor and continue her legacy. The Award’s goal is to continue her remarkable mission of supporting and encouraging Bard students interested in technical theater and design. For more information please see The Natalie Award

Award recipients:

Year           Name                          Internship 2015:

2015:

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2016: