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If there’s pressure on Lucero’s introductory production, it’s understandable. He also welcomes it.
“I gravitate toward work that is hyper-theatrical,” he said.
Lucero also leans into theater’s reliance on the whole thing being a conspiracy between artists and audience.
“How in the world are you ever supposed to have a fairy godmother magically appear and a dress that magically transforms and a carriage thrown out of a pumpkin?” Lucero said. “I love that theater recruits an audience to activate their imagination and fill in the gaps.”
Justin's directorial debut for Theater Latté Da and the Twin Cities, a holiday season production of RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA, made a splash. Already the second highest-grossing & highest-attended show in the company's history, audiences and reviewers alike have "liked it so well."
Rohan Preston, critic and reporter for The Minnesota Star Tribune, profiled the production with a preview article, gave the production a rave review, and named it one of the BEST TWIN CITIES AREA THEATER PERFORMANCES OF 2024.
In Preston's review, he writes:
Rohan Preston, critic and reporter for The Minnesota Star Tribune, profiled the production with a preview article, gave the production a rave review, and named it one of the BEST TWIN CITIES AREA THEATER PERFORMANCES OF 2024.
In Preston's review, he writes:
- “Ravishing... brilliant..."
- "Lucero’s operatically ambitious take on Rodgers and Hammerstein is resourceful and brilliant.”
- “Stellar performances”
- “Artful and clever stagecraft”
- “This holiday production succeeds because it ultimately evokes feeling, sweeping us along with imaginative dreaming.”
- "Latté Da director Justin Lucero delivers a statement with his inaugural production for the company."
- “Lucero gives us a brilliant Cinderella.”
Latté Da’s artistic director Justin Lucero showed his operatic ambition and poetic imagination with his fluid staging of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s treatment of this classic tale. Nambi Mwassa slayed as the title servant-turned-princess in a show that also had gorgeous performances by Theo Janke-Furman as the prince, Tod Petersen as the regent and Sally Wingert as a devilish stepmother in Prada-esque couture.
Justin Lucero works with the Cinderella team during rehearsal. (Glen Stubbe/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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Justin Lucero works with the Cinderella cast during rehearsal, his very first show as head of Theater Latté Da. (Glen Stubbe/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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Isa Condo-Olvera as Gabrielle, Hope Nordquist as Charlotte, Sally Wingert as Madame, and Nambi Mwassa as Ella perform one of their songs outside the theater on Nov. 14. (Glen Stubbe/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Latté Da is known for the clever imagination it brings to classics and new works, ...audiences and critics alike often liken the quality of the company’s work to things seen in New York.
~Rohan Preston, The Minnesota Star Tribune
\From the email release (December 6, 2024):
WELCOME TO NAMT'S NEW BOARD AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
NAMT [National Alliance for Musical Theatre] is thrilled to announce our new Board members, who were elected at the Annual Membership Meeting on October 22nd. Their terms will begin on May 1, 2025:
Also, Justin is currently serving as Chair of the New Works committee for NAMT.
WELCOME TO NAMT'S NEW BOARD AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
NAMT [National Alliance for Musical Theatre] is thrilled to announce our new Board members, who were elected at the Annual Membership Meeting on October 22nd. Their terms will begin on May 1, 2025:
- Michael Baxter – Associate Artistic Director, The Muny (MO)
- Jenny Case – Executive Director, Diversionary Theatre (CA)
- Brad Kenney – Executive Artistic Director, Ogunquit Playhouse (ME)
- Justin Lucero – Artistic Director, Theater Latté Da (MN)
- Mike Stotts – Executive Director, Paper Mill Playhouse (NJ)
- President-Elect: Eric Keen-Louie – Executive Producer, La Jolla Playhouse (CA)
- Treasurer: Susanna Gellert – Artistic Director, Weston Theater Company (VT)
Also, Justin is currently serving as Chair of the New Works committee for NAMT.
