The Florida Grand Opera (FGO) has announced the appointment of a new managing director, Kevin G. Mynatt, who concurrently serves as the company’s director of production. FGO also welcomed Erin Turner in the role of technical director.
As managing director, Mynatt will oversee all day-to-day operations for the company and report to Bob Heuer, general director and CEO. He held the same position previously at Central City Opera in 2007, coordinating all of the company’s administrative functions.
“I am eager to use my skills and production experience to assist the general director, allowing him to focus on a bigger picture,” Mynatt said.
Mynatt looks forward to continuing to keep one foot in production, holding titles simultaneous. No stranger to dual roles, he held two production titles in tandem at Opera Omaha and Chautauqua Opera.
Mynatt was the director of production at Portland Opera for seven years, where he managed a team of 15 full-time and 200 part-time staff members, and was solely responsible for production operating budgets.
This position also involved the creation of the Black Box Studio Theater in the 2005-06 season, a project he labored over from the purchase through the renovation and inauguration. He also worked in a lighting designer capacity for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Des Moines Metro Opera.
Mynatt has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Technical Theater from Central Missouri State University and a Master of Fine Arts in Theater and Lighting Design from Brandeis University.
From coordinating set design and lighting to scheduling meetings, Turner, as technical director, ensures that all technical aspects of each production are carried out in a timely fashion, reporting to the director of production.
Turner most recently served as production manager for Cape Playhouse during the 2011 summer season, which encompassed the production of six shows. Often working on a consultant and contractual basis, he has held the position of technical director with six different organizations, some of which include Boston Lyric Opera and New England Conservatory Opera.
A theatrical jack-of-all-trades with more than 20 years experience, Turner worked behind-the-scenes in numerous art forms — dance, theater, opera, etc. — in a variety of capacities, from stage manager to lighting designer and master carpenter. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Design and Technology from Northeastern University.
For more information about the Florida Grand Opera, visit online at www.FGO.org.
