Represented by:
CREDITS
BREAKING NEWS
Daniel Ellis (director), Jaime Mejia (set/projection designer), Angela M. Kahler (costume designer), Cheri Prough DeVol (lighting designer) are recipients of 2021 OPERA America’s Robert L. B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize, generously funded by the Tobin Theatre Arts Fund. This project has been commissioned by MInnesota Opera and will premiere as part of their 2023-24 season. This is the first time a Tobin recipient project has been developed to production by a major American opera house.
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Learn more about their project, L'elisir d'amore, by clicking here.
UPCOMING/IN PRODUCTION
Heart of Stone ​
World Premiere: September 30, 2023
Cinema Diverse LGBTQ+ Palm Springs Film Festival
Director
Independent Short Film (Shaun Baer, producer)
Le tragedie de Carmen (Spring 2024)
Director
University of Georgia, Athens GA
Bandstand (Midwest Premiere, Fall 2024)
Director
Williams Street Repertory, Chicago, IL
Mythos & Machinations (Fall 2023)
Director
University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Little Shop of Horrors (Spring, 2024)
Director
University of Georgia, Athens, GA
PAST DIRECTING CREDITS (SELECTED) - OPERA/MUSICAL THEATRE
Wozzeck
(D. McVicar production)
Finnish National Opera, Helsinki, Finland
Hannu Lintu, conductor
Wargo's "A Visit to the Country" &
Walton's "The Bear"
University of Georgia, Athens GA
Mark Cedel, conductor
Faust
UGA Opera Theatre
University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Mark Cedel, conductor
Postcard from Morocco
UGA Opera Theatre
University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Hilary Griffiths, conductor
A Little Night Music
UGA Department of tTheatre & Film Studies
University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Rachel Townes, conductor
Die Zauberflöte
(B. Kosky production)
Komische Oper, Berlin, Germany
Henrik Nánási, conductor
Daughter of the Regiment
(sensory friendly children's performance)
Palm Beach Opera, FL
Greg Ritchie, conductor
Griffelkin
Project Opera
Minnesota Opera, Minneapolis, MN
Dale Kruse, conductor
Great American Horror Movie Musical
Minnesota Fringe Festival
Lab Theatre
Minneapolis, MN
Blood Brothers
Weekend Theatre Company
Little Rock, AR
Barber of Seville
Sugar Creek Opera, Clifton, IL
Bruce Stasyna, conductor
Die Zauberflöte
(B. Kosky production)
Cincinnati Opera, OH
Christopher Allen, conductor
Die Zauberflöte
(B. Kosky production)
Opera Philadelphia, PA
David Charles Abell, conductor
Wozzeck
(D. McVicar production)
Grand Théâtre de Genève, Switzerland
Stefan Blunier, conductor
Double Exposure (evening of new work)
Scenes of David Hertzberg & David T. Little
Opera Philadelphia, PA
Edward Poll, conductor
Don Pasquale
(sensory friendly children's performance)
Palm Beach Opera, FL
Greg Ritchie, conductor
Così fan tutte
(semi-staged concert performance)
University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Hilary Griffiths, conductor
The Shoes for the Santa Niño
Project Opera
Minnesota Opera, Minneapolis, MN
Kevin Ying, conductor
A Little Night Music
Weekend Theatre Company
Little Rock, AR
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PAST DIRECTING CREDITS (SELECTED) - THEATRE
The Elephant Man
Williams Street Repertory, Chicago, IL
Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas
Lyric Arts Main Street Theatre, Anoka, MN
Dancing With Joy (Off-Broadway premiere)
Epic-Rep, DR2 Space, NYC
Scarlet Woman
Edmonton Fringe Festival, Alberta, Canada
Spring of Freedom, Summer of Fear (premiere)
Lowry Lab, St. Paul, MN
Sweet Release (premiere)
Creative Space Theatre, NYC
What Friends Do (premiere)
ASDS, Bleecker Street Theatre, NYC
​Traindog (premiere)
ASDS, Bleecker Street Theatre, NYC
Migration Blues: Woman of Oz (premiere)
Kalayaan Hall, Philippine Center, NYC
Painting Churches
Phoenix Theatre Company, Little Rock, AR
The Elephant Man
Weekend Theatre Company, Little Rock, AR
The Odd Couple
Lyric Arts Main Stage Theatre, Anoka, MN
The Beaux’ Stratagem
Theatre in the Round, Minneapolis, MN
Scarlet Woman (area premiere)
Gremlin Theatre, St. Paul, MN
Scarlet Woman
Winnipeg Fringe Festival, Manitoba, Canada
At the End of the Day (premiere)
Minnesota Fringe Festival, Minneapolis, MN
Migration Blues: First Night
New School University, NYC
Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)
ASDS, Bleecker Street Theatre, NYC
Pruning Rachel Rose (premiere)
ASDS, Bleecker Street Theatre, NYC
Waltz to Eternity (premiere)
DAP Ensemble, Producers’ Club, NYC
Crimes of the Heart
University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR
The Sum of Us
Weekend Theatre Company, Little Rock, AR
PAST DIRECTING CREDITS (SELECTED) - CABARET/CONCERT/SYMPHONY POPS
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Goyescas (semi-staged)
Palm Beach Opera, FL
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Cabaret: Escape to 1920s Berlin
Minnesota Opera, Minneapolis, MN
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Cabaret: On the Air – A 1940s Radio Show
Minnesota Opera, Minneapolis, MN
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Stay Tuned
Conceived by Daniel Ellis & Five By Design
Touring Production
Performed with 40+ companies including: Arkansas Symphony (premiere), Anderson Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Colorado Springs Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic, Edmonton Symphony, Florida Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony, Harrisburg Symphony, Huntsville Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Terre Haute Symphony, Utah Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony
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Spooky Opera (Scenes of the Supernatural)
Opera of Astoria, Pax Amicus Castle Theatre, NJ
