Ky Chassells (stage director) is a stage director, intimacy director, stage manager, and collaborative artist from Conway, Arkansas. They are a theatre creative who works passionately to explore the compelling truths in operatic narratives, and strives to shape new and reimagined stories for audiences around the globe. Their work spans from such companies as LA Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Opera Philadelphia, The Atlanta Opera, Detroit Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Opera Orlando, and more.

Some of their more recent credits include: Salome and Carmen (assistant director, Cincinnati Opera), Falstaff (assistant director, LA Opera), and The Handmaid’s Tale (assistant director, Detroit Opera).

Chassells is excited to return to The Atlanta Opera after taking part in The Boheme Project in 2024, and now, as The Atlanta Opera Studio Artist Stage Director. They will assist on Bizet’s classic Carmen, the Wagner masterpiece The Flying Dutchman, and the inspirational story of Jubilee. (Aug 2026)