Biography
Franne Lee is a well-known award-winning production and costume designer for theatre and television, and a professor at two universities in Nashville, Tennessee. In the past decade she has also gained a reputation as an artist. On November 10th, 2001, Franne opened a new artists’ cooperative in East Nashville, Plowhaus Artists’ Co-op. In conjunction with Plowhaus, Franne keeps working on her own art, showing at local galleries, in both group and solo shows. Her show, “The Nature of Things,” recently opened at the Family Wash Gallery in East Nashville.
Franne Lee’s professional design career started in the theatre in New York, with Andre Gregory's "Alice in Wonderland," for which she received an Obie Award for costumes. Her many Broadway shows include Hal Prince's productions of "Candide" and "Sweeney Todd," for both she received Tony Awards for Costume and Set Design.
Her movie credits include John Sayles' "Baby, It's You," Paul Simon's "One Trick Pony," David Lynch’s "Industrial Symphony #1," and “Local Stigmatic” and "Chinese Coffee," both produced by, directed by, and starring Al Pacino.
Franne’s many TV credits include the first five years of Saturday Night Live, for which she won an Emmy award for Production Design. She’s created the looks for many of the best-loved SNL characters, such as the Bees, the Coneheads, the Blues Brothers, the Nerds, Emily Litella, and Roseanne Roseannadanna. She moved to LA in 1995, where she worked on “The Stephanie Miller Show” for Disney-Buena Vista, "Sherman Oaks" for Showtime, and Roseanne’s talk show for King World.
In 1999, Franne moved to Nashville, where she did the production design for the TV movie, "On Music Row," starring David Alford. She soon began designing for music videos, commercials, and local theatre, where she created the costumes for “Waiting for Godot” for the People’s Branch Theatre, and for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s “Romeo and Juliet” and “Hamlet.”
Franne Lee teaches production design in the Film Department of Watkins School of Art and Design, and costume design in the Theatre Department of Belmont University. She also designs for the Nashville Opera Company.
In the fall of 2008 she participated in “Curtain Call: Celebrating a Century of Outstanding Woman Designers for Live Performance,” at Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, where they displayed her designs for "Sweeney Todd", “Candide” "A Winter’s Tale," and "Gilda Radner Live."
She continues to paint and teach with good success. Her work can be seen at Al LeQuire Gallery in Green Hills, Nashville, Tn., The Renaissance Center, in Dickson, Tn. Long Branch Gallery, in Mineral Point, Wi. and around East Nashville where Franne lives with her two dogs, Nash and Shelby..
Resume
Download Resume
Selected Shows & Exhibitions
Mar. 2011 - "Omo Children" at Long Branch Gallery, in Mineral Point, Wi.
Feb.2011 - "Omo Children" at Alan LeQuire Gallery in Green Hills
Feb.2011 - "The Nature of Things" at the Renaissance Center in Dickson
Nov. 2010 - "Omo Children" solo show at The Family Wash, Nashville,tn
Sept. 2010 - "Tartufe" Belmont Univ. Costume Design
Jun. 2010 - Bike Rack contest. With Mac Hill, and Keith Harmon
Apr. 2010 - Solo Show at Long Branch Gallery in Mineral Point Wi.
Dec. 2009 - "The Man Behind the Apron" short film, Nashville, Tn
Apr. 2009 - "The Nature of Things" Solo Art Show @ Family Wash
Feb. 2009 - "Uncle Vanya" Belmont Univ. Costume Designer
Nov. 2008 - "Curtain Call: Celebrating a Century of Outstanding Woman Designers for Live Performance" at The Public Library for the Performing Arts,Oenslager Gallery, will be showing my designs for "Sweeney Todd", "A Winters Tale" and "Gilda Radner Live"
Mar. 2008 - "Thoroughly Modern Millie" Belmont Univ. Costume Design
Jan. 2008 - "Hamlet" Nashville Shakespeare Festival/Belmont, Costume Design
Sept 2008 - "Much To Do About Nothing" Actor Bridge/Belmont, Costume Design
Feb. 2007 - Art House 12th Ave South, small group show of 12 nashville artists
Jan. 2007 - Solo Show "Attitudes" portraits of East Nashville Icons 24 paintings Family Wash, East Nashville, Tn.
Nov. 2006 - "L'enfant et les Sortileges" Nashville Opera Company Costume Design Performed at the Schermerhorn Symphony Ctr. Nashville, Tn
Oct. 2006 - Estel Gallery, Nashville, Tn. Small Group Show now showing 9 pieces
Nov. 2005 - "Waiting for Godot" Peoples Branch, Belcourt Theatre, Nashville.
Aug. 2003 - "Romeo and Juliet" Nashville Shakespeare Festival – Nashville
Mar. 2006 - Solo Show 14 pieces Belcourt Gallery, Nashville, Tn.
May. 2001 - Nashville Independent Film Festival - Site Designer
Jan. 2000 - "Chinese Coffee" an Al Pacino film - Costume Designer
Nov. 1990 - "Industrial Symphony No. 1" Dir. David Lynch Production Designer + Costumes
May 1983 - "Baby It's You" a John Sayles film - Costume Designer
Jan. 1980 - "Sweeney Todd" a Broadway, Hal Prince Dir. - Costume Designer
Aug. 1975-1980 - "Saturday Night Live" Production & Costume Designer first 5 years
Jan. 1974 - "Candide" a Broadway, H. Prince Dir. - Prod & Costume Designer
Jun. 1972-1973 - Peter Brooks International Center for Theatre Research in Paris - Costume Designer
Oct. 1971 - "Alice In Wonderland" Andre' Gregory Dir. Costume Designer
Teaching
2001-2003 Watkins - Production Design in the Film Dept
Started 03 Belmont - Costume and Set Design in the Theatre Dept.
Awards
Emmy Award - Sat. Night Live
Tony Award - Candide, Sweeney Todd
Drama Desk Award - Alice in Wonderland, Candide, Sweeney Todd
N.Y. Drama Critics Circle Award - Sweeney Todd
Maharham Award - Sweeney Todd
Obie Award - Alice in Wonderland, Candide
Education
Univ. of Wisconsin Theatre Design 1967
