Director

Lebanese-American stage director + producer Jessica Harika has directed and produced productions ranging from the traditional to the experimental. She currently serves as Associate Artistic Director of Playthings Theatre Company (NYC), creating a safe space for queer theater makers, as well as Artistic + Co-Executive Director of River City Opera, a company she co-founded in 2019 in her hometown of Richmond, VA. 

Most recently she has been working with playwright Justin McDevitt to bring his new work, Honey Fitz, to life as well as producing comedy and cabaret shows at The Pit – NYC + The Duplex Cabaret Theater. This past fall Jessica directed + produced The Wagner Project, a re-imagination of Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder with soprano Lacey Jo Benter + pianist Brent Funderburk.

Other recent productions include: Perfectly Mismatched – Mama Harika Productions, La Bohème – Capitol Opera Richmond, Tell Me How I Did – Cloudbusting Productions, L’elisir d’amore – City Lyric Opera, Roméo et Juliette: an Opera[ish] – City Lyric Opera, Gianni Schicchi – City Lyric Opera, + Some Enchanted Evening, A Rodgers & Hammerstein Revue – Janiec Opera Company. Ms. Harika has recently assisted on Orpheus & Eurydice with the Baroque Aria Ensemble at The Manhattan School of Music; A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Die Zauberflöte, Falling Angel, La Tragédie de Carmen, HMS Pinafore, + Falstaff with The Janiec Opera Company; + Madama Butterfly with Shreveport Opera.

The Sorcerer
Director
The Blue Hill Troupe (NYC)
Rescheduled 2021
Christmas Carolyn
Director / Producer
The Duplex Cabaret Theater, NYC
2020 (Cancelled due to COVID-19)
Rita Libretto is: The Ring Cycle
Director / Producer
The Duplex Cabaret Theater, NYC
2020 (Cancelled due to COVID-19)
That's a Story for Another Time
Director / Producer
The Duplex Cabaret Theater, NYC
2020 (Cancelled due to COVID-19)
The Wagner Project
Director / Producer
NYC + Los Angeles
2020 (Cancelled due to COVID-19)
Submission
Playwright: Justin McDevitt
Director
Really Really Productions
2020 (Cancelled due to COVID-19)
Honey Fitz
A Reading with Playwright Justin McDevitt
Director
Playthings Theatre Company
2020
What are you Suggesting?
Playwright: Rebecca Kidnie
Director
The Artist Co-op Zoomologue Series
2020
Apples & Arias
Richmond, VA
Producer
River City Opera
2020
The Dish with RCO
Producer
River City Opera
2020
Honey Fitz
Playwright: Justin McDevitt
Director
Theater for the New City, Dream Up Festival
2019
Rita Libretto is: The Ring Cycle
Playwright: Rebecca Kidnie
Director
The PIT NYC
2019
Perfectly Mismatched
Producer
The Duplex Cabaret Theater, NYC
2019
The Wagner Project
Director / Producer
The Duplex Cabaret Theater, NYC
2019
Honey Fitz
Playwright: Justin McDevitt
Director
Cloudbusting Productions
2019
La Bohème
Director
Capitol Opera Richmond (VA)
2019
L’elisir d’amore
Director
City Lyric Opera, NYC
2018
Roméo et Juliette, an Opera[ish]
Director
City Lyric Opera, NYC
2018
Gianni Schicchi
Director
City Lyric Opera, NYC
2017
Tell Me How I Did
Playwright: Justin McDevitt
Director
Cloudbusting Productions
2017
Some Enchanted Evening
Director
Janiec Opera Company
2016
Baroque Aria Ensemble
Music Director: Kenneth Cooper
Director
Manhattan School of Music
2016