Cynthia Stokes

Cynthia Stokes is an Associate Professor at the University of Arizona, affiliated with the College of Fine Arts and the School of Music. She holds an M.F.A. in Directing from the University of California at San Diego and serves as the Amelia T. Rieman Endowed Chair for Opera Theater.

• Expertise in creating immersive, site-specific stage and opera installations
• Pioneer in integrating virtual reality (VR) into live performance experiences
• Active in community development through unconventional performance spaces

Research Focus: Cynthia Stokes specializes in redefining opera and theater through site-specific installations and new media. Her work explores the intersection of physical space and digital technology, exemplified by projects like staging La hija de Rappaccini in an architectural slot canyon and transforming The Andrée Expedition into a VR experience presented at SXSW and the National Opera Association. She emphasizes audience participation and spatial intimacy in her productions.

Scientific Honors:

• Amelia T. Rieman Endowed Chair for Opera Theater

Grants & Collaborations:

• Arizona Commission on the Arts
• UA Provost Grant for a Digital and Performing Arts Lab
• Qualcomm Ideas Grant

She has collaborated with media designer Peter Torpey and baritone Michael Chioldi, working with opera companies like Piedmont Opera, San Diego Opera, and Opera Philadelphia. Her projects often involve repurposing unconventional spaces such as marble quarries and slot canyons for performances.