Brandon PT Davis outdoors

About Brandon PT Davis

Scenic designer & educator. Stories told through space.

Learn more

Brandon PT Davis

Space reveals character.
Design gives a story
a world to inhabit.

Based in San Diego, my practice spans scenic design for theatre, experiential environments, and personal narrative art.

Brandon PT Davis
Brandon PT Davis · Scenic designer & educator

Brandon PT Davis is a scenic designer whose work explores how space, architecture, and visual storytelling shape the experience of live performance. His designs are grounded in research, collaboration, and the belief that scenery should do more than create a setting—it should reveal character, clarify dramatic action, and give performers a world that evolves with the story. His portfolio spans dramas, comedies, Shakespeare, musicals, and new work for regional theatres, festivals, and universities across the United States.

Professional collaborations include South Coast Repertory, Maples Repertory Theatre, Theatre SilCo, New Swan Shakespeare Festival, Okoboji Summer Theatre, the University of Missouri, and numerous academic and professional productions. Beyond the stage, Brandon spent several years as a designer and Senior Scenic & Experiential Designer at Adaptive Design Services, where he developed environments for live events, branded experiences, and immersive installations. That work expanded his practice into architectural visualization, digital rendering, fabrication workflows, and large-scale experiential design—perspectives that continue to inform his theatrical work.

A shared practice.

Alongside his professional practice, Brandon is a Lecturer in the School of Theatre, Television, and Film at San Diego State University. He has previously taught at the University of California, Irvine, the University of Texas at El Paso, and Stephens College, mentoring emerging designers in scenic design, rendering, drafting, digital visualization, and collaborative production. His teaching reflects the same values that guide his design work: curiosity, rigorous research, technical precision, and an ongoing commitment to storytelling through space.

Brandon received his MFA in Scenic Design from the University of California, Irvine and his BFA in Theatre Arts from Stephens College. He has designed more than 130 productions and assisted on over 40 productions at regional theatres and Off-Broadway. He is a member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, and the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT).

View resume

Behind the
work

How I approach design, teaching, and the tools of a creative practice.

In
conversation

An incompleteHistory

A few milestones in a life spent designing, teaching, and making things.

1987–2006

Origins

  1. 1987

    Born in Columbia, Missouri—a college town.

  2. 1989

    First word: “dinosaur.”

  3. 1990

    Dad takes him to his first show: Godspell at an outdoor theatre.

  4. 2000

    Builds a paper Godzilla scene inside a shoebox, imagining how the scenery could transform using flat puppets.

  5. 2003

    Takes his first technical theatre class in summer school. Designs a scene for Alice in Wonderland.

  6. 2006

    Begins college at Stephens College.

2007 & the Chicago years

Finding theatre

  1. 2007

    Transfers to Mizzou to try business. Joins Delta Chi and serves as vice president during his time there.

  2. 2009

    Designs The Verge at Mizzou—his first collegiate scenic design.

  3. 2009

    Returns to Stephens to pursue a BFA that better matches how he learns.

  4. 2010

    Earns his BFA in Theatre Arts. Designs at Okoboji Summer Theatre.

  5. 2012

    Moves to Chicago late in the year. Lives with his best friend, Dru.

  6. Chicago years

    Completes an apprenticeship with American Theater Company.

2017–2023

New worlds

  1. 2017

    Moves to Southern California and begins his MFA in Scenic Design at UC Irvine.

  2. 2019

    Gretchen and Brandon start dating at Okoboji Summer Theatre.

  3. 2020

    Earns his MFA from UCI. Gretchen and Brandon move to Chicago during the pandemic.

  4. 2021

    Begins assisting Jo Winiarski at Utah Shakespeare Festival.

  5. 2021

    Teaches at UTEP, then returns to Stephens as Assistant Professor of Scenic Design.

  6. 2023

    Joins United Scenic Artists Local 829. Assists Jo on The Fears, Off-Broadway.

2024–Now

Making & moving

  1. 2024

    Completes three years teaching at Stephens. Moves back to Southern California and expands into experiential design.

  2. 2024

    🐈Archer joins the family.

  3. 2025

    Gretchen and Brandon get Disneyland Magic Key passes.

  4. 2025

    Co-designs Million Dollar Quartet at South Coast Repertory with Efren Delgadillo Jr.

  5. 2026

    Releases RefRo, his image research app.

  6. 2026

    Moves to San Diego to teach and lead scenic design at SDSU.

  7. 2026

    🐈Neptune joins the family.

  8. Now

    Keeps designing, teaching, and making things.