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The three-act opera travels from a monastic community to Alexandria and a desert convent. Both performances are listed at 2 hours 45 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission after Act I.
All times are local to the venue · America/Chicago
Friday, November 13, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. The opera is listed as 2 hours 45 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission. The event page does not state an end time.
Thaïs’s renunciation is only half the crisis: the monk who urges her to abandon worldly desire ultimately confesses that he loves her. Austin Opera presents Jules Massenet’s French-language opera at the Long Center on Nov. 13 and 15, 2026, with projected English titles.
The opera opens among monks in the Thebaid, where Athanaël is consumed by thoughts of Alexandria and Thaïs, whom he admired in his youth. He decides to return to the city and persuade her to leave her life devoted to passion and Venus. At his old friend Nicias’s home, he meets Thaïs and presses his case; she, in turn, believes he may be tempted to set aside his vows.
In Act II, Thaïs looks ahead to aging and considers the emptiness of her life. She chooses to follow Athanaël toward a convent, but wants to keep a small ivory statue of Eros as a reminder of what she is leaving. Athanaël smashes it. Her palace is set on fire, and the pair escape a hostile crowd when Nicias distracts it by throwing down gold.
The journey does not bring Athanaël the peace he expects. After leaving Thaïs at the convent, he withdraws from the monks and is haunted by her image. When he returns to her deathbed, he admits his love; Thaïs dies, and Athanaël is left to reckon with the earthly desire he tried to condemn.
Further reading: Thaïs ↗
Nicole Heaston sings Thaïs and Troy Cook sings Athanaël. The supporting cast includes Sergio Martinez as Palémon, Dominick Valdés Chenes as Nicias, Sandra Villwock as Crobyle, Hannah Park as Myrtale, Yuxin Liu as La Charmeuse, Kimberly Clemons as Albine and Abraham Isai Cruz as the Servant. Austin Opera identifies Martinez, Villwock, Park, Liu and Clemons as company debuts.
Sarah & Ernest Butler Music Director Timothy Myers conducts the Austin Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Crystal Manich is stage director; Bradon McDonald designs costumes; Michael Pappalardo handles choreography; Tláloc López-Watermann designs lighting; Greg Emetaz designs projections; and Tracy McCaskill is the wig and makeup designer. Gyan Singh Maria is assistant conductor, chorus conductor and production pianist; Bill Mester is the audio designer.
Further reading: Thaïs ↗
Austin Opera places Thaïs in Opera Unleashed, its series for company premieres and major works. This production is a co-production with Spoleto Festival USA.
Further reading: Thaïs ↗
Austin Opera lists two performances of the same production, with Timothy Myers conducting the Austin Opera Orchestra and Chorus.
The opera is sung in French, with English translations projected above the stage. Austin Opera says the titles are visible from all seats except the first few closest to the stage.
The listed running time is 2 hours 45 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission after Act I. The event listing does not give an end time.
Austin Opera says the Long Center lobby opens 90 minutes before the performance. Late arrivals may need to wait until a designated pause; not every performance has one, and the house manager decides when seating can resume. Lobby monitors are available while you wait. If you leave the auditorium during the performance, you will not be readmitted until intermission.
Every patron needs a ticket. Austin Opera sells tickets through its website or box office; tickets from other vendors are invalid and entry may be refused. On performance days, in-person sales at the Long Center 3M Box Office begin two hours before the show. Mobile tickets are available in the buyer’s account 48 hours before the performance, or physical tickets are mailed.
Individual ticket prices are not stated in the event information. The Long Center says prices for this event include fees; its FAQ notes that any required taxes are added at checkout. Austin Opera advertises season-ticket packages with savings of up to 20%.
Thaïs - Long Center ↗ · Thaïs ↗ · Know Before You Go ↗ · Ticket Policies & FAQ ↗ · Frequently Asked Questions - Long Center ↗
Austin Opera does not offer refunds. A ticket holder may exchange for another date of the same production or change seats for the same performance. The fee is $10 per order, with any higher ticket or seat price charged as a difference. Season-ticket holders may exchange without a fee if they do so at least 48 hours before curtain; no other exchanges are permitted.
