Stage director Michael Shell is known for his “visionary” and “masterful storytelling” (Opera News), with over 20 years of experience as a director and educator at opera companies across the country, and internationally. 

In the 2025/2026 season, Mr. Shell leads three exciting new productions. He begins in the fall with a sparkling, Wes Anderson-inspired take on La Cenerentola at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. He then returns to the IU Jacobs School of Music Opera and Ballet Theater to direct a fresh, new production of Puccini’s beloved La bohème and concludes the season in Bloomington bringing Jane Austen’s world to life in the IU stage premiere of Jonathan Dove’s Mansfield Park.