Justin Brill

Music Theatre

Head of Music Theatre Program

Justin Brill (he/him) - Justin is a director, performer, and educator currently based in Chicago. As an educator and director Justin strives to facilitate an atmosphere of joy where all participants feel a foundational sense of belonging and are welcomed to bring their full selves into the work. Prior to coming to IWU, Justin completed the MFA in Musical Theater program at San Diego State University and served four years on the faculty of Columbia College Chicago. As a director he has directed professional productions of Matilda the Musical (The Fireside Theater), Mamma Mia (Music Theater Works) and Lysistrata Jones (Refuge Theater Project). At Columbia College Chicago, directing projects included the new student MT Showcase, productions of Allegro and Edges, as well as the BFA Industry Showcase. Some favorite projects from his 25-year performance career as an Equity actor include Rent & All Shook Up (original Broadway cast) on Broadway, Puck in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Metropolitan Opera, over 1200 performances as Boq on the 1^st National Tour of Wicked, and a production of Singin’ In the Rain in 2016 where he played Cosmo and his wife, Shanna VanDerwerker, was the choreographer and the Lady in Green. His goal for IWU students is "for you to graduate from IWU with a strong skill set that prepares you for the industry of MT, but more importantly an understanding of who you are as an artist and what type of work you want to spend your time making in this world."

 

Education

MFA, Musical Theater, San Diego State University

BFA, Drama (Musical Theater), Carnegie Mellon University

 

Professional Affiliations

Actors' Equity Association, Musical Theater Educators' Alliance