Dennis Oliveira
Stage Director
About
Dennis Oliveira is a Brazilian-American director of Theatre and Opera with a penchant for classical stories and their lasting truths. His work has been praised as "intelligent,” “carefully thought-through," and "elegantly simple" by The Wagner Journal.Drawing on his training as an actor and singer, Dennis guides performers toward a finely tuned naturalism set within large-scale, symbolist containers. His work foregrounds narrative clarity through dynamic, physically exacting staging and performances grounded in intimate truth.Dennis is an MFA candidate in Theatre Directing at Columbia University (expected 2026).He is also an alumnus of the Florida State University Graduate Opera Directing Program, The Institute for American Musical Theatre in New York City, and Montclair State University's BFA Acting Program.
Upcoming: Siegfried at New Jersey Opera Theater, May 2026
Selected Work
Measure for Measure - Columbia University, New York City, NY (MFA Thesis Production)
Photos by Yiyuan Li and Carol Rosegg
Featuring James Kay, Ethan Williams, Diana Maldonado, J.T. Thorne, Seth Retzlaff, Natasha Conti, Louis Bose, Cameron Schmitt, Isabel Sheehan, Desmond Jackson, Miles Segura, Shaena Kate, Joshua Ryan Vetter, Heather Alzapiedi, Alice McCracken KnightDirector - Dennis Oliveira; Producers - Anna Rui Dou and Alana Roberts; Scenic Design - Noah Hull; Costume Design - Bex Jones; Sound Design - Andrew Yoder; Lighting Design - Yiyuan Li; Media and Projections Design - Chazz Padilla; Intimacy and Fight Director - Willow Funkhouser; Dramaturg and Choreographer- Zihe Tian; Assistant Director - Trent Greenwell; Production Stage Manager - Emily Nacrissa Griffith; Stage Managers - Hang Yin and James Davis; Company Manager - Victoria Provost
Oresteia - Columbia University, New York City, NY
Photos by Arly Rubens
Featuring Kristofer Wilson, Alex Key, Diana Maldonado, Raven Jeannette, Edwin Green, Desmond Jackson, Shaena Kate, Jessica Sconfienza, Heather Alzapiedi, Josh Vetter, J.T. Thorne, Seth RetzlaffDennis Oliveira - Adaptor/Director & Sound Desinger, Shaena Kate - Choreographer, Maggie Turoff - Lighting Designer, Farideh Didehvar - Scenic Designer, Meredith Buckley - Costume Designer, Zihe Tian - Dramaturg, Trent Greenwell - Assistant Director, Eliza Kelley - Stage Manager
The Bog Queen - Columbia University, New York City, NY
Photos by Delia Dumont and Arly Rubens
Featuring Jeff Parkinson, Nick Rossi, and Peyton TurowskiPlaywright - Tim Lucey; Director - Dennis Oliveira; Producer - Zach Hedner; Scenic Design - Noah Hull; Lighting Design - Willem Hinternhoff; Costume Design - Bex Jones; Sound Design - Zoe Stanton-Savitz; Fight Direction - Emily Griffith; Assistant Director - Trent Greenwell; Production Stage Manager - Hang Yin
Die Walküre - New Jersey Opera Theater, Rahway, NJ
Photos by Dennis Oliveira
Featuring Joseph Mayon, Elisabeth Shoup, Steven Fredericks, and Charles SchneiderHugh Keelan - Music Director, Dennis Oliveira - Stage Director | Lighting, Projection, and Scenic Designer, Joseph Mayon - Costume Designer, Hudson Dinh - Supertitles
The Wild Party - Old Library Theatre, Fair Lawn, NJ
Photos by Robin Bartlett
Featuring Autumn Hitt, Michael Barthel, Aubrey Lefkowitz, Justin Boyd, Nat Gennace, Kaylie Ann DeLauri, Alex Martins, Aaron Noriega, Josias Emanuel Cosme, Maria Ruppert, Armin Pascal, Kax Petkovich, Derek Brown, Sabrina O'Connor-Cabrera, Elisabeth Erdmann, Latisa Harriott, Mel Melendez, Ciara Roman, Olivia Ventura, Corey Hollinger, Adam MahonchakDennis Oliveira - Director & Lighting Design; Leo Leuci - Music Director; Melanie Mayne Richardson - Choreographer; Audrey Russelman - Production Stage Manager; Alanna Sachse - Assistant Stage Manager; Sarah Lepre - Production Assistant
Paradise Lost - Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ
Photos by Madie Jones
Featuring Diana Maldonado, Louis Bose, Heather Alzapiedi, Trent Greenwell, Haley Karlich, Donyelle Hayes, Bella KlaidmanDennis Oliveira - Adaptor/Director, Costume and Lighting Design
Romeo and Juliet (Assistant to Stage Director Bonnie J. Monte) - The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Madison, NJ
Photos by Avery Brunkus
Bonnie J. Monte - Stage Director; Dennis Oliveira - Assistant Stage Director
The Metromaniacs (Assistant to Stage Director Brian B. Crowe) - The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Madison, NJ
Photos by Sarah Haley
Brian B. Crowe - Stage Director; Dennis Oliveira - Assistant Stage Director
Mitridate (Assistant to Stage Director Peter Kozma) - Opera NEO, San Diego, CA
Photos by Gary Payne Photography
Featuring Charles Calotta, Öznur Tülüoğlu, Sara Womble, Keith Wehmeier, Emily Helenbrook, Darya Narymanava, Andrew Bearden Brown, Sara Mortensen, Ripley Lucas-Tagliani, Sofia Riggio, Rachael Bell, Katherine Cosenza-Starr, Lauren Randolph, Brian Skoog, Marcus Huber, Cole Bellamy, Matthew Cook, Steele FitzwaterStage Director and Conductor - Peter Kozma; Asociate Director - David Radamés Toro; Assistant Directors - Dennis Oliveira and Samantha Fox