Opera Parallèle has announced that Executive Director Debbie Chinn will be stepping down from her position at the end of October.

She will begin a two-year project as Managing Director of Anna Deavere Smith’s “The Pipeline Project: Girls.”

Chinn has held the role for the last four years, and has lead OP through a period of significant growth and financial stability. Throughout her career, she has held executive leadership positions with companies such as CENTERSTAGE, California Shakespeare Theater, Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey, and the Carmel Bach Festival.

She is currently the Board President of Theater Bay Area, and a board member of San Francisco Community Music Center.

“My passion for building authentic community partnerships and fostering opportunities for immersive shared learning has been a connective tissue throughout my career,” writes Chinn. “I am filled with a great sense of pride and satisfaction in having helped Opera Parallèle reach new heights in a variety of areas. I am now eager to begin a thrilling new partnership with Anna Deavere Smith, which will allow me to bring those passions to an entirely new level.”

“The Pipeline Project: Girls,” explores the stories of young women living in poverty and the circumstances that result in encounters with the criminal justice system. A play and film are currently in development.