Stage director Carey Kugler's biography

	Carey Kugler
Menotti's *The Consul* AVA Opera Theater Philadelphia	Stage Director/Regisseur

BIOGRAPHY

Carey Kugler is a freelance stage director and Theatre Arts teacher based in Charlotte, NC. His repertoire includes Opera, Musical Theater and Play productions. Carey began his formal training with John R. McCrae at Converse College and the Brevard Music Center. After receiving his BA in Vocal Performance at Appalachian State University he continued his studies at Florida State University where he received his Masters in Opera Production under Robert J. Murray. Carey followed his graduate studies with a position at The Academy of Vocal Arts where for ten seasons he served as Associate Stage Director. He worked closely with former Metropolitan Opera stage director Dino Yannopoulos, who became his most influential mentor. While in Philadelphia, Carey directed the regional premieres of Mozart's La Finta Giardiniera, Pasatieri's Seagull and Thea Musgrave's A Christmas Carol. He directed the first production of Porgy and Bess at The Academy of Music by Opera North, a Philadelphia opera company dedicated to minority performers, to enthusiastic critical acclaim. At Hopewell High School, Mr. Kugler's students have reached the State NCTC One-Act Festival with five plays in the past four years. An accomplishment unmatched by any other school in North Carolina. In addition to their success in contest, the Headliners have premiered important theatrical works in the Charlotte region including, Cat's Paw, Living Out and will be the first to produce Jamie Pinchon's Waving Goodbye and Jon Jory's adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Many of his students, actors and technicians, have gone on to find success at the next level.

Carey is well known for his guest directing and teaching at universities and colleges across the country. His professional credits include work with the Lyric Opera Theater of Jacksonville, Opera North, Opera of Northern Virginia, Virginia Opera (where he also assisted Gian Carlo Menotti), Opera Carolina, and Opera Delaware. He also has produced several semi staged works for the North Carolina, Canton and Evansville Symphony orchestras. As a proponent of contemporary works, especially American Opera, Carey has sought to broaden the traditional opera audience. Equally at home with the classical repertoire, he stresses the dramatic context of opera while being respectful of its conventions. As a strong proponent of the singer/actor concept, his direction emphasizes characterization and motivated movement that is integrated with the music. As a voice major, Carey studied with Frances Shafter, Jane Rolandi and Eugene Talley-Schmidt, performing over thirty professional roles in opera and musical theater. His experience as a performer helps him to understand the needs and concerns of young artists as they pursue the goal of becoming Singing/Actors.

Mr. Kugler made his European debut January 2000 at the Stadtstheater Chemnitz with a new production of Kiss Me Kate which ran in repertoire for three seasons. Having made his debut in November 2001 with the Teatro de la Opera in San Juan with Otello, Carey returned to direct Die Zauberflöte with an internationally renown cast in the 2002 season. He followed his successful production of La Bohemè with a new production of Tosca on Hilton Head Island. This season he has directed the Hopewell Headliners in productions of Waiting in Tobolsk(Regional NCTC Winner) and Sylvia.

An active performer, Carey recently attended workshops by the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared last summer on-stage at the CPCC Summer Theatre in Parade and where he also directed "42nd Street". He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife, Pam and their sons, Christopher and Matthew.