2023 WORLD PREMIERE GALLERY

Scene 3 - The Developers (a film)

Inside the actual opera, this filmed scene is viewed as audience members travel along the site during the performance. The music/sound is meant to simulate and abstract antiquated recording technologies for playback and/or amplification for the sung text (possibly Victrola players, Sony Walkman, etc.). The film uses a multitude of production & editing techniques (including AI!) to tell the story of these complicated characters, capturing the libretto's wit, reality based ridiculousness, and unresolvable tensions.

Film: Marie Lorenz Libretto: Dana Spiotta Music: Kurt Rohde

Singers: Charlotte Mundy (Developer 1), Kyra Sims (Developer 2)

Scene 5 - Conrad VanWalt, the Ghost of a 19th Century Waste Merchant

On the creek, a path winds along the present and to the future, and now to the past. A ghost emerges: Conrad VanWalt, an 1890 dark soil entrepreneur, is seated atop a lifeguard chair overlooking Newtown Creek. VanWalt sees their own bright future, taking advantage of the emerging industry along the creek, imagining great wealth and influence, but also beyond their “here & now” to a time and place of promise and idealism, all of which they sort of know is impossible.

Film: Marie Lorenz Libretto: Dana Spiotta Music: Kurt Rohde

Singer: Kyra Sims (Conrad VanWalt)

Scene 6 - The Creek Being

Along the creek lives a being who inhabits and evolves with their environment. They were here long before, but perhaps that was a different being altogether... THIS being is here now, or are we in the near future? They embrace their divine, altered, irreversible surroundings, honoring and urging through reverie.

Film: Marie Lorenz Libretto: Dana Spiotta Music: Kurt Rohde

Singer: Charlotte Mundy (The Creek Being) Percussion: Joshua Perry

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: Kyra Sims plays French Horn during the Overture as Tour Guide #2, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: Scene 1 - Charlotte Mundy as Tour Guide #1, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: Percussionist Joshua Perry performing from afar, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: Scene 1 - Charlotte Mundy & Kyra Sims as The Tour Guides, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: The Citizen Scientists Barge approaches, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: Scene 2 - Levy Lorenzo as Barge Technician, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: Scene 2 - Sharon Harms & Laura Cocks as The Citizen Scientists, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: Scene 2 - Laura Cocks as Citizen Scientist #2, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: Scene 2 - Sharon Harms & Laura Cocks as The Citizen Scientists; g.rainstick developed, created & generously loaned by Han geul Lee, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: Scene 2 - Sharon Harms as Citizen Scientist #1, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: Percussionist Joshua Perry, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: The Citizen Scientists Barge among the canoes on Newtown Creek, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: Scene 3 - The Developers (a film) - Kyra Sims as Developer #2, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: Crowd watches Scene 3 - The Developers (a film), Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: Scene 4 - Kyra Sims as Conrad Vanwalt, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: Scene 5 - Sharon Harms & Laura Cocks as The Citizen Scientists, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Newtown Creek, Sept. 9, 2023 performance: Scene 6 - Charlotte Mundy as The Creek Being, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Amant, Sept. 10, 2023 performance: Charlotte Mundy & Kyra Sims as Tour Guides #1 & #2, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Amant, Sept. 10, 2023 performance: Kyra Sims as Tour Guide #2, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Amant, Sept. 10, 2023 performance: Sharon Harms as Citizen Scientist #1, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Amant, Sept. 10, 2023 performance: Laura Cocks as Citizen Scientist #2, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Amant, Sept. 10, 2023 performance: Charlotte Mundy & Kyra Sims as The Developers (a film), Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Amant, Sept. 10, 2023 performance: Kyra Sims as Conrad Vanwalt, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Amant, Sept. 10, 2023 performance: Charlotte Mundy as Creek Being, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Amant, Sept. 10, 2023 performance: Levy Lorenzo, electronics & head tech, Photo Credit Saeid Janaati; Costumes Heather Freedman

Marie Lorenz practicing with the ‘Wave Chime’, 2021.

Performance in Riverside Park, 2021. Ph W. Włodarczyk

Newtown Creek from Hunters Point Avenue Bridge.

Newtown Creek from Greenpoint Avenue Bridge.

Jet skiers arrive on the scene, 2021. Ph W. Włodarczyk

Kurt Rohde and C. Mundy at Plank Road, 2021.

Charlotte Mundy rehearsing at Lorenz studio, 2021.

Charlotte Mundy rehearsing at Plank Road, 2021.

'Wave Chime' broken down for transport, 2021.

Lorenz opera sketchbooks, Bravin Lee Gallery, 2021.

Kurt Rohde and Charlotte Mundy. Ph W. Włodarczyk

Marie Lorenz's sketch of opera set, 2020.

Josh Perry at Plank Road, 2022. Ph C. Caldiera

Kyra Sims and Charlotte Mundy at Plank Road, 2022.

Kyra Sims performing at Plank Road, 2022.

Public workshop at Plank Road, 2022. Ph C. Caldiera

Charlotte Mundy rehearsing at Plank Road, 2022.