About Susan

Susan Payne O'Brien is a Seattle-based singer, actor, and director who is passionate about storytelling and classical theatrical forms. As a pedagogue. she has worked within some of the most prestigious theatrical and operatic training programs in the country. Her unique approach to directing and devising comes from her over 20-year tenure at the Piven Theatre Workshop where she learned that ensemble and improvisation can ground any artistic process in joy. Susan is the founder and artistic director of Forte Chicago, an all-female ensemble of classical vocalists and instrumentalists, which blends her love of improvisational theater with the grandeur of opera to hilarious ends. She believes in developing new works and audiences for opera and that the future of the form lies in the innovation and passion of emerging talent.