Theater Latté Da has closed its 26th mainstage season of music-theater and revealed the lineup for Season 2024-2025.
Our 24/25 Season highlights include the Regional Premiere of the uproarious NEXT Festival hit SCOTLAND, PA, the classic holiday gem CINDERELLA, the writer-performer Milo Cramer's solo show SCHOOL PICTURES, the Tony Award-winning best musical FUN HOME, and Stephen Sondheim's epic PASSION-Theater Latté Da’s 99th mainstage production.
More info at https://www.latteda.org/2425-season
Our 24/25 Season highlights include the Regional Premiere of the uproarious NEXT Festival hit SCOTLAND, PA, the classic holiday gem CINDERELLA, the writer-performer Milo Cramer's solo show SCHOOL PICTURES, the Tony Award-winning best musical FUN HOME, and Stephen Sondheim's epic PASSION-Theater Latté Da’s 99th mainstage production.
More info at https://www.latteda.org/2425-season
\From the press release (August 23, 2023):
(Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN) Theater Latté Da (TLD) announced today that it has chosen Justin Lucero as its next Artistic Director. Lucero will join TLD in mid-October, co-leading the organization with Managing Director Elisa Spencer-Kaplan. He joins the company from his current role at El Paso Opera in El Paso, TX, where he has worked since 2012 and served as Artistic Director for the past five seasons. He also leaves his faculty appointment as Assistant Professor and Associate Area Chair of the John Wells Directing Program at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, where he was teaching undergraduate and graduate Directing and was a leader in the strategic advancement of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access initiatives, driving the establishment of a school-wide degree requirement in anti-racist and equitable practices in theater.
...Lucero succeeds TLD’s Founding Artistic Director Peter Rothstein, who departed the organization at the end of June after 25 years of leadership to assume a new role as Producing Artistic Director of Asolo Repertory Theatre.
“It is with true enthusiasm that I accept this position and join this inspiring organization and vibrant community,” says Lucero. “I am absolutely committed to honoring Theater Latté Da’s rich legacy and bright future. I believe unwaveringly in the power of music-driven theater and I take very seriously the responsibilities we have as culture-makers and stewards of the artform. And I believe deeply in the talents and abilities of my new and magnificent partner, Elisa, and the exceptional TLD staff to harness that power and to take up those responsibilities along with me. I am so thrilled, eager, and grateful to begin the journey.”
Managing Director Elisa Spencer-Kaplan says, “Justin’s extensive knowledge and obvious passion for musical theater and opera, his imaginative artistry, and his kind and collaborative leadership style are deeply aligned with the values that define Theater Latté Da and set it apart. His unique vision is a great match for who we currently are, but also for who we hope to become. I’m so excited to work with Justin to continue building TLD as a resource for our Minnesota community and a leader in bringing new and reimagined musical stories to the stage.”
“Throughout the search process with Justin, he was so consistent around being a collaborator, mentor, teacher and innovator, while expressing his commitment to upholding TLD's mission, vision and values and supporting local artists,” says Board Chair Cara Sjodin. “Our job now is to help Justin acclimate to the vibrant Twin Cities art and culture scene.”
Lucero was selected through an extensive national search led by Tiffany Vega-Gibson and Leandro Zaneti of arts search firm Evolution Management Consultants (EMC), in conjunction with Search Chair Glyn Northington and an 11-member committee including representatives from TLD’s artistic community, staff, and Board of Directors. The process also provided opportunities for the organization’s artistic community, artists of the global majority, staff, Board and patrons to provide input on the search and help identify the most important qualities for TLD’s next artistic leader.
(Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN) Theater Latté Da (TLD) announced today that it has chosen Justin Lucero as its next Artistic Director. Lucero will join TLD in mid-October, co-leading the organization with Managing Director Elisa Spencer-Kaplan. He joins the company from his current role at El Paso Opera in El Paso, TX, where he has worked since 2012 and served as Artistic Director for the past five seasons. He also leaves his faculty appointment as Assistant Professor and Associate Area Chair of the John Wells Directing Program at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, where he was teaching undergraduate and graduate Directing and was a leader in the strategic advancement of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access initiatives, driving the establishment of a school-wide degree requirement in anti-racist and equitable practices in theater.
...Lucero succeeds TLD’s Founding Artistic Director Peter Rothstein, who departed the organization at the end of June after 25 years of leadership to assume a new role as Producing Artistic Director of Asolo Repertory Theatre.
“It is with true enthusiasm that I accept this position and join this inspiring organization and vibrant community,” says Lucero. “I am absolutely committed to honoring Theater Latté Da’s rich legacy and bright future. I believe unwaveringly in the power of music-driven theater and I take very seriously the responsibilities we have as culture-makers and stewards of the artform. And I believe deeply in the talents and abilities of my new and magnificent partner, Elisa, and the exceptional TLD staff to harness that power and to take up those responsibilities along with me. I am so thrilled, eager, and grateful to begin the journey.”
Managing Director Elisa Spencer-Kaplan says, “Justin’s extensive knowledge and obvious passion for musical theater and opera, his imaginative artistry, and his kind and collaborative leadership style are deeply aligned with the values that define Theater Latté Da and set it apart. His unique vision is a great match for who we currently are, but also for who we hope to become. I’m so excited to work with Justin to continue building TLD as a resource for our Minnesota community and a leader in bringing new and reimagined musical stories to the stage.”
“Throughout the search process with Justin, he was so consistent around being a collaborator, mentor, teacher and innovator, while expressing his commitment to upholding TLD's mission, vision and values and supporting local artists,” says Board Chair Cara Sjodin. “Our job now is to help Justin acclimate to the vibrant Twin Cities art and culture scene.”
Lucero was selected through an extensive national search led by Tiffany Vega-Gibson and Leandro Zaneti of arts search firm Evolution Management Consultants (EMC), in conjunction with Search Chair Glyn Northington and an 11-member committee including representatives from TLD’s artistic community, staff, and Board of Directors. The process also provided opportunities for the organization’s artistic community, artists of the global majority, staff, Board and patrons to provide input on the search and help identify the most important qualities for TLD’s next artistic leader.
Justin is thrilled to be selected to OPERA America's "signature leadership development initiative" which seeks to identify "leaders who will help move opera forward for years to come." As a member of the 2023 OPERA America Leadership Intensive, Justin is among only four artistic/general directors of American opera companies selected to join the cohort of 13 American opera leaders and six international participants from OPERA America's partner organizations: the Association for Opera in Canada, Opera Europa, and Ópera Latinoamérica.
\From the press release:
"The cohort was chosen from a record-breaking pool of applicants through a competitive selection process. Candidates were selected through three rounds of interviews in which they were evaluated based on their career achievements and goals, demonstrated leadership, and contributions to the field."
Additional information can be found at: https://www.operaamerica.org/leadership2023
\From the press release:
"The cohort was chosen from a record-breaking pool of applicants through a competitive selection process. Candidates were selected through three rounds of interviews in which they were evaluated based on their career achievements and goals, demonstrated leadership, and contributions to the field."
Additional information can be found at: https://www.operaamerica.org/leadership2023
UPDATE:
The winner of the 2023 Tony Award® for Excellence in Theatre Education was announced to be Jason Zembuch Young of South Plantation High School in, Plantation High School. A wonderful time was had celebration with Mr. Young at the 76th Annual Tony Awards® ceremony, where Justin was a member of the Carnegie Mellon University red carpet delegation and ceremony invitee.
The winner of the 2023 Tony Award® for Excellence in Theatre Education was announced to be Jason Zembuch Young of South Plantation High School in, Plantation High School. A wonderful time was had celebration with Mr. Young at the 76th Annual Tony Awards® ceremony, where Justin was a member of the Carnegie Mellon University red carpet delegation and ceremony invitee.
