The Jo(e)y of Opera III

Meet Our New Production Manager, Lauren Reinhartsen!

Piedmont Opera is thrilled to welcome Lauren Reinhartsen as our new Production Manager — though she’s certainly no stranger to us! Lauren has been an integral part of our creative family for years, previously serving as our talented Props Manager, where she brought countless productions to life with her keen eye for detail and imaginative touch.

From crafting the perfect period piece to ensuring every item on stage tells a story, Lauren’s artistry and organizational skill have helped shape the visual magic our audiences love. In her new role, she’ll oversee all aspects of production, bringing the same passion, precision, and creativity that have long made her an essential part of our team.

Join us in congratulating Lauren as she takes on this exciting new chapter with Piedmont Opera!

1.) What is your hometown? Where do you live now? Keene, New Hampshire, I now live in Greensboro.

2.)  What was your educational/career path that led you to your current position? I did my undergrad at North Park University, a small liberal arts college in Chicago. I sort of fell into the role of Props and found that I really liked curating and creating things that were seen onstage. After college I spent a year working on building my portfolio and applied to grad schools. I completed a Masters of Fine Arts in Stage Properties at UNCSA and have been making props for stage ever since! A huge aspect of being a good Prop Director is staying organized and managing teams of people in the procurement and production of props, so when I was given the opportunity to expand my experience to include Production Management with Piedmont Opera, I jumped at the chance.

3.) Describe your job duties as Production Manager. I coordinate hiring the production staff we need to bring a production to life! There are so many people involved, and I strive to build a team of qualified people to collaborate to make a production happen. I also work together with our Interim Artistic Director, Joey, to make sure that the venues for rehearsals and performances are sourced and equipped with what we need to have smooth rehearsals and performance. From ensuring that our singers have their coveted Ricola lozenges, to arranging the transportation of a set, I try to make sure everyone has what they need to be comfortable and successful.

4.) What is your favorite piece of theater? I really love musical theater and had the opportunity to see Beetlejuice when it was still in previews on Broadway and was just blown away by the physical manipulations of the set that were achieved onstage. The theatre house lights were pink and green, and it sort of felt magical before the show even began.

5.) What is your favorite opera? My perspective is usually from the production side of things, so my favorites have to do with which ones are the most fun to prop. I enjoyed Suor Angelica, as it involved making a fully functional water fountain with custom made tiles; I had a lot of fun making that fountain!

6.) What are your hobbies? I love outdoor rock climbing. I met my husband climbing outdoors, and all of our early dates were climbing outings. We’ve been together for ten years, and it’s still been a central theme to how we spend time together. We both love the physical challenges, and the requirement of being outside. Now that we have twin toddlers, that looks a little different for us, but it’s something we’ve been able to maintain bring them along to share in the adventure.

7.) What is your favorite restaurant in the Triad? Probably El Camino Real. It’s this super small place in Greensboro that has THE BEST street tacos. If you go, get the El Pastor tacos… you won’t be disappointed!