JUSTINE PRADO MANRO makes her Mission Opera directing debut with Tosca. Her training in stage directing was shaped under the mentorship of Heather Mathews, whom Justine was assistant director for at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. It was there she developed a deep respect for collaborative storytelling, precision in visual composition, and the emotional truth of a performance. Most recently she directed The Wizard of Oz for Opera San Luis Obispo. She will return to that company in the fall to direct Hansel and Gretel.

Beyond opera and musical theatre, Justine is an award-winning screenwriter, playwright, and critically acclaimed comic book author. A Bay Area native, she holds a BFA from the Academy of Art University and an MFA in Screenwriting from the University of California, Los Angeles. Justine lives in LA with her husband, baritone Gabriel Manro—frequent Mission Opera featured artist—and their two children, Mays and Bernadette.