Trivia

Won Broadway's 1980 Tony Award as Best Scenic Designer for "Talley's Folly," in a tie with David Mitchell for "Barnum." Since this award on his first nomination, he has gone on to eight other nominations in the same category, but has not yet won a second Tony. The subsequent nominations are: in 1981, for "Fifth of July;" in 1992, for "A Small Family Business;" in 1993, for "Redwood Curtain;" in 1995, for "The Heiress;" in 1996, for "A Delicate Balance;" in 1997, for "The Little Foxes;" in 2002, for "Morning's at Seven;" and in 2003, for "Dinner at Eight."

He was nominated for a 1977 Joseph Jefferson Award for Scenic Design for the play, "Tobacco Road," at the Academy Festival Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

He was awarded the 1980 Joseph Jefferson Award for Scenic Design for "Talley's Folly" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

He was nominated for a 1980 Joseph Jefferson Award for Scenic Design for "Cyrano De Bergerac" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

He was awarded the 1985 Joseph Jefferson Award for Scenic Design for "The Water Engine" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

He was nominated for a 1987 Joseph Jefferson Award for Scenic Design for "Sunday in the Park with George" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

He was nominated for a 2002 Joseph Jefferson Award for Scenic Design for "Maria Arndt" at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois.

John Lee graduated from Brown University in 1970 with a major in Literature.

New York, NY: Scenic designer for The Manhattan Theater Club's 2011-2012 season, including "Venus in Fur" and "The Columnist." (May 2012)

He was awarded the 1980 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Set Design in the play for "Holiday" at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

He was awarded the 1986 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Scenic Design in the play, "Picnic," at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

He was awarded the 1996 Drama Logue Award for Scenic Design for "The Heiress" at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

He was awarded the 1997 Back Stage Garland Award for Outstanding Set Design for "Proposals" at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

He was awarded the 1997 Drama Logue Award for Scenic Design for "Proposals" at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

He was awarded the 2003 Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Award for Set Design (Large Theatre) for "Morning's at Seven" at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

He was awarded the 2002 Back Stage Garland Award for Set Design for "Morning's at Seven" at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

He was awarded the 1979 Drama-Logue Award for Outstanding Achievement in Set Design for "Talley's Folly" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

He was awarded the New York Drama Desk Award for Outsanding Set Design for "Talley's Folly" on Broadway in New York City.

He was awarded the 1980 Antoinette Perry (Tony) Award for Best Set Design for "Talley's Folly" on Broadway in New York City.

He was awarded the 1979 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Set Design for "Talley's Folly" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

He was awarded the 1981 Drama-Logue Award for Outstanding Set Design for the play, "A Tale Told" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

He was awarded the 1983 Drama Logue Award for Outstanding Set Design for "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

He was awarded the 1987 Drama Logue Award for Outstanding Scenic Design for "Burn This" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

He was awarded the 1993 Drama Logue Award for Outstanding Scenic Design for "The Substance of Fire" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

He was awarded the 2002 Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Award for Best Set Design for "My Old Lady," in presentation in part of the Taper subscription series with Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum production in a West Coast premiere at the James A. Doolittle Theatre at the University of California in Los Angeles, California.

In 1980, John Lee Beatty and David Mitchell tied for the Tony Award for Scenic Design. John won for "Talley's Folly" and David won for "Barnum". Theirs was the only tie in this category and the eighth of ten ties overall in Tony history.