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Led by Artistic Director Dana Sadava and Creative Director Indre Viskontas, Pasadena Opera stages operas in intimate settings, telling powerful stories in which contemporary audiences recognize themselves and beautiful music is paramount. Our previous season presented Michael Nyman's The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat based on the writing of Oliver Sacks, at CalTech in March of 2018. I was delighted to direct the show, building on my personal interactions with Oliver and my understanding of the neuroscience of Alzheimer’s Disease.

In 2020, we presented Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up, as part of L.A. Opera’s Eurydice Found festival. An 80-minute chamber opera by one of the world’s most sought after and exciting creative teams, Proving Up tells the story of the Zegner family, pioneers in 1870s Nebraska, who have finally met all five conditions of the Homestead Act, including securing a coveted glass window. This haunting story is a fitting allegory for many contemporary American families who are learning the hard way that desire and hard work do not guarantee the attainment of the American Dream.

I was lucky enough to direct and lead a truly creative team on this project. We presented four performances January 17-24th, 2020 at Boston Court Pasadena.