[working titles]: The End of the World and You...

The End of the World and You: Health, Happiness, and Your New Life at Sea

The End of the World and You is an orientation session for novice seafarers at the end of the world. In this immersive, participatory performance, we present a combination of songs and instrumental music (both new and traditional) to focus an uncommon lens on the forthcoming climate tragedy: one that acknowledges grief, of course, but also highlights possibilities of adaptation and hope. The experience models a collective response to tragedy and disaster which centers on resilience through community, storytelling, and absurdity. Participants will be fully immersed in an environment where they can have the actual firsthand experience of the community-building and storytelling virtues the piece extols.

The key artistic collaborators for this project are Big Stubborn Boy (Lou Barker & Jack Beal, composing and performing), Emma Lea Hasselbach (scripting and dramaturgy), Brian Mummert (scripting and co-composing), Matthew Barker and Justin Barker (additional writing and illustration). Additional curatorial and production support, including possible expanded performing forces, will be drawn from ChamberQUEER, Alkemie, and the New York Folk Society.

A+J presents [working titles], our program dedicated to support works of opera and music theater in development.