Justin is thrilled to be a member of the Blue Ribbon Panel tasked with selecting the winner of the 2023 Tony Award® for Excellence in Theatre Education.
"The Tony Awards® and Carnegie Mellon University are looking for the teachers who create the next generation of theatre artists. These dedicated professionals discover talented students, nurture them, inspire them and set them off on a lifelong journey as theatre supporters and professionals."
The award recognizes a K-12 theatre educator in the U.S. who has demonstrated "monumental impact on the lives of students and who embodies the highest standards of the profession." The winning teacher will be recognized on the Tony Awards telecast on CBS on Sunday, June 11, 2023. The award comes with a grant of $10,000 for the teacher's theatre program, as well as visits from theatre professionals from Carnegie Mellon for a special master class presentation for the winner’s school.
The Excellence in Theatre Education Award, sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University, is presented each year by the Tony Awards. A panel of judges comprised of the American Theatre Wing, The Broadway League, Carnegie Mellon University and other leaders from the theatre industry selects the winner, based on candidates submitted by members of the public.
#ApplaudMyTeacher
"The Tony Awards® and Carnegie Mellon University are looking for the teachers who create the next generation of theatre artists. These dedicated professionals discover talented students, nurture them, inspire them and set them off on a lifelong journey as theatre supporters and professionals."
The award recognizes a K-12 theatre educator in the U.S. who has demonstrated "monumental impact on the lives of students and who embodies the highest standards of the profession." The winning teacher will be recognized on the Tony Awards telecast on CBS on Sunday, June 11, 2023. The award comes with a grant of $10,000 for the teacher's theatre program, as well as visits from theatre professionals from Carnegie Mellon for a special master class presentation for the winner’s school.
The Excellence in Theatre Education Award, sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University, is presented each year by the Tony Awards. A panel of judges comprised of the American Theatre Wing, The Broadway League, Carnegie Mellon University and other leaders from the theatre industry selects the winner, based on candidates submitted by members of the public.
#ApplaudMyTeacher
Justin has been asked to serve at the Board level of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG). He will be a member of the inaugural Next Generation Taskforce for a 16-month term (October 2022-April 2024) alongside Hanay Geiogamah, Nataki Garrett, John Fontillas, Merrique Jenson, Will Davis, Deonte Griffin-Quick, Abigail Vega, Mackenzie Duan, Brandall Jones, Jackson Cooper, Evan Aanerud, Annaleise Loxton, and Teresa Eyring.
\From the press release:
"In 2021, TCG celebrated the 60th anniversary of our founding. As our new strategic plan was forged in the fires of a global pandemic and an uprising against white supremacy, it has felt as if TCG is being refounded; not only by our staff and board, but collectively by a field that cannot and will not go back to the way things were. As we interrogated what our vision of “a better world for theatre and a better world because of theatre” means now, we fortified and clarified TCG’s mission: to lead for a just and thriving theatre ecology. Evolving our governance ecology is a priority in our new strategic plan. We want to model new ways of sharing power at the board level, and we are taking an expansive and inclusive approach. In the place of a single board structure, TCG will be governed by a Viability Board, working alongside Taskforces in four priority areas: Next Generation, Breaking Barriers, Global Connectivity, and Capitalization.
...Taskforce members serve as stewards to the TCG theatre ecology and support the mission and vision of the organization. Each Taskforce will have a central project or projects to work on over the course of the 16 month term.
...The Next Generation Task Force develops and recommends communications, engagement, and retention strategies for next generation theatre makers, practitioners, administrators, and lovers, including young makers in the university theatre community and community-based creativity programs."
