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 the forefront and connect early-career directors and designers with those who are in a position to advance their work.

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: The program is open to emerging designer-director teams in opera regardless of their OPERA America membership status. Members of the team must be early in their careers in opera. At least 50 percent of team members must be United States citizens.

Application Cycle

The 2022–2023 Director-Designer Prize has been awarded. The program will next be offered in 2024–2025.

The guidelines and worksheets below, from the 2022–2023 prize, are provided for reference purposes only.

Guidelines & Worksheets

2022–2023 Guidelines (PDF)
Intent to Apply Questions (PDF)
Full Application Questions (PDF)
Vectorworks, CAD, and Venue Specifications (ZIP)

For questions about applications or eligibility, contact us at Grants@operaamerica.org or 646.699.5236.

Meet the Recipients

In This Section

Awards for Digital Excellence in Opera

Campbell Opera Librettist Prize

IDEA Opera Grants

Opera Grants for Women Composers: Discovery Grants

Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize

Team	Production
*Fellow Travelers* (Gregory Spears/Greg Pierce)	Ian Silverman, director James Rotondo, set designer Marcella Barbeau, lighting designer Travis Chinick, costume designer Nora Winsler, choreographer
*Salome* (Strauss/Lachmann)	Claire Choquette, director Josafath Reynoso, set designer Scott Hynes, lighting designer Hsiao-Wei Chen, costume designer Danielle Georgiou, choreographer
*Salome* (Strauss/Lachmann)	Alison Pogorelc, director Ember Streshinsky, set designer Morgan Williams, choreographer Zhang Yu, costume designer Avi Sheehan, lighting designer Camilla Tassi, projection/video designer
*Sweeney Todd* (Stephen Sondheim/Hugh Wheeler/Patrick Quentin)	Kimille Howard, director John D. Alexander, lighting designer Kimberly V. Powers, set designer Danielle Preston, costume designer

Team	Production
*The Central Park Five* (Anthony Davis/Richard Wesley)	Bruno Baker, director Chantelle Good, choreography Frank J. Olivia, set design Sabrina Bianca Guillaume, costume design Ginevra Lombardo, lighting design
*L’elisir d’amore* (Donizetti/Romani)	Daniel Ellis, director Jaime Mejia, set design and projection design Angela M. Kahler, costume design Cheri Prough DeVol, lighting design
*Orfeo ed Euridice* (Gluck/de’ Calzabigi)	Scout Davis, director Diggle, scenic/video design Amelia Bransky, costume design Jocelyn Girigorie, lighting design Melory Mirashrafi, dramaturg Eamon Foley, choreography
*Orfeo ed Euridice* (Gluck/de’ Calzabigi)	Katherine Wilkinson, director Sarah Nietfeld, scenic design Maureen Freedman, costume design Christina Tang, lighting design Allison Plamondon, choreography

Team	Production
*The Little Prince* (Rachel Portman) Presentation \| Article	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

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

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