PAST ASSISTANT DIRECTING CREDITS (SELECTED) - OPERA
Wozzeck (new staging)
Lyric Opera of Chicago, IL
Sir David McVicar, director
Marriage of Figaro (new staging)
Lyric Opera of Chicago, IL
Barbara Gaines, director
Florencia en el Amazonas
San Diego Opera, CA
Candace Evans, director
Turandot
San Diego Opera, CA
Keturah Stickann, director
Enemies (premiere)
Palm Beach Opera, FL
Sam Helfrich, director
The Dream of Valentino (new staging)
Minnesota Opera, New Works Initiative
Eric Simonson, director
Arabella
Minnesota Opera, MN
Tim Albery, director
Turandot
Minnesota Opera, MN
Renaud Doucet, director
Doubt (premiere)
Minnesota Opera, New Works Initiative
Kevin Newbury, director
Nabucco
Minnesota Opera, MN
Thaddeus Strassberger, director
The Barber of Seville
Michigan Opera Theatre, MI
Christopher Mattaliano, director
Don Pasquale
Palm Beach Opera, FL
Fenlon Lamb, director
La Fille du Règiment
Palm Beach Opera, FL
Dona Vaughn, director
Lucia di Lammermoor
Lyric Opera of Chicago, IL
Graham Vic, director
La Traviata
San Diego Opera, CA
Marta Domingo, director
Hansel and Gretel
San Diego Opera, CA
Brenna Corner, director
Samson et Dalila (new staging)
Dallas Opera, TX
Bruno Berger-Gorski, director
Die Zauberflöte
Minnesota Opera, MN (B. Kosky production)
Tobias Ribitzki, associate director
Macbeth (new staging)
Minnesota Opera, MN
Joel Ivany, director
Manon Lescaut
Minnesota Opera, MN
Michael Cavanagh, director
Hamlet
Minnesota Opera, MN
Thaddeus Strassberger, director
Anna Bolena (new staging)
Minnesota Opera, MN
Kevin Newbury, director
L’italiana in Algeri (new staging)
Portland Opera, OR
Christian Rath, director
Tosca (new staging)
Mill City Summer Opera, MN
David Lefkowich, director
La Boheme
Palm Beach Opera, FL
Fenlon Lamb, director
Carmen
Palm Beach Opera, FL
John de los Santos, director
AWARDS
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2nd Place – American Prize for Directing
The Beaux’ Stratagem
Theatre in the Round, MN
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Best Overall Production – Lavender Magazine's Year in Review
The Beaux’ Stratagem
Theatre in the Round, MN
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3rd Place – American Prize for Directing
Griffelkin
Project Opera, Minnesota Opera
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Best of Fest – Winnipeg Fringe Festival
Scarlet Woman
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Best of Fest – Edmonton Fringe Festival
Scarlet Woman
Edmonton Fringe Festival
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Best in Fringe – Minneapolis Fringe Festival
Great American Horror Movie Musical
Lab Theatre, MN
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS
United States Opera Directing Debut
Die Zauberflöte (B. Kosky Revival)
Cincinnati Opera, 2017 Season
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Director - European Debut of Production
Wozzeck (D. McVicar Revival)
Grand Théâtre de Genève, Switzerland 2017
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European Opera Directing Debut
Die Zauberflöte (B. Kosky Revival)
Komische Oper, Berlin, Germany - 2016
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Resident Artist
Stage Director
Minnesota Opera - 2012-2014 Seasons
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Member of Loudmouth Theatre Collective, Minneapolis, MN
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“Working Finalist” for Lifetime Membership at the Actors Studio
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SCRIPT WRITER (EDUCATION CONCERTS)
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Carnival of the Animals (premiere)
Monterey Symphony, CA
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Pulcinella: A Symphonic Story
Monterey Symphony, CA
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Pulcinella: A Symphonic Story (premiere)
Palm Beach Symphony, CA
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The Fantastic Symphony (premiere)
Orange County Philharmonic Society, Irvine, CA
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Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Missing Pipe
Monterey Symphony, CA
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The Earth and the Environment: Forces of Nature (premiere)
Orange County Philharmonic Society, Irvine, CA
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I’ve Got Rhythm (premiere)
Orange County Philharmonic Society, Irvine, CA
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Birthdays and Celebrations (premiere)
Orange County Philharmonic Society, Irvine, CA
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Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Missing Pipe (premiere)
Orange County Philharmonic Society, Irvine, CA
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Kinderconcert: A Musical Concert
Ft. Worth Symphony, TX
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EDUCATION
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Minnesota Opera
Resident Artist Program – Stage Director
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New School for Drama (AKA Actors Studio Drama School), New School University, NYC
Masters of Fine Arts – Directing
Acting / Shakespeare: Carlin Glynn, Barbara Poitier, Gene Lasko, Stuart Vaughan, Arthur Storch, Andreas Manolikakis
Directing: Jack Gelber, Gene Lasko, Andreas Manolikakis, Lloyd Richards, Arthur Storch, Stuart Vaughan
Design: Tony Walton, Shawn Lewis (Scenic), Donald Holder (Lighting), William Ivey Long (Costume)
Theatre History: Bill Coco, Gary Vena
Voice Training: Nova Thomas, Christopher Arneson
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Hendrix College, Conway, Arkansas
Bachelors of Science – Psychology / Minor: Theatre Art
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References available upon request