\From the press release:
"In 2021, TCG celebrated the 60th anniversary of our founding. As our new strategic plan was forged in the fires of a global pandemic and an uprising against white supremacy, it has felt as if TCG is being refounded; not only by our staff and board, but collectively by a field that cannot and will not go back to the way things were. As we interrogated what our vision of “a better world for theatre and a better world because of theatre” means now, we fortified and clarified TCG’s mission: to lead for a just and thriving theatre ecology. Evolving our governance ecology is a priority in our new strategic plan. We want to model new ways of sharing power at the board level, and we are taking an expansive and inclusive approach. In the place of a single board structure, TCG will be governed by a Viability Board, working alongside Taskforces in four priority areas: Next Generation, Breaking Barriers, Global Connectivity, and Capitalization.
...Taskforce members serve as stewards to the TCG theatre ecology and support the mission and vision of the organization. Each Taskforce will have a central project or projects to work on over the course of the 16 month term.
...The Next Generation Task Force develops and recommends communications, engagement, and retention strategies for next generation theatre makers, practitioners, administrators, and lovers, including young makers in the university theatre community and community-based creativity programs."
Justin has earned the title of "Rising Leader of Color" by the Theatre Communications Group (TCG). He is a member of the seventh RLC cohort, alongside Chanel Blanchett, Parag S. Gohel, SJ Porter, Sasha Schwartz, and Shae Wofford.
\From the press release:
"Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre and the publisher of American Theatre, is pleased to announce the participants in the seventh round of its Rising Leaders of Color (RLC) Program. The participants form a cohort of six highly talented early-career BIPOC leaders based in Pittsburgh who are in the U.S. not-for-profit theatre and related sectors, and who demonstrate the potential to impact the field in a positive way. Rising Leaders of Color 2022 is supported by Opportunity Fund and Walt Disney Imagineering. Alumni activities are supported in part by Howard Gilman Foundation.
“We can’t wait to meet this next cohort of BIPOC leaders at our hybrid National Conference in Pittsburgh...” said Teresa Eyring, executive director of TCG, in a statement. “We look forward to working with this next cohort to continue supporting an intergenerational network of BIPOC leaders, and together lead for a just and thriving theatre ecology.”
Said Emilya Cachapero, director of grantmaking programs for TCG, in a statement, “More than ever, as this country wrestles with its legacy of racism and inaction, it is essential to uplift and support BIPOC leaders who have exhibited their commitment to creating a more just society. Pittsburgh has a vibrant arts community, and we’re looking forward to highlighting a talented group of BIPOC leaders based in this community. Undoubtedly they will be at the forefront of shaping our national theatre field’s future.”
“What does it mean to be a leader in American theatre?” asked Jake Goodman, executive director, Opportunity Fund, in a statement. “This is a question that the early-career and visionary leaders in the Pittsburgh cohort of this fabulous program are going to answer in coalition as they learn together, gain national recognition, and reinforce the already-forming movement of BIPOC leaders who are shaping American culture.”
\From the press release:
"Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre and the publisher of American Theatre, is pleased to announce the participants in the seventh round of its Rising Leaders of Color (RLC) Program. The participants form a cohort of six highly talented early-career BIPOC leaders based in Pittsburgh who are in the U.S. not-for-profit theatre and related sectors, and who demonstrate the potential to impact the field in a positive way. Rising Leaders of Color 2022 is supported by Opportunity Fund and Walt Disney Imagineering. Alumni activities are supported in part by Howard Gilman Foundation.
“We can’t wait to meet this next cohort of BIPOC leaders at our hybrid National Conference in Pittsburgh...” said Teresa Eyring, executive director of TCG, in a statement. “We look forward to working with this next cohort to continue supporting an intergenerational network of BIPOC leaders, and together lead for a just and thriving theatre ecology.”
Said Emilya Cachapero, director of grantmaking programs for TCG, in a statement, “More than ever, as this country wrestles with its legacy of racism and inaction, it is essential to uplift and support BIPOC leaders who have exhibited their commitment to creating a more just society. Pittsburgh has a vibrant arts community, and we’re looking forward to highlighting a talented group of BIPOC leaders based in this community. Undoubtedly they will be at the forefront of shaping our national theatre field’s future.”
