With the 1995 abridged staging of Carmen came the greatest early growth for Kennet Opera. The cast size increased from six in Cosi fan tutte, to 18; the production was moved to a larger venue, Luker Hall, increasing our audience by 300 per cent. The company began its relationship with two gifted leaders – Director Janet Bennett, and Musical Director Barbara Spooner. An intelligent production, simply but effectively staged, this clearly established Kennet Opera as a company with great confidence and motivation, to be taken seriously on the local scene.