Toledo Opera and Handmade Toledo will host the free event, “Unmasking Carmen: Artistry, Identity, & Interpretation,” on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. at Handmade Toledo, 1717 Adams St., Toledo, OH 43604.
This live, interdisciplinary panel discussion will explore how artists today engage with a work like Carmen – a story filled with passion, power, and controversy. This event will bring together artists from Toledo Opera’s production of Carmen alongside local community artists to explore how classic stories are reimagined through modern perspectives. The panel will be preceded by a musical excerpt from Carmen presented by Sarah Rachel Bacani.
The event features four distinguished panelists: Megan Aherne, filmmaking instructor and theatre director at Toledo School for the Arts & manager of Handmade Toledo; Sarah Rachel Bacani, Toledo Opera Resident Artist & Micaëla in Carmen; Sabriyah Davis, local dancer and choreographer, costume designer, founder of Destination Events, & Carmen costume coordinator; and Yusuf Lateef, Toledo based visual artist and educator. Together, they’ll discuss how artists from various disciplines navigate themes like autonomy, representation, cultural identity, and creative responsibility. Through the lens of Carmen, this conversation will spotlight the ways in which artists reflect, challenge, and reshape the narratives they bring to life. Moderating the panel presentation will be Toledo Opera Audience Development committee member, Jordan Killam.
“With Unmasking Carmen, we’re excited to collaborate with Handmade Toledo to highlight the many ways artists interpret, question, and transform the stories they bring to life,” shared Toledo Opera General Director James M. Norman. “This program invites our community to see Carmen through fresh eyes and discover the creative voices shaping its meaning today.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Toledo Opera and support our amazing local performing artists,” shared Jessica Crossfield, Owner, Handmade Toledo.
About Carmen: Bizet’s sizzling epic of dark passion, Carmen, tells the story of a fierce woman who lives life on her own terms – and the men who can’t let her go. Don José, a soldier drawn into her orbit, abandons everything for Carmen’s love, only to find himself consumed by jealousy when her attention shifts to the dashing bullfighter, Escamillo. With its twisting tale of romance, deceit, and disaster set to magnetic melodies, Bizet’s masterpiece, Carmen, has become one of the world’s most popular operas. Featuring some of the most popular music to ever grace the opera stage, Carmen brings every aspect of Bizet’s thrilling tale to life, from its tantalizing beginning to its devastating climax. Under the baton of Adam Turner (Toledo Opera’s Il Trovatore, and Roméo & Juliet), Toledo Opera’s vibrant original production is not to be missed. Carmen stars Lisa Marie Rogali as Carmen, Brendan Boyle (Tosca and Ragtime) as Don José, and Joshua Jeremiah (Ragtime) as Escamillo. Carmen is presented in French with English captions.
About Handmade Toledo: Handmade Toledo has been a pillar of Toledo’s creative community for over a decade. Established in 2012, we bridge the gap between art and craft through our biannual Maker’s Mart, an indie craft fair focusing on utilitarian and alternative art. This event hosts hundreds of makers and attracts thousands of shoppers each year, connecting customers directly with Midwest artisans.
Handmade Toledo provides a vital platform for local artists and makers to connect with the community and fosters a vibrant creative environment. Our year-round Makershop showcases the work of approximately 300 local and regional artists, making art accessible to everyone. We also host a variety of workshops and classes taught by talented local artists.
Additionally, Handmade Toledo offers a spacious event venue that hosts diverse community events, including concerts, theater productions, dance performances, film screenings, gallery shows, and fashion shows. This space is also available for private bookings
For media access, please contact Rachael Cammarn at rcammarn@toledoopera.org. Unmasking Carmen will take place on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at 5:30 p.m..
Toledo Opera will perform Carmen at the Valentine Theatre on Friday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 12 at 2 p.m. To learn more about the Carmen cast and production team and to buy tickets, visit: toledoopera.org. For media access, please contact Rachael Cammarn at rcammarn@toledoopera.org.
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