An opera season at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is not built around a single theme first. Instead, it takes shape through a complex mix of artistic vision and practical decision-making, with themes often emerging along the way.
Key Takeaways:
- Season planning involves “hundreds of factors,” both artistic and practical.
- Themes are considered but not imposed first.
- Casting, availability, and production needs shape decisions.
- A shared emotional thread often emerges after selections are made.
The process behind building a season
For artistic director Patricia Racette, assembling a season is less about starting with a single idea and more about solving a complex equation. “Coming up with a season—that is a puzzle and equation that is so very complex, with hundreds of factors going into piecing a season together,” Racette says.
Those factors range from audience engagement to practical considerations, such as casting availability, production scale, and design requirements. Decisions about singers, directors, and collaborators all influence what ultimately makes it to the stage.
Rather than forcing a unifying concept, Racette and her team look for a balance of works that will resonate both artistically and within the community.
Only after productions begin to come together does a broader connection often emerge.
In the 2026 Festival Season, that shared thread centers on human connection—specifically, the desire to love and be loved. That idea links otherwise distinct works spanning different time periods and styles.
Why balance matters in programming
Racette approaches season planning with the audience’s emotional experience in mind. Rather than focusing on a single tone, she aims to create a range of responses across the season.
“I really believe in a steady diet of emotional experiences within the season,” she says.
That balance allows opera to reflect the complexity of everyday life—not by prescribing a single message but by presenting a range of perspectives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Racette answers common queries about building an opera season.
How does the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis choose its opera season? The season is built through a mix of artistic vision and practical factors, including casting availability, production needs, and audience appeal. Themes are considered, but they usually emerge after the productions are selected rather than being decided first.
Do opera companies pick a theme before choosing shows? Not always. At Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, themes often develop organically once productions are in place. The company focuses first on selecting strong works that fit together artistically and logistically.
What factors go into planning an opera season? Planning involves artistic goals, casting decisions, design requirements, scheduling, and budget considerations. Each element affects what is feasible, making season planning a complex process with many moving parts.
What connects different operas in one season? Even when productions vary widely, they are often linked by shared emotional themes. In the 2026 Festival Season, many works explore the human desire for love and connection, creating cohesion across different styles and stories.
Read more in this series:
- How does this season at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis portray a theme of romance in different ways?
- How does Opera Theatre of Saint Louis transport audiences to different worlds on stage?
This post was created by SLM Partner Studio on behalf of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. For more information about the season and to purchase tickets, visit opera-stl.org.
