[4] Following a period of service in the armed forces, Ezell was accepted to study theatrical design at the Yale School of Drama under the tutelage of American scenic designer Donald Oenslager, where he graduated with his Master of Fine Arts in Drama in 1960.
[6] Ezell's design career spans over five decades of work in the professional theatre and includes over 350 productions.
[7] The retrospective exhibition Bold Strokes and Finesse; the Stage Designs of John Ezell, based upon his work, has been on show in museums and galleries across North America.
[9] He serves as a consultant to Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library,[3] and was invested in the College of Fellows of the American Theatre in 2004.
Ezell was recognized for his contributions to American theatre on the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the Yale School of Drama, and was the recipient of Washington University's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2001.