The Long Center’s performance spaces have wheelchair and mobility-assisted seating. Patrons can remain in their own wheelchair or transfer to a fixed seat with a swing-out armrest. Contact [email protected] when ordering accessible seats. The building, performance areas and restrooms are wheelchair accessible; elevators serve the venue. The accessible entrance is on the ground floor, to the left of the Grand Staircase.
Curbside wheelchair assistance can be requested through [email protected]; courtesy wheelchairs are available by calling ahead. The venue asks for at least two weeks’ notice for assistance requests. Infrared listening devices are free to borrow from a House Manager at most performances in exchange for a driver’s license or state ID; availability for Thaïs is not confirmed. ASL interpretation and audio description are offered at selected events, not confirmed for these performances. Request either service through Guest Services at least two weeks ahead.
Accessibility - Long Center ↗ · Directions and Parking - Long Center ↗
The Long Center lists Thaïs as an indoor event. Its event rules prohibit outside food and drinks, weapons including pocket knives, professional cameras with detachable lenses, video cameras, illegal items, tents, vending and solicitation. Pets are not permitted; properly identified service animals are the exception. Austin Opera prohibits photography, video and recording during performances.
Austin Opera has no dress code. Bars offer beverages and small snacks before the opera and during intermission. Drinks may be taken into Dell Hall, but snacks must be finished before entering the theater.
The Long Center is at 701 W. Riverside Drive, Austin, TX 78704. Its directions page lists the Palmer Events Center Garage at 900 Barton Springs Road as main parking, with a posted rate of $12, cashless, unless a special rate is posted. Garage fees are set by the City of Austin and can change.
As of the venue’s Nov. 3 guidance, Riverside Drive is listed as fully closed. The Long Center says access to Circular Drive and the Riverside-side garage entrance remains possible by crossing S First Street or turning from S First Street. During construction, it recommends the garage entrance on Barton Springs Road; that approach may mean a longer walk. Check the venue’s event-day travel guidance before setting out.
Thaïs - Long Center ↗ · Directions and Parking - Long Center ↗
The venue lists nearby stops at Vic Mathias / Auditorium Shores, South 1st/Riverside, South 1st / Barton Springs and Barton Springs Station. Routes 1, 3, 7, 10, 20, 30, 801 and 803 serve the area. Taxi and rideshare drop-off is in the Circular Drive loading zone.
The Long Center’s suggested walking route from downtown crosses the First Street pedestrian bridge. Bicycle parking is beside the parking garage.
Accessible parking is available on all levels of the Palmer Events Center Garage near elevators. The mobility drop-off point is in the Keller Williams Circular Drive; the accessible Long Center entrance is on the ground floor, to the left of the Grand Staircase.
Accessibility - Long Center ↗ · Directions and Parking - Long Center ↗
Yes. The performance has projected English translations above the stage. Austin Opera notes that the first few seats closest to the stage may not have a clear view of them.
Austin Opera says its day-of in-person sales at the Long Center 3M Box Office begin two hours before the performance. It sells tickets through its own website or box office; tickets from other vendors are invalid and may be refused.
Late seating may have to wait for a designated pause, which is not guaranteed; the house manager decides when seating can resume. Lobby monitors are available while you wait.
Contact the Long Center box office about accessible seats and Guest Services about assistance. The venue asks for at least two weeks’ notice for assistance requests; ASL and audio description are available only at selected events and are not confirmed for Thaïs.
It is the Long Center’s listed main parking option. The venue also names other garages on its directions page; rates and road access can change, so check its event-day guidance before traveling.
701 W. Riverside Drive, Austin, TX 78704
Map search by venue and address. Check the organiser’s entrance details before travelling.
Images from the linked sources. Each caption identifies the context of the image.
Event, planning and background information checked 2026-11-03 against the linked sources.