The end of the world is near. New York City barely exists. Nikola Tesla's ghost sits alone in the crumbling ballroom of the once mighty Grand Gotham Hotel, in which the inventor famously resided in the last years of his life. One by one, other residential spirits join Tesla and act out his dreams in a ritual circus of life, conveyed in a series of 27 vignettes that mix elements of spectacle, absurdity, avant-garde film, blackout comedy, and musical theater. See the culmination of this new opera’s development workshop, incubated in a Works & Process LaunchPAD residency at Bethany Arts Community. Members of the artistic team discuss their creative process and highlights are performed.
From left: Phil Kline, photo: Lovis Ostenrik; Jim Jarmusch, photo: Sara Driver; and Anthony Roth Costanzo, photo: Matthu Placek