“What does it mean to be a leader in American theatre?” asked Jake Goodman, executive director, Opportunity Fund, in a statement. “This is a question that the early-career and visionary leaders in the Pittsburgh cohort of this fabulous program are going to answer in coalition as they learn together, gain national recognition, and reinforce the already-forming movement of BIPOC leaders who are shaping American culture.”
Justin has been named to the 2021-2022 BIPOC Leadership Circle by artEquity, in partnership with the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale!
The Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Leadership Circle brings together dynamic art and culture leaders from across the US and Canada. The program offers eight virtual convenings that span a six-month cycle.
"One year ago, at the height of the global-pandemic and an unprecedented revealing of institutional failings, an urgent call was made to support Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color who were fatigued and undersupported in the arts and culture field. artEquity responded to that call, producing its inaugural BIPOC Leadership Circle. ...These leaders work within a number of art sectors including the performing and visual arts, arts councils, arts service organizations, and foundations."
The Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Leadership Circle brings together dynamic art and culture leaders from across the US and Canada. The program offers eight virtual convenings that span a six-month cycle.
"One year ago, at the height of the global-pandemic and an unprecedented revealing of institutional failings, an urgent call was made to support Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color who were fatigued and undersupported in the arts and culture field. artEquity responded to that call, producing its inaugural BIPOC Leadership Circle. ...These leaders work within a number of art sectors including the performing and visual arts, arts councils, arts service organizations, and foundations."
\From the press release:
“We can no longer continue to strive to merely change harmful systems, we must work to imagine and create new models that demand a paradigm shift, causing oppressive models to fall away. We have envisioned a pathway forward through a co-designed curriculum informed by our collective histories and contributions from our alumni network”, shared Program Co-Leads Cloteal L. Horne and Nijeul X. “We are excited to expand our engagement of BIPOC artistic leaders dedicated to liberatory leadership practices and models that disrupt and dismantle current oppressive organizational structures.”
Each session will focus on a central question designed through a lens of disrupting oppressive leadership practices that are individual, organizational, societal, and interpersonal. This unique structure guides the collective from a point of individual reflection, towards a collective reimagining of systemic and organizational structures that are committed to uplifting and supporting communities and leaders of the global majority.
The cohort will experience three circles:
Contributing to and designing this year’s cohort experience of BIPOC Leaders is artEquity Executive Director and Founder Carmen Morgan, Program Co-Leads Nijeul X and Cloteal L. Horne, Administrative assistant Kayla Votapek, and an experienced team of co-facilitators, including Mica Cole (National Consultant); Ty Defoe (Independent Artist); Patricia Garza (Director of Programs and Engagement, Network of Ensemble Theatres); Leslie Ishii (Artistic Director, Perseverance Theatre); Dat Ngo (Director of Innovation and Engagement, Sitar Arts Center); and Lauren Turner (Producing Artistic Director, No Dream Deferred NOLA).
“We can no longer continue to strive to merely change harmful systems, we must work to imagine and create new models that demand a paradigm shift, causing oppressive models to fall away. We have envisioned a pathway forward through a co-designed curriculum informed by our collective histories and contributions from our alumni network”, shared Program Co-Leads Cloteal L. Horne and Nijeul X. “We are excited to expand our engagement of BIPOC artistic leaders dedicated to liberatory leadership practices and models that disrupt and dismantle current oppressive organizational structures.”
Each session will focus on a central question designed through a lens of disrupting oppressive leadership practices that are individual, organizational, societal, and interpersonal. This unique structure guides the collective from a point of individual reflection, towards a collective reimagining of systemic and organizational structures that are committed to uplifting and supporting communities and leaders of the global majority.
