Emilio Casillas is a director and designer from sunny San Diego. He received his BFA in Technical Theatre from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, where he now works as the Performing Arts Production Assistant. He is also the Operations Manager for the NOVA Chamber Music Series.

Emilio came to La Musica Lirica in 2014 as a stage management intern and has since become a full-time director, designer, and arts administrator. After serving as Festival Director of the Great Salt Lake Fringe in 2016, Emilio directed two world premieres at the festival in 2017 - Punxsutawney and 1222 Randall Ave. Other recent directing credits include The Christians with Good Co. Theatre and Perdida at the Grand Theatre. As assistant director, Emilio has worked with Pinnacle Acting Company on Larry West’s adaptation of Titus Andronicus, A Streetcar Named Desire at the Grand Theatre, Utah Opera’s productions of The Long Walk, Gianni Schicchi, Pagliacci, and The Little Prince, and with the University of Utah's School of Music on Michael Leavitt's new operatic A Christmas Carol. Design credits include set & lights for Westminster Opera Studio's productions of L'elisir d'amore and La Bohème, Good Co. Theatre's set for Eurydice, lights for Ordinary Days at Utah Repertory Theatre Company and The Beauty Queen of Leenane with Pinnacle Acting Company.  In September Emilio will be directing Prometheus Bound for the 49th annual Salt Lake City Classical Greek Theatre Festival.

Emilio is thrilled to be back at LML for the 20th anniversary summer.