"deeply Felt, AND Deeply moving"
                                    -Wichita Eagle

Stage Director Shayna Leahy shares her passion for accessible, emotionally authentic performances with artists and audiences alike. Her recent productions of Romeo et Juliette and Lucia di Lammermoor for New York City Opera have captivated audiences in Bryant Park and globally via livestream. For Wichita Grand Opera, she has directed Carmen, Madama Butterfly, Turandot, Otello, Il Trovatore, and Aida . Her productions are hailed as being “deeply felt, and deeply moving” with emphasis on “fine acting as well as strong singing” (Wichita Eagle).

She currently serves as Artistic Adminstrator and Directing Faculty for Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, was faculty for the Opera Academy of the Midwest, and is currently the Director of Vocal Studies at Highland Community College, where she has led a nationally-recognized opera education initiative in collaboration with Wichita Grand Opera. Her productions at HCC have been Region V finalists in KCACTF, and she received the Region V KCACTF Outstanding Music Director award for her work on Rent. In addition, she has coached and music directed multiple students who have received national KCACTF awards for Distinguished Performance in a Musical.