Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize
The Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize recognizes promising stage directors and designers for their ingenuity in bringing operatic works to life for contemporary audiences.
Teams of creative artists are invited biennially to devise production concepts for specific works from the inherited or American repertoire. Winning teams present their designs to producers throughout the industry in the Director-Designer Showcase at the national Opera Conference and in exhibitions at OPERA America’s National Opera Center.
The program is designed to bring new talent to forefront of the opera field and connect rising directors and designers with producers who can advance their careers.
The Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize is supported by the Tobin Theatre Arts Fund.
Prize Details
The biennial Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize is awarded to four teams of stage directors and designers. The teams each receive $2,000 to further develop their production concepts in preparation for the Director-Designer Showcase, as well as complimentary registration and travel stipends to attend the Opera Conference.
Eligibility: Teams of stage directors and designers who have yet to develop a significant body of work in the field of opera, and where at least half of team members are citizens or permanent residents of the United States, may apply.
Next Application Cycle
Application available online: | August 2020 |
Intent to apply deadline: | September 3, 2020 |
Full application deadline: | October 15, 2020 |
Adjudication: | November 2020 |
Applicant notification: | December 2020 |
Showcase presentation: | May 19-21, 2021 |
How to Apply
Review the prize guidelines and application worksheets to apply. All applications must be submitted through OPERA America’s grants dashboard.
Prize Guidelines & Worksheets
- 2021 Guidelines (PDF)
- Intent to Apply Questions (PDF)
- Full Application Questions (PDF)
For questions about applications or eligibility, contact us at Grants@operaamerica.org or 646.699.5236.
Meet the Recipients
2019 Recipients
Team | Production |
---|---|
The Little Prince (Rachel Portman) |
Noam Shapiro, director Santiago Orjuela-Laverde, scenic design Tamrin Goldberg, choreography Haydee Zelideth, costume design Reza Behjat, lighting design Yana Birÿkova, projection design |
María de Buenos Aires (Astor Piazzolla) Presentation | Article |
Victoria Crutchfield, director Bryce Cutler, scenic design Nina Bova, costume design Mary Ellen Stebbins, lighting design Kevan Loney, video design |
The Rape of Lucretia (Benjamin Britten) Presentation | Article |
Marcus Shields, director Ryan Howell, scenic and costume design Oliver Tidwell Littleton, lighting design |
Tosca (Giacomo Puccini) Presentation | Article |
Shadi Ghaheri, director and choreographer John Bondi-Ernoehazy, scenic design Mika Eubanks, costume design Samuel Chan, lighting design Yaara Bar, projection design |
Watch the 2019 Director-Designer Showcase presentations.
Learn more about prize winners in the press release.
2017 Recipients
Team | Production |
---|---|
Glory Denied (Tom Cipullo) Presentation | Article |
Ashley Tata, director Stephan Moravski, scenic designer Liene Dobraja, costume designer Abigail Hoke-Brady, lighting designer Brad Peterson, projection and video designer |
Der fliegende Holländer (Richard Wagner) Presentation | Article |
Shannon Knox, director and scenographer Becky Heisler, lighting designer Gabrielle Heerschap, technical director Micaela Tobin, sound designer and composer |
Der fliegende Holländer (Richard Wagner) Presentation | Article |
Luke Harlan, director Alexander Woodward, scenic designer Fabian Fidel Aguilar, costume designer Andrew F. Griffin, lighting designer Rasean Davonte Johnson, projection designer |
Learn more about prize winners in the press release.
2015 Recipients
Team | Production |
---|---|
Four Saints in Three Acts (Virgil Thomson/Gertrude Stein) Article |
Mary Birnbaum, director Grace Laubacher, set designer Moria Clinton, costume designer Anshuman Bhatia, lighting designer Adam Cates, choreographer |
Lizzie Borden (Jack Beeson/Kenward Elmslie) | Mary Birnbaum, director Grace Laubacher, set designer Moria Clinton, costume designer Anshuman Bhatia, lighting designer Adam Cates, choreographer |
Three Decembers (Jake Heggie/Gene Scheer) | Joshua Miller, director William Anderson, set designer Hope Bennett, costume designer Stephanie Busing, projection designer |
The Cradle Will Rock (Marc Blitzstein) | Alison Moritz, director Charles Murdock Lucas, set designer Dina Perez, costume designer Kyle Grant, lighting designer |
Learn more about prize winners in the press release.
2013 Recipients
Team | Production |
---|---|
Silent Night (Kevin Puts/Mark Campbell) | George Cederquist, director Marianna Csaszar, set and costume designer Sarah Hughey, lighting designer |
Elmer Gantry (Robert Aldridge/Herschel Garfein) | Stephanie Havey, director Patrick Rizzotti, set designer Megan Spatz, costume designer Brandon Mitchell, lighting designer |
The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Kurt Weill/Bertolt Brecht) | Walker Lewis, director David Meyer, set designer Grace Trimble, costume designer |
Susannah (Carlisle Floyd) | Mo Zhou, director Tim Brown, set designer Lisa Loen, costume designer Yi Zhao, lighting designer |
2011 Recipients
Team | Production |
---|---|
Hydrogen Jukebox (Philip Glass/Allen Ginsberg) | Rafael Gallegos, director Brett J. Banakis, set designer Sydney Maresca, costume designer Brett J. Banakis, lighting designer |
Dead Man Walking (Jake Heggie/Terrence McNally) | Justin Johnson, director Damon Pelletier, set designer Haley Lieberman, costume designe |
Arjuna's Dilemma (Douglas J. Cuomo/Text from the Bhagavad Gita) | Gian Marco Lo Forte, director and set designer Angela Wendt, costume designer Rocco D’Santi, lighting designer Philip Montana, choreographer Jane Catherine Shaw, mask design and puppets Mark Tambella, projected drawings and paintings |
A Flowering Tree (John Adams/Peter Sellars) | Austin McCormick, director Zane Pihlstrom, set and costume designer Gina Scherr, lighting designer Hari Krishnan, choreographer |
2009 Recipients
Team | Production |
---|---|
Mourning Becomes Electra | Andrew Eggert, director Anka Lupes, set and costume designer Aaron Black, lighting designer |
Florencia en el Amazonas | Lawrence Edelson, director Martin T. Lopez, set and costume designer Josh Epstein, lighting designer Lauri Stallings, choreographer |
Ainadamar | Mike Donahue, director Anya Klepikov, set and costume designer Ji-Youn Chang, lighting designer Sara Erde, choreographer Daniel Vatsky, projection designer |
Einstein on the Beach | Elise Sandell, director Liz Freese, set and costume designer Gordon W. Olson, lighting designer Keturah Stickann, choreographer |
Learn more about prize winners in the press release.