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Robert Falls has been the artistic director of Chicago's Goodman Theatre since 1986, after serving in that capacity at Wisdom Bridge Theatre from 1977 to 1985. Under his leadership, the Goodman Theatre was named by Time magazine in May of 2003 as "the number one regional theater in the U.S.” Most recently, Falls directed Conor McPherson’s Shining City at the Goodman after directing the Tony Award-nominated American premiere on Broadway.

At the Goodman, Falls has assembled an Artistic Collective of directors including Frank Galati, Mary Zimmerman, Chuck Smith, Henry Godinez, Steve Scott and Regina Taylor. Past members include Harry Lennix, the late Michael Maggio, David Petrarca and Cheryl Lynn Bruce.

Falls and his professional partner, Goodman Executive Director Roche Schulfer, share one of the longest Artistic Director and Executive Director partnerships in American theater history. Under their leadership, they built the $46 million Goodman complex (opened fall of 2000), which positioned the Goodman as a catalyst in the revitalization of Chicago’s downtown theater district.

Robert Falls made his opera directing debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago with his 1993 production of Carlyle Floyd’s Susannah, starring Renée Fleming and Samuel Ramey, and he made his directing debut at New York's Metropolitan Opera with his 1999 reprisal of that production, which has also been performed at the Houston Grand Opera, the Washington Opera and the Grand Théâtre de Genève in Switzerland.

Robert Falls has produced a number of musicals, including Louis Rosen and Thom Bishop's Book of the Night; John Logan's Riverview: A Melodrama with Music; and a major revival of Pal Joey, choreographed by Ann Reinking. Also at the Goodman, he has co-produced Sheldon Epps’ revival of Purlie; Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas' The Light in the Piazza; Stephen Sondheim's Bounce; Philip Glass and Mary Zimmerman's Galileo Galilei; Carrie Hamilton and Carol Burnett's Hollywood Arms directed by Harold Prince; Terrence McNally, John Kander and Fred Ebb’s The Visit; Adam Guettel and Tina Landau's Floyd Collins; Randy Newman's Faust; Leslie Arden's The House of Martin Guerre; Jeffrey Lunden and Arthur Perlman's Wings and Another Midsummer Night; as well as major revivals of A Little Night Music, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Play On! and Frank Galati's reworked Cry, The Beloved Country.

Falls and acclaimed actor Brian Dennehy have collaborated for more than 20 years on powerful, passionate major works like The Iceman Cometh (1990), which was named by Time and USA Today as one of the "10 best" American theater productions of the 1991/1992 season and was subsequently hailed as the highpoint of the 33rd Annual Dublin Theatre Festival. Falls and Dennehy also collaborated on A Touch of the Poet (1996), Long Day's Journey into Night (2002) and Hughie (2004). In 2008, Falls will direct Dennehy in the Goodman’s production of Eugene O’Neill’s Desire Under the Elms as the centerpiece of a major festival showcasing O'Neill's work as it is being interpreted across the globe today. As Dennehy has said, “My professional relationship with Bob is by far the most important one in my life.” (Robert Falls at Goodman Theatre: The First Twenty Years, Goodman Theatre, 56.)

An important production for Falls was his expressionistic interpretation of Arthur Miller’s classic play, Death of a Salesman at Goodman Theatre in 1997. Falls’ production starred Brian Dennehy as the famous character Willie Loman and drew rave reviews across the country. Arthur Miller attended the show and “left the performance profoundly moved.” (Robert Falls at Goodman Theatre: The First Twenty Years, Goodman Theatre, 60.) The production transferred to Broadway, where it was subsequently honored with four 1999 Tony Awards, including Best Director of a Play and Best Revival of a Play.

During the Goodman’s 2004/2005 season, Falls directed the world premiere of Arthur Miller’s final play, Finishing the Picture, featuring a cast including Frances Fisher (Edna Meyers), Scott Glenn (Terry Case), Stacy Keach (Phillip Ochsner), Stephen Lang (Jerome Fassinger), Linda Lavin (Flora Fassinger), Matthew Modine (Paul), Heather Prete (Kitty) and Harris Yulin (Derek Clemson).

Beginning with Fences in 1986, Goodman Theatre and August Wilson became frequent collaborators; the Goodman was the first theater in the world to produce all ten plays in Wilson’s cycle of plays chronicling the African American experience throughout the 20th century. Seven Guitars (1995) and Gem of the Ocean (2003) were world premieres and others were pre- or post-Broadway tours, including Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, 'Joe Turner's Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Running and Radio Golf.

Falls is the recipient of nine Tony Awards and Tony Award nominations, including a 2007 nomination for his production of Talk Radio by Eric Bogosian at Longacre Theatre and a 2006 nomination for his American premiere production of Conor McPherson’s Shining City. He received the 2003 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play and a nomination for Best Director of a Play for Long Day's Journey into Night. Falls received Tony Awards for Best Direction of a Play and Best Revival of a Play for Death of a Salesman in 1999. His production of Horton Foote's Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Young Man from Atlanta, starring Rip Torn and Shirley Knight, was nominated for three 1997 Tony Awards, including Best Play. Falls’ production of Tennesee Williams' The Rose Tattoo at Circle in the Square, starring Anthony LaPaglia and Mercedes Ruehl, was nominated for a 1995 Tony Award as Best Revival of a Play. In 1992, he accepted the Special Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater on behalf of the Goodman Theatre.

He is the recipient of 16 Joseph Jefferson Awards and Citations throughout his 30-year career as one of Chicago's preeminent theater artists.

Falls’ numerous awards also include the 2007 Alumni of the Year Award from the University of Illinois, an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from Lake Forest College (2005), the Distinguished Service to the Arts Award presented by the Lawyers for the Creative Arts (2005), two 2003 Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Director of a Play/Outstanding Revival of a Play (Long Day's Journey into Night), the League of Chicago Theatres Artistic Leadership Award (2003), the National Broadway Theatre Award for Best Direction of a Touring Production (2002), the Illinois Arts Council Governor’s Award for Outstanding Contributions by an Individual Artist (1999), the 1996 Crystal Award for Outstanding Contribution to Chicago Theatre and the 1995 Obie Award for Outstanding Direction for his production of SubUrbia.

Falls has been recognized by numerous magazines and associations for his work. Time magazine named Falls’ 1999 production of Death of a Salesman one of the “Best Productions of the Season.” He was named “Chicagoan of the Year” by Chicago magazine in 2001 and graced the cover of American Theatre magazine in a 1999 as a featured artist. He was recognized as one of the “Chicago Artists of the Year” by the Chicago Tribune in 1998. He was the Cary Grant Artist-in-Residence at the Quad City Arts Program in 1997. In 1993, Falls was named one of the “Most Powerful People in American Theatre” by American Theatre magazine. In 1992, his production of The Iceman Cometh was named “Best Productions of the Season” by Time magazine.

Falls was elected into theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2003. He is a past board president of Theatre Communications Group, the national organization of non-profit professional theaters in America, as well as a past artistic director of Northwestern University's graduate directing program. He is also a member of the American Federation of TV and Radio Artists (AFTRA), Sarah Siddons Society Advisory Board, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SSDC).