Crystal Manich, Director-Episode #407

Crystal Manich has directed over 90 productions of opera, plays, musical theatre, and circus across the USA, Argentina, Australia, and Europe. Her work has been acclaimed by the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other major publications for her “lively” and “imaginative staging.” She wrote and directed her first opera libretto, Time to Act, written with composer Laura Kaminsky, which premiered at the Pittsburgh Opera in 2026. I saw Time to Act and found it to be well-written, hard-hitting, and compelling. She is also the writer-director for Triângulo: A Mixed Martial Arts Opera, which premieres in 2027.Crystal served as Artistic Director for Cirque du Soleil’s Crystal and previously on Quidam. She directed the opera The Copper Queen as a western-thriller feature film for Arizona Opera, garnering an award at the 2021 Toronto International Women's Film Festival.She was nominated for a 2021 Chicago EMMY for a multi-camera livestream of Daniel Catán’s Spanish-language opera La Hija de Rappaccini for Chicago Opera Theater at the Field Museum.Crystal holds a BFA in Drama-Directing and a Master’s in Arts Management from Carnegie Mellon University, a certificate in Business and Management of Entertainment from UCLA Extension, and a Professional Certificate in Screenwriting from UCLA.