Olivia Gacka is a theatre and opera stage director, dramaturg, and Ph.D. candidate in Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies whose current work centers on the Tony Awards as adaptive cultural media ritual. Her broader research interests include contemporary & historical Irish theatre, musical theatre, and archive. She holds a B.A. in Sociology and Theatre from Rhodes College, and an M.A. in Irish Theatre History and Archives from the National University of Ireland Galway. Olivia’s stage direction credits include Don Giovanni, Next to Normal, L’amant anoyme, and Heathers the Musical. She has held young artist residencies and apprenticeships at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Cedar Rapids Opera, and the Glimmerglass Festival.