Guerilla Opera Appoints Executive Director and Community & Education Manager

Guerilla Opera has announced the appointment of Patsy Collins Bandes as the new Executive Director and Hannah Shanefield as Community & Education Manager. Both Collins Bandes and Shanefield will begin their roles April 7.

Patsy Collins Bandes (she/her) is a theater artist, director, producer, and educator whose career spans professional stages, classrooms, and community spaces. She most recently served as Dean of the School of the Arts at Dean College, where she supported a wide range of creative programs and championed artist-centered, inclusive practices. She also serves as Board President of Articine, advancing interdisciplinary, community-driven work using the arts to help build empathy in healthcare providers. As a director and stage manager, Collins Bandes has worked across the spectrum of artistic disciplines including opera, theatre, and concert dance. She has collaborated with numerous companies in Boston and Denver, including North Shore Music Theatre, Aurora Fox Theater, Prometheus Dance, and Intermezzo Chamber Opera. She began her professional career at the Denver Center Theatre Company, including the 1998 season recognized with a Tony Award for Excellence in Regional Theatre. She holds a BA in Theatre (Directing) from the University of Northern Colorado and an ALM in Dramatic Arts from the Harvard University Extension School.

Hannah Shanefield (she/her) is a soprano, stage director, and arts administrator. In addition to her new role at Guerilla Opera, she serves as Executive Director of Boston Summer Opera, Artistic Director of NEMPAC Opera Project, and a Teaching Artist with Boston Lyric Opera. As a performer, Shanefield's solo credits include Violetta (cover, New Opera Company of Boston), Juliette (cover, Roméo et Juliette, New Jersey Lyric Opera), Gilda (Rigoletto, Boston Summer Opera), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni, Boston Summer Opera), Suzel (L'amico Fritz, West End Lyric), Amy Beach's Jephthah's Daughter (Horizon Ensemble), Villa-Lobos's Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 (Orchestra Without Borders), and various Sing Out Strong concerts with White Snake Projects. Recent directorial projects include Alcina (MassOpera), The Pirates of Penzance (Boston Summer Opera), and Die Fledermaus (The Opera Company). A native of suburban Philadelphia, she holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance with a minor in Music History from The Hartt School.

Yooree Losordo has been serving as Interim Executive Director of Guerilla Opera since February 2025, also assuming the responsibilities of former Community & Education Manager Sam Beebe, who departed the organization in January.