From the "PINCHGUT" opera, directed by Manich.
A Director’s Destiny
Crystal Manich’s Serendipitous Path to Directing Opera
Master of Arts Management & School of Drama
written by
Cally Jamis Vennare
Life is full of serendipitous moments. Being at the right place at the right time. Meeting someone who can change your life’s path. Taking a risk. Trusting your intuition. For Crystal Manich (BFA, Directing 2004/MAM 2005), all of these moments converged in a Mt. Lebanon High School drama class.
At the age of 16, Manich wanted to be an actress. But her drama teacher, Cindy Shreiner, saw something more in her young student that would allow her to shine behind the scenes. “I think you’re a director,” her professor said. That singular insight would change Manich’s life and, ultimately, define her career.
Manich listened carefully to those wise words, shifted her attention from centerstage to backstage and followed her destiny. She made her directorial debut directing a scene from her high school production of “Fiddler on the Roof” and hasn’t stopped directing since.
The Emmy-nominated, versatile Latiné international creative director and writer still fondly recalls that moment … and what followed. During her senior year of high school, Manich gained entry to Carnegie Mellon University’s pre-college program in drama. She “loved the coursework and the rigor” and — with the encouragement of her voice/speech teacher Natalie Baker — applied to Carnegie Mellon for undergraduate studies.
“Natalie made an appointment for me with Greg Lehane, who was the head of the directing program at the time,” Manich explained. “Because of our mutual Pittsburgh connections, we had a lot to talk about. At some point I suddenly realized, ‘Oh my god, this guy is going to be my mentor!’ And of course, that’s what he became when I was accepted to Carnegie Mellon. CMU was exactly where I needed to go to get the focus and attention for my goal to be a working director.”
Manich, one of the few students chosen for stage direction at CMU in 2000, thrived in her new environment. She double majored in European studies and, encouraged by Lehane’s love of opera, became passionate about the artform.
“I didn't consider myself to be a real musician. But Greg said, ‘No, you have the instincts. You should do this.’ And so, I ended up studying abroad in Italy for a semester to learn about Italian opera history. I took cinema and language … and saw as many operas and plays as I could.”
Manich returned home and immediately started directing opera scenes at CMU’s School of Music under the musical direction of Robert Page. She also connected with Dan Martin, the former dean of the College of Fine Arts and head of CMU’s Master of Arts Management (MAM) Program, a collaboration of the College of Fine Arts and Heinz College. The MAM program focused on providing graduate-level education in the leadership of not-for-profit arts, culture and heritage institutions. Thanks to Martin’s encouragement and Manich’s multidisciplinary talents, she was able to start her MAM coursework during her senior year and complete her graduate degree in arts management only one year later.
"Looking back, I think that the best thing that I did coming out of graduate school was knowing that I wanted to explore my artistry first and foremost. And so, I started assistant-directing opera, both in Pittsburgh and New York City."
Crystal Manich
Manich commuted between the two cities for a while but eventually decided to move to New York. She lived there for 11 years, first working with American Opera Projects as an intern, serving as assistant director for a world premiere, learning what New York life was like for a director, and starting a baroque opera company, Opera Omnia, which ran for five years. She traveled elsewhere to assist and direct at various companies, but when Pittsburgh beckoned, Manich returned to her hometown and served as assistant stage director for Pittsburgh Opera for two seasons.
And then, PO’s General Director Christopher Hahn opened the door. Wide. “He gave me my first big break at the age of 26, which was directing “La Boheme.”
It was pure serendipity for many reasons. But Manich, who had seen “La Boheme” at the Benedum Center 10 years earlier, couldn’t believe one particularly sweet coincidence.
“After I decided that I wanted to be a director, I saw my first opera at the Benedum — “La Boheme.” And 10 years later, I directed that production on that stage with Pittsburgh Opera. It was a huge 360 moment for me; I knew that I was in the right place to pursue stage direction. As artists, we really latch on to these moments where we recognize the fortuitousness that we get and have gratitude for where we land.”
Other defining moments followed: working with PO Music Director Anthony Walker in Australia; appointments as Artistic Director of Cirque du Soleil’s production of “Crystal” (2023/24) and Assistant Artistic Director of “Quidam” (2009/10); and serving as Artistic Director of Mill City Summer Opera in Minneapolis. The Cirque connection led to her work on the first-ever Biennale in Luxembourg in May 2024, where she directed another large circus production — “REESCH E’Vol.” She also directed the world premiere of the opera “The Copper Queen” as a feature film for Arizona Opera in 2021. And, now a writer, she is both librettist and director of “TRIÂNGULO: A Mixed Martial Arts Opera,” which had its first preview as part of Florida Grand Opera’s Innovation Hub in 2024.
To date, Manich’s work as a stage director has been seen across the United States, Europe, Argentina and Australia. She has also proudly served on the adjunct faculty at UCLA and Rider University.
From her home in Puerto Rico, Manich reflected on what she could share with the next generation of aspiring artists. “Back when I was in school, we didn't have social media … or the different outlets where you could create content that is anything from digital theater to digital opera or film. What I discovered for myself, particularly during Covid, was that today you don't have to pigeonhole yourself. And I think that younger people are better at not doing that than those of us who are older.
“I've always relied on the fact that my instincts were going to lead me to where I need to be. And that security in who I am as an artist came from Carnegie Mellon. There is no doubt that what I learned there was instrumental in my confidence. Because if you can get through Carnegie Mellon, you can get through anything. It was intense and very rigorous. And I loved every minute of it! I was being trained for how my life would eventually be … which was that every day, you're just going at it, you're pounding the pavement, and you're really doing the work. And that's exactly what happens in real life.”
Manich’s directorial destiny has been fulfilled. But her future path is lined with endless opportunities, including the Pittsburgh Opera world premiere of “Time to Act” in spring 2026, where she will serve as librettist alongside composer Laura Kaminsky and director Amy Hutchison.
featuring the following:
photography by Brett Boardman for "PINCHGUT"
