Pittsburgh Opera world premiere of ‘Time To Act’ explores how teens heal after school violence
New opera by Crystal Manich premieres Feb. 28 in Pittsburgh, focusing on youth recovery
EUTHANIZED. ANOTHER DOG IN THE HOME WAS TAKEN TO A SHELTER. OPERA IS A LIVING, BREATHING ART FORM THAT I THINK HAS THE MOST PROFOUND EFFECT ON EMOTIONS. A BRAND NEW OPERA PREMIERES IN PITTSBURGH THIS WEEKEND. TIME TO ACT WILL SHATTER YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF A TYPICAL OPERA. THE MAIN CHARACTER IS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT TRANSFERRING TO A NEW SCHOOL. HER SECRET STARTS TO BE REVEALED DURING SOMETHING AMERICAN STUDENTS EXPERIENCE ON A REGULAR BASIS. AN ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILL. WHAT HAPPENED? IT COULD HAPPEN ANYWHERE. CREATING A CLASSROOM INSIDE PITTSBURGH OPERA’S HEADQUARTERS. THIS IS A SHOW THAT TAKES PLACE. WE ARE IN A HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM. WE ARE IN ANYTOWN, USA. BEFORE THE SEATS INSIDE THE BITS OPERA FACTORY IN PITTSBURGH, STRIP DISTRICT FILL UP LIKE YOU SUMMER LEE HAVE ANY. REHEARSALS, SET BUILDING, COSTUMING DESIGNER LINDSAY FIORES JOB INCLUDES ENVISIONING, WARDROBE AND ENVISIONING SETS REFLECTING THE STORY’S SETTING OF A HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA CLUB. FIORE GREW UP IN NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT, AND REMEMBERS NOT ONLY THE MURDER OF 26 CHILDREN AND ADULTS AT SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. SHE ALSO REMEMBERS HOW A QUICK STAGING OF SU SICAL IN TOWN HELPED. EVERY KID ON STAGE IS AFFECTED BY THIS SHOOTING. EVERY KID ON STAGE IS IS UP THERE DESPITE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE DIFFICULT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES. AND THE AUDIENCE IS FILLED WITH PARENTS. AND I THINK THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I FELT LIKE THE COMMUNITY MIGHT BE OKAY, JUST LIKE THAT PRODUCTION SHE SAW IN 2012, FIORE SAYS THIS OPERA, TIME TO ACT, IS ART THAT CAN UNIFY. FIND YOUR LIGHT. THAT WAS A MOMENT WHERE I REALIZED HOW THEATER CAN BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, AND HOW THEATER CAN TEACH EMPATHY, WHICH I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE ROOT OF THIS PROBLEM IN OUR COUNTRY AND SPECIFICALLY ONLY OUR COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH WITH FOLKS NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE SOMEONE ELSE’S PERSPECTIVE. IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING REALLY INCREDIBLE. AND I STARTED WRITING A DRAFT, AND I HAD NEVER WRITTEN AN OPERA BEFORE. I’D, YOU KNOW, DIRECTED A LOT OF OPERAS BUT NEVER WRITTEN ONE. THE CAPTAIN OF THIS SHIP IS CRYSTAL MANAGE THE MOUNT LEBANON HIGH SCHOOL IN CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY. GRADUATE WROTE THE LIBRETTO. THAT’S THE STORY. THE WORDS OF THE OPERA, WHICH SHE BEGAN TO PUT ON THE PAGE IN 2018 AFTER A SHOOTER TOOK 17 LIVES AT A PARKLAND, FLORIDA, HIGH SCHOOL. IN OCTOBER OF THAT SAME YEAR, HAPPENED TO BE IN PITTSBURGH DIRECTING HANSEL AND GRETEL FOR THE PITTSBURGH OPERA. THE TREE OF LIFE, TRAGEDY HAPPENED THE DAY OF OUR FINAL REHEARSAL THAT MORNING, AND I WAS A MILE AWAY. I WAS IN SHADYSIDE WHEN IT HAPPENED. SHE CALLS IT A PROFOUND MOMENT FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, BUT ALSO BECAUSE I WAS WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT OF THIS LIBRETTO AT THAT TIME, AND THE NEXT DAY I SAT DOWN TO WORK ON IT BECAUSE I THOUGHT, I WANT TO DOCUMENT ABOUT HOW I’M FEELING ABOUT IT AND WHAT AM I GETTING FROM WHAT’S ACTUALLY HAPPENING, BECAUSE I HAVE TO BELIEVE IN THE STORY. I’M NOT JUST WRITING NOTES. I ALWAYS SAY THE MUSIC IS NOT ABOUT DOTS ON THE PAGE THAT HAVE SOUND AND DURATIONAL VALUES. THE NOTES ARE THE ROADMAP TO THE EMOTIONAL UNDERPINNINGS OF THE STORY. MANAGES CREATIVE PARTNER ON THIS PROJECT, COMPOSER LAURA KAMINSKY. WE KIND OF RIPPED IT APART AND REJIGGERED HOW THE STORY WAS TOLD AND FROM WHAT VANTAGE POINT AND WHERE THE CLIMACTIC MOMENTS WOULD BE, AND WHERE THE VULNERABLE MOMENTS WOULD BE. AND WE ALSO KNEW THAT WE NEEDED TO INTEGRATE THE CHORUS AS THE COMMUNITY OF HIGH SCHOOL KIDS. KRYSTAL MANAGED DID NOT HAVE TO WORK HARD TO CONVINCE HER TO SIGN ON TO COLLABORATE BECAUSE IT’S SUCH A RAW STORY AND SO POWERFUL, AND IT ALSO HAS SO MANY POTENTIALS TO TRANSFORM PEOPLE’S MINDS AND HEARTS AROUND THE ACCESS THAT WE HAVE TO GUNS IN OUR SOCIETY AND MENTAL ILLNESS. THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME CHANCE TO SEE A WORLD PREMIERE ABOUT SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW. WHERE DO THOSE DOORS GO? THE EXIT NORTH SIDE. AND I ALSO THINK THAT THE STORY IN THE OPERA PROFESSES THAT THEATER AND ARTS CAN LEAD TO COMMUNITY HEALING IN REALLY IN ANY AREA THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE. AND I BELIEVE THAT IF PEOPLE COME TO THIS SHOW, THEY WILL EXPERIENCE JUST THAT.
Pittsburgh Opera world premiere of ‘Time To Act’ explores how teens heal after school violence
New opera by Crystal Manich premieres Feb. 28 in Pittsburgh, focusing on youth recovery
Updated: 9:02 PM EST Feb 27, 2026
A brand-new opera written by a Pittsburgh Opera director and librettist tells the story of how young people can start to heal from the trauma of school violence.”Time To Act” is written and directed by Crystal Manich, a graduate of Mt. Lebanon High School and Carnegie Mellon University.Manich spent years directing opera productions all over the world, including Pittsburgh. In 2018, she began to put pen to paper after the Parkland high school shooting. Manich collaborated with Laura Kaminsky, the composer of “Time To Act.”The world premiere of the new opera is Saturday, Feb. 28, at Bitz Opera Factory in the Strip District. Tickets are available here.Watch our full report from the Pittsburgh Opera in the video player above
PITTSBURGH —
A brand-new opera written by a Pittsburgh Opera director and librettist tells the story of how young people can start to heal from the trauma of school violence.
“Time To Act” is written and directed by Crystal Manich, a graduate of Mt. Lebanon High School and Carnegie Mellon University.
Manich spent years directing opera productions all over the world, including Pittsburgh. In 2018, she began to put pen to paper after the Parkland high school shooting. Manich collaborated with Laura Kaminsky, the composer of “Time To Act.”
The world premiere of the new opera is Saturday, Feb. 28, at Bitz Opera Factory in the Strip District. Tickets are available here.
Watch our full report from the Pittsburgh Opera in the video player above