Robert Brill

Robert Brill is an internationally recognized scenic designer whose work spans theatre, opera, dance, and large-scale themed entertainment. A four-time Tony Award nominee, his designs have been seen in every major city across the United States and around the world, shaping some of the most ambitious and culturally resonant productions of the past three decades.

On Broadway, Brill’s credits include Alicia Keys’ Grammy Award winning Hell’s Kitchen, How to Dance in Ohio, Dancin’, Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, and Assassins, along with the set and immersive club design for the critically acclaimed revival of Cabaret at both the Kit Kat Klub and the legendary Studio 54. Additional Broadway productions include the recent revivals of Jesus Christ Superstar and Guys and Dolls, A Streetcar Named Desire, Design for Living, Buried Child, and many others.

In opera, Brill’s work has been presented at English National Opera and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. His design for the world premiere of Moby-Dick debuted at Dallas Opera and subsequently traveled to Australia, Canada, and major U.S. companies including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Washington National Opera at The Kennedy Center. Additional world premieres include Cold Mountain for Santa Fe Opera; The Manchurian Candidate at Minnesota Opera; and Everest for Dallas Opera.

His theatrical designs have also been seen at the Stratford Festival, the Ahmanson Theatre, The Old Globe, Boston Ballet, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, American Conservatory Theater, The Guthrie, Steppenwolf, Goodman Theatre, Lincoln Center, and Radio City Music Hall, among many others. As Artist-in-Residence at the nationally renowned La Jolla Playhouse, Brill has contributed to a multitude of works, including The Heart, directed by Christopher Ashley, and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, helmed by longtime collaborator Des McAnuff with music by The Flaming Lips. Other world-premiere collaborations include the musical spectacular Frozen for Disney Creative Entertainment; Anna Deavere Smith’s Twilight for the Mark Taper Forum and McCarter Theatre; and The Laramie Project, presented at theatres across the United States including the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

At UCSD Department of Theatre & Dance, Brill serves as Professor of Scenic Design, where he mentors the next generation of designers and theatre-makers. His teaching bridges world-class professional practice with rigorous artistic inquiry, offering students direct access to the processes, collaborators, and scale of contemporary performance. A founding member of Sledgehammer Theatre and recipient of the Michael Merritt Award for Excellence in Design and Collaboration, Brill remains deeply committed to fostering bold new voices and advancing the future of live performance.