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Frances Rabalais
Frances Rabalais is an opera director known for her highly emotional and evocative stagings of both the traditional opera repertoire and new works. The 2025/26 season holds all debuts for this artist on the rise: Giulio Cesare for Texas State University as part of a teaching position, a new production of The Magic Flute for the University of Houston, Madama Butterfly for Fort Worth Opera, and The Magic Flute for LA Opera.
In early 2025 she directed a new production of María de Buenos Aires for Madison Opera, exploring femininity and the sacred. It was called "visually stunning" by Isthmus magazine. Other recent directing credits include a double bill of Gianni Schicchi and Suor Angelica for Opera Idaho, Tosca for Madison Opera and Macbeth for Resonance Works.
She has been an assistant director at Washington National Opera, Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera and Opera Colorado, among others. When not in a rehearsal room, Frances is sewing her own clothes on a 1947 sewing machine and enjoying hikes, especially those with waterfalls.
In early 2025 she directed a new production of María de Buenos Aires for Madison Opera, exploring femininity and the sacred. It was called "visually stunning" by Isthmus magazine. Other recent directing credits include a double bill of Gianni Schicchi and Suor Angelica for Opera Idaho, Tosca for Madison Opera and Macbeth for Resonance Works.
She has been an assistant director at Washington National Opera, Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera and Opera Colorado, among others. When not in a rehearsal room, Frances is sewing her own clothes on a 1947 sewing machine and enjoying hikes, especially those with waterfalls.