Emily Barber Press Release
ON SITE OPERA ANNOUNCES NEW PRODUCTION MANAGER AHEAD OF TENTH ANNIVERSARY SEASON
NEW YORK, December 6, 2020 – On Site Opera, New York’s pioneer opera company rooted in site specific storytelling and the immersive experience, announced today the appointment of Emily Barber as the company’s new Production Manager ahead of the start of their tenth anniversary season beginning next month. Barber will replace former Director of Production and Artistic Administration, Christopher Staub, who was recently named Operations Manager at Houston Grand Opera.
Serving as the Interim Director of Production for the New Orleans Opera Association in 2019 as well as the Production Stage Manager from 2018-2021, Emily left her mark on the organization while spearheading the Stage Management Intern Program to offer technical theater experience to BIPOC individuals. She has also worked as a Stage Manager at Chautauqua Opera, Pensacola Opera, Nashville Opera, Opera San Antonio, Opera Santa Barbara, and Shreveport Opera, and will bring her effective organizational and managerial experience to the On Site Opera team while they create short and long term production plans for their 2022 season and beyond. Additionally, Emily has received training in stage managing intimacy direction from Intimacy Directors and Coordinators (IDC) and is a certified COVID-19 Compliance Officer and will be instrumental in the organization’s continued transition back to live performance this season.
She notes, “there are so many reasons why I’m excited about joining the On Site Opera team, but what I’m most looking forward to is helping promote the success of people of color, women, and other marginalized groups by creating new productions and opportunities for those who may previously have not had a voice in this classical art form.”
On Site Opera will open their tenth anniversary season with the digital and interactive world premiere of Lesson Plan by Rachel J. Peters, starring Stephanie Blythe and Laquita Mitchell, January 21-29, 2022. For more information: https://osopera.org/productions/lesson-plan/
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ABOUT ON SITE OPERA
Founded in 2012 and celebrating their 10th anniversary season, New York City-based On Site Opera is the country’s leading presenter of site-specific operas in non- traditional venues. Rooted in collaboration and storytelling, On Site Opera celebrates the connection between artist and audience through highly curated experiences led by exciting opera artists and bold and innovative creative teams. Each On Site Opera production invites New Yorkers to explore their city in new and unique ways, while cultivating a
new generation of opera audiences. To date, OSO has produced 19 operas in as many unique locations to critical acclaim, including the Bronx Zoo, Harlem’s historic Cotton Club, Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the American Museum of Natural History, Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Committed to exploring new technology to make opera more accessible, OSO was the first opera company to employ Google Glass supertitles, and the company has currently developed its own mobile app for multi-language translations and digital program information.
Following extended COVID-related theater closures in 2020, On Site Opera was recognized as a leading organization in reimagining opera, bringing productions to audiences around the world through the telephone, by mail, and online in inventive and creative productions.
