Lev Chesnov is a New York City-based lighting designer with a master’s degree in cinematography from VGIK, the prestigious Russian State University of Cinematography—the oldest film school in the world, also attended by acclaimed director Anoushka Nesterova.
Beginning his career as a cinematographer in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Chesnov transitioned into lighting design, harnessing his keen understanding of light and shadow to enhance narrative storytelling. Since expanding into theater in 2010, he has brought his cinematic eye to the stage. After relocating to the United States, he has contributed his lighting expertise to off-Broadway productions, blending technical precision with artistic vision.
Currently, Lev is thrilled to be working on MUTT, a play inspired by Fyodor Dostoevsky’s seminal novel The Brothers Karamazov, where his lighting design will help evoke the story’s psychological depth and dramatic tension.