The cohort will experience three circles:
- The first circle, Mitákuye Oyás'iŋ (All are related, All my relations), is a cultural principle practiced by The Lakota Nation that pays respect to the interconnectedness of all living organisms, this circle provides space for meaningful connection amongst cohort members.
- The second circle, Ujima (Collective work and responsibility), gifts the cohort with a moment of collective learning and the necessary tools to individually reflect on and begin to reimagine their personal leadership styles.
- Each session concludes with the third circle, Buena Onda (Good vibes centering wellness), which integrates practices of wellness rooted in self and communal care.
Contributing to and designing this year’s cohort experience of BIPOC Leaders is artEquity Executive Director and Founder Carmen Morgan, Program Co-Leads Nijeul X and Cloteal L. Horne, Administrative assistant Kayla Votapek, and an experienced team of co-facilitators, including Mica Cole (National Consultant); Ty Defoe (Independent Artist); Patricia Garza (Director of Programs and Engagement, Network of Ensemble Theatres); Leslie Ishii (Artistic Director, Perseverance Theatre); Dat Ngo (Director of Innovation and Engagement, Sitar Arts Center); and Lauren Turner (Producing Artistic Director, No Dream Deferred NOLA).
Recent & Upcoming
El Paso Opera celebrated its 30th Anniversary Season with a series of events dedicated to "The Artist." Sondheim's masterpiece 'Sunday in the Park with George' also celebrated a milestone year (40 years since its Broadway premiere) and is a meditation on the art of making art. Our Spring 2024 new production brought back the core creative team behind the sensational smash 'Frida', including the brilliant designers Afsaneh Aayani (scenic) and Adam J. Thompson (projections), under the baton of Oklahoma City University's Dr. Matthew Mailman.
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To start El Paso Opera's 30th Anniversary Season, a love letter to the artists behind the art, we returned by popular demand to the desert gem McKelligon Canyon Amphitheatre with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra to transform the outdoor venue into an al fresco opera hall for one night only, headlined by world-class opera stars Brian Downen (tenor), Cherry Duke (mezzo-soprano) and Levi Hernandez (baritone).
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Justin joined the faculty of the Bay View Music Festival in Bay View, Michigan (one of the original Chataquas) for a monthlong residency as a guest stage director for their signature musical production. Under the baton of Artistic Director Chris Ludwa, the opera conservatory participants underwent an intense rehearsal process to present Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast' with a full orchestra.
Justin was invited to present at ATHE (Association for Theatre in Higher Education) as a member of the panel entitled "Stop Repeating History and DO BETTER: Solutions for Undoing Exclusionary Practices in the Classroom and Faculty Spaces"; he was also a part of the New Play Development Workshop as director of the script-in-hand showcase performance of 'Wedding Things' by Briandaniel Oglesby.
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El Paso Opera followed up its tremendous success of 'Frida' with a one-night-only production of the "most-beloved" and "most-performed" opera in the repertoire, Verdi's 'La Traviata', under the baton of Jorge Parodi (Opera Hispánica, Gulfshore Opera, Opera in Williamsburg, Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School), and starring David Portillo (Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Glyndebourne Opera, Opera Frankfurt), Marlen Nahhas (Washington National Opera, San Francisco Opera, Central City Opera), and Corey Crider (Metropolitan Opera, Dallas Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Sarasota Opera).
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The UTEP Department of Theatre Dance production of legendary artist Luis Valdez' 'Zoot Suit' was a major success. "Our troupe is a fantastic mix of currently training theatre artists, veterans of the local (and national, and international) stage, and community members for which this show marks their very first acting role ever! The idea --in tandem with the constant reminder that what you’re viewing is, well, fake-- is that we seek to blur the line between performer and audience, all while not preoccupying ourselves with such supremacist goals as product and perfectionism."
November/December 2022
UPDATE: the production received 10 nominations and "excellence in" citations from The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival; every category in which a student was eligible, we received recognition --actor, actress, ensemble acting, lighting design, projection design, sound design, properties design, dramaturgy, stage management!
