DANIEL ELLIS | Stage Director

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.

Learn more about their project, L'elisir d'amore, by clicking here.

UPCOMING/IN PRODUCTION

Heart of Stone (Post Production)

Director

Independent Short Film (Shaun Baer, producer)

Faust (Fall 2022)

Director

University of Georgia, Athens, GA

The Trial of Susan B. Anthony (Summer 2023)

Director

The Sembrich Music Festival, Bolton Landing, NY

Spring Awakening (Fall 2022)

Director

Williams Street Repertory, Chicago, IL

A Little Night Music (Spring, 2023)

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

Die Zauberflöte

(B. Kosky production)

Opera Philadelphia, PA

David Charles Abell, 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

Barber of Seville

Sugar Creek Opera, Clifton, IL

Bruce Stasyna, conductor

Die Zauberflöte

(B. Kosky production)

Cincinnati Opera, OH

Christopher Allen, conductor

Wozzeck

(D. McVicar production)

Grand Théâtre de Genève, Switzerland

Stefan Blunier, 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

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

Goyescas (semi-staged)

Palm Beach Opera, FL

Cabaret: Escape to 1920s Berlin

Minnesota Opera, Minneapolis, MN

Cabaret: On the Air – A 1940s Radio Show

Minnesota Opera, Minneapolis, MN

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

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

2nd Place – American Prize for Directing

The Beaux’ Stratagem

Theatre in the Round, MN

Best Overall Production – Lavender Magazine's Year in Review

The Beaux’ Stratagem

Theatre in the Round, MN

3rd Place – American Prize for Directing

Griffelkin

Project Opera, Minnesota Opera

Best of Fest – Winnipeg Fringe Festival

Scarlet Woman

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Best of Fest – Edmonton Fringe Festival

Scarlet Woman

Edmonton Fringe Festival

Best in Fringe – Minneapolis Fringe Festival

Great American Horror Movie Musical

Lab Theatre, MN

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

United States Opera Directing Debut

Die Zauberflöte (B. Kosky Revival)

Cincinnati Opera, 2017 Season

Director - European Debut of Production

Wozzeck (D. McVicar Revival)

Grand Théâtre de Genève, Switzerland 2017

European Opera Directing Debut

Die Zauberflöte (B. Kosky Revival)

Komische Oper, Berlin, Germany - 2016

Resident Artist

Stage Director

Minnesota Opera - 2012-2014 Seasons

Member of Loudmouth Theatre Collective, Minneapolis, MN

“Working Finalist” for Lifetime Membership at the Actors Studio

SCRIPT WRITER (EDUCATION CONCERTS)

Carnival of the Animals (premiere)

Monterey Symphony, CA

Pulcinella: A Symphonic Story

Monterey Symphony, CA

Pulcinella: A Symphonic Story (premiere)

Palm Beach Symphony, CA

The Fantastic Symphony (premiere)