I’m Oliver Canales Greenwood, a scenic and lighting designer driven by a love of storytelling and the transformative power of theater.
"At the heart of my work is collaboration — but for me, collaboration goes beyond simply working together. It’s about the conversations that unfold between artists, the stories we exchange, and the trust that grows in the process. Those moments of dialogue — asking why are we telling this story? whom are we trying to change or beam a ray of hope upon? — are what shape meaningful theater.
I see design as a way of building emotional bridges. It’s not just about creating a world onstage, but about maximizing the resonance between text, performance, and environment so that they reflect back something powerful to the audience. Theater, at its best, offers a mirror — a space where people can contemplate, grieve, laugh, or imagine differently. My goal is always to shape that mirror carefully, so that what’s reflected is not only the story at hand, but the deeper human questions that lie beneath it."
My work has illuminated productions like Oliver!, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Shrek the Musical Jr., while my scenic designs have shaped the worlds of Fever/Dream, The Glass Menagerie, and Little Shop of Horrors. Each project challenges me to find new ways of translating narrative into atmosphere, crafting designs that are both visually striking and deeply human.
I’ve also had the privilege of learning alongside Broadway scenic designer Christine Jones, contributing as a studio intern on productions including The Notebook, Cabaret, and The Outsiders. Those experiences sharpened not just my technical craft, but also my understanding of how design can scale, while still keeping an intimate connection with an audience.
I’ve brought my skillset to venues like The Hangar Theater, The Kitchen Theater, and The Tarrytown Music Hall, working in roles that span scenic artistry, charge work, and lighting electrics. For me, design is about more than sets and lights — it’s about creating spaces where audiences can lose themselves, connect with emotion, and walk away seeing the world a little differently.