Brian Quijada

Bitter Jester Music Festival Judge

Brian Quijada is a Chicago native / New York-based actor, playwright, and composer who’s original work has been seen all across the United States.

His original hip hop solo show Where Did We Sit on the Bus? has been produced at Victory Gardens, Teatro Vista, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Boise Contemporary, 1st Stage, and City Theatre Pittsburgh. The Teatro Vista run earned Brian two Jeff Awards for Outstanding Solo Performance & Outstanding Sound Design and the Ensemble Studio Theatre run earned him a Drama Desk Nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance.

Brian’s plays and musicals have been developed at The Millennium Stage at The Kennedy Center, Pittsburgh CLO’s Spark Festival, Victory Gardens’ Ignition Festival, New Stage and Film’s Powerhouse Festival, and The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Musical Theatre Conference.

Commissioning institutions include Seattle Repertory Theater, A.R.T., and The Kennedy Center.
Brian is a proud member of The Ensemble Studio Theatre.

In addition to being a fellow HPHS alum along with Bitter Jester Music Festival producer Nicolas DeGrazia (and numerous other BJMF judges), Brian is a former director and cast member of the Emmy-winning Comic Thread sketch comedy troupe along with Nicolas and fellow judge Matt Birnholz.

Brian even has his own Wikipedia page! What?!