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Arnel Sancianco

Birth Place: San Diego

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Arnel Sancianco is a Filipino-American award-winning set and production designer originally from San Diego, CA and currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Arnel received his MFA in Stage Design from Northwestern University and his BA in Drama with an honors in design from UC Irvine.

Arnel has designed at regional theaters across the country including Oregon Shakespeare Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, McCarter Theatre Center, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, Muny, Goodspeed Musicals, Lookingglass, Writer’s Theatre, Drury Lane, Timeline, Woolly Mammoth, Baltimore Center Stage, American Players Theatre, The Rep at St. Louis, Milwaukee Rep, Asolo Rep, People’s Light, and the Kennedy Center.

His designs have been nominated for multiple awards in Chicago, including the Jeff Award for Best Scenic Design which he won in 2019 for his production of Photograph 51 at Court Theatre, directed by Vanessa Stalling. And in 2023 Arnel was nominated for the Elliot Norton Award for his design for Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, at Huntington Theatre Company, directed by Lili-Anne Brown.

Previously Arnel was a professor of scenic design at Arizona State University. He has hosted special master classes for Steppenwolf’s Young Adults Council, and the National High School Institute at Northwestern. He currently teaches scenic design at UC Berkeley. Arnel is a proud member of United Scenic Artists Local 829.

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Review: TIGER STYLE! at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley


What did our critic think of TIGER STYLE! at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley? BroadwayWorld reviews Mike Lew's riotous and biting comedy 'Tiger Style!' running through April 28th in Mountain View.

UC Berkeley Presents THE WEDNESDAY CLUB, A New Musical Based On Songs By Joe Goode Performance Group


UC Berkeley's TDPS concludes its 2023/24 season with THE WEDNESDAY CLUB, a new musical written and directed by Joe Goode.

DREAMGIRLS Starts Performances at McCarter This Week - Full Cast Announced!


McCarter Theatre Center has announced the cast for the revival of the Tony and Grammy award-winning DREAMGIRLS. Learn more here!

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Presents TIGER STYLE! A Claws-Out Comedy About Tiger ParentIng


Don't miss 'Tiger Style!' at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley - a claws-out comedy about tiger parenting by Mike Lew, directed by Jeffrey Lo. Running from April 6-28, 2024 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.

Last Chance to Vote for the BWW Washington, DC Awards; Voting Ends 12/31


It's the final week left to vote for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Washington, DC Awards! Voting ends on 12/31 at midnight. Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!

VIDEO: Watch Highlights of DREAMGIRLS At Goodspeed Opera House


Watch video highlights of Goodspeed's DREAMGIRLS, running through Dec 30, 2023 at The Goodspeed Opera House. 

2 Weeks to Vote for the BWW Washington, DC Awards; RIDE THE CYCLONE, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, & More Lead!


There's just two weeks left to vote and we have the latest standings as of Monday, December 18th for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Washington, DC Awards! Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!

VIDEO: Watch Footage from 'One Night Only Disco' from Goodspeed's DREAMGIRLS


Watch Keirsten Hodgens (Lorrell), Ta-Tynisa Wilson (Deena), Shantel Cribbs (Michelle) and the company of Goodspeed's DREAMGIRLS perform the Disco version of 'One Night Only' here!

VIDEO: Watch Footage from 'Steppin' to the Bad Side' from Goodspeed's DREAMGIRLS


Watch a clip from 'Steppin' to the Bad Side' from Goodspeed's Dreamgirls featuring Jos N. Banks, Chuckie Benson, Robert Cornelius, Arnold Harper II, Alfred E. Jackson, Mykal Kilgore, Diva LaMarr, Evan Tyrone Martin and Kwame M. Remy here!

BroadwayWorld Washington, DC Awards December 5th Standings; Leads Favorite Local Theatre!


It's December, and the first standings of the month have been announced as of Tuesday, December 5th for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Washington, DC Awards! Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!

Latest Standings Announced For The 2023 BroadwayWorld Washington, DC Awards; Leads Favorite Local Theatre!


Happy Holidays! The latest wave of standings have been announced as of Monday, November 27th for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Washington, DC Awards! Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!

Latest Standings Announced For The 2023 BroadwayWorld Washington, DC Awards; Leads Favorite Local Theatre!


The latest wave of standings have been announced as of Monday, November 20th for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Washington, DC Awards! Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!

First Standings Announced For The 2023 BroadwayWorld Washington, DC Awards; Signature Theatre Leads Favorite Local Theatre!


The first wave of standings have been announced as of Monday, November 13th for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Washington, DC Awards! Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!

Ta-Tynisa Wilson, Keirsten Hodgens, Trejah Bostic & More to Star in DREAMGIRLS at Goodspeed Musicals


Get the latest news on the star-studded cast of DREAMGIRLS at Goodspeed Musicals, including Ta-Tynisa Wilson, Keirsten Hodgens, and Trejah Bostic. Find out when and where you can catch this highly anticipated production.

VIDEO: First Look at THE NACIREMA SOCIETY at Goodman Theatre


Get a first look at Goodman Theatre's production of The Nacirema Society, now on stage through October 15th.

Review: THE NACIREMA SOCIETY at Goodman Theatre


It seems fitting that Goodman Theatre opens new Artistic Director Susan V. Booth’s inaugural season with THE NACIREMA SOCIETY, a play that’s about coming out to society. This Chicago premiere marks a continuation of Booth’s long-standing relationship with celebrated Black playwright Pearl Cleage. THE NACIREMA SOCIETY takes the form of an extended farce, following the incredibly wealthy Dunbar family in 1964 Montgomery, Alabama. In this light-hearted (if not always legitimately laugh-out-loud) comedic play, Cleage draws heavily from classic farce conventions. As the centennial event of matriarch Grace Dubose Dunbar’s beloved Nacirema Society, Montgomery’s organization for Black young women, dawns — and she awaits her own granddaughter Grace’s coming out — the antics become more and more heightened as family secrets come to light.

Cast Set For THE NACIREMA SOCIETY at the Goodman Theatre


Goodman Theatre’s 2023/2024 Season—Susan V. Booth’s first to curate as new Artistic Director—begins with works by Pearl Cleage, Atlanta’s first Poet Laureate and Booth’s longtime creative collaborator and friend. Learn more about the cast here!

Video: Watch Lindsay Heather Pearce & Anastacia McCleskey Sing 'Take Me or Leave Me' in RENT at The Muny


Get ready for the unforgettable performance of Rent: Take Me or Leave Me at the Muny Theatre. Check out show dates and venue information, and secure your tickets to this must-see musical event in Forest Park. Don't miss out on the opportunity to experience exceptional musical theatre at the Muny.

Video: First Look at RENT at The Muny


Watch opening night footage of Rent at the Muny, running through August 10!

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