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As Artistic Director of El Paso Opera, Justin created #CurbsideOpera in response to the pandemic shutdown, although now a central mainstay to the companies community engagement: it's a bring-the-music-to-the-people initiative that has reached thousands, having made over 100 stops in a single quarter from a Texas-sized pickup truck mobile stage, inspiring companies nationwide to follow suit.
After shutting down due to the pandemic, 'Bon Appétit!' went virtual from The Woman's Club of El Paso, starring mezzo-soprano Cherry Duke (Fort Worth Opera, Los Angeles Opera) as the iconic chef Julia Child.
February 2021
Justin stage directs Robert Xavier Rodríguez' 'Frida' for the International Summer Opera Festival of Morelia (México). June 2021 (postponed due to COVID-19; new date TBD)
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In August 2022, after a COVID postponement, El Paso Opera brought back live performance to an OVERSOLD audience (nearly 2500 in attendance) to the "sombrero opera house" Abraham Chavez Theatre under the baton of Suzanne Mallare Acton (Detroit Opera) and starring soprano Catalina Cuervo (New York City Opera, Florida Grand Opera, The Atlanta Opera) and bass-baritone Ricardo Herrera (San Francisco Opera, Gotham Opera, The Atlanta Opera), with sets by Afsaneh Aayani and projections by Adam J. Thompson. This production of Robert Xavier Rodríguez' 'Frida' is supported by a competitive OPERA America Next Stage Grant.
Pittsburgh Festival Opera "Opera in the Neighborhood" digital "opera-film" production of Pauline Viardot's 'Cendrillon' in a sparkling new adaptation. Spring & Summer 2021
A live digital remote presentation of John Logan's 'Never the Sinner' for the University of Houston's School of Theatre & Dance. April 2021
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Guest director for Pittsburgh Playhouse's Conservatory Theatre Company musical theatre production of the Broadway musical 'Curtains', the first full-run of a musical in the brand-new state-of-the-art PNC Theatre. October 2021.
For the second season in a row, invited to direct for Live & In Color's (New York) online 24-hour Play & Song Festival; 'Dad in the Dark' by Joey Merlo (New York Foundation for the Arts Artist Fellow; Playwright-in-Residence at Off-Broadway's Abingdon Theatre Company), featuring Marc Sinoway ('Hunting Season'; 59E59 Theaters' and Edinburgh Festival Fringe's 'The Waiting Game') & Joanna Parson ('The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'). May 2021
'The Broken Hearts of a Corrupted White House' by Matthew Paul Olmos (Princess Grace Award, National Latino Playwriting Award) as a part of Kane Repertory Theatre's (outside Chicago) New Play Lab, and featuring Steppenwolf ensemble members Karen Rodriguez (Goodman, Victory Gardens), & James Vincent Meredith (New Victory Off-Broadway, Goodman), as well as Steven Rishard (TV's 'The Americans', Lincoln Center).
September 2020
Justin stage directs Daniel Catán's opera 'Florencia en el Amazonas' for Arizona State University. Spring 2021 (postponed due to COVID-19; new date TBD)
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Biography
Justin (he/him/his) is a Latinx professional freelance theatre director · an Assistant Professor and Associate Chair for The John Wells Directing BFA & MFA Programs at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, one of the world’s top-ranking theatre conservatories · the Artistic Director of El Paso Opera, a professional regional company · London-trained in theatre directing at the top-ranked East 15 Acting School. His work is at the intersections of the performing arts, education, community building, and the championing of underrepresented voices.
Professional and Artistic Values
Justin's art and teaching aim to normalize the voices of the underrepresented and historically marginalized, including the championing of diversity, equity, inclusion, intersectionality and interculturalism. As a theatre-maker, he explores the performer-spectator dynamic and exploits an audience’s necessary role in theatrical creation.