Celebrating its 35th anniversary, Live Arts Miami presents the Future Earth series, a dynamic lineup of performances exploring the intersection of art, technology, humanity and the planet. First up in the series, “[morning//mourning]“, an experimental opera exploring a post-human world on planet earth and beyond.
Inspired by Alan Weisman’s 2007 bestselling novel “The World Without Us” the piece debuted last year in New York to critical acclaim in The New York Times and more. It is interesting to encounter in Miami an Avant Garde production that premiered in Soho. But this is one of those sleeper gems that Live Arts is known to deliver. You have to really be plugged into Miami to witness culture like this. It’s here.
“[morning//mourning]“
They call this production an experimental opera. It felt more like a musical, with some pieces having the tone of old timey Americana spirituals, or soul music. Most of the soundtrack was playful and experimental, with the five piece ensemble creating onomatopoetic scatting sounds with clicks of the tongue, or snaps, whistles, body pounding and such. Some instruments are playful, like the xylophone and kazoo, others melodic like a harp, acoustic guitar or wooden daxophone. One thing is for sure in “[morning//mourning]” — there is plenty of narrative.
“[morning//mourning]“ is a highly imaginative piece of theater. It starts in the near “now” with a mysterious cataclysmic event that wipes out humanity. We travel into the future, 30 years, 100 years, 200 years, then a jump to 5,000 years, to 20,000, 30k, 50k, 250k, 1 million, 42 million, 250 million years until earth says goodnight at 1.6 billion years.
This play should be ominous and foreboding in tone, instead it is playful and creative. We see new species evolve. And the planet reinvent itself again and again.
“[morning//mourning]” wildly takes us through Earth’s next evolution, as the planet deals with the plastic and nuclear waste that humans have left to decompose.
“[morning//mourning]“ & MDC Live Arts
This show is not for everyone. But if you have an open mind, it’s quite captivating.
It’s certainly smart. Almost too smart for Miami? Dare we say.
At times it felt like we were obtaining a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton.
At other times, it felt like we were watching five adults Fly Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Yet still at other times, the piece felt meditative, like a yoga class, or being read to at night as a child.
And finally most times, it just felt like good old storytelling, wrapped in entertainment.
Gelsey Bell, the show’s creator, and most operatic of the ensemble, reflected on the piece’s deeper purpose: “This piece was created to expand how we think about time scales, to conceive of transformation over long periods of time, in ways that highlight the staying power of some human activities and speak to how long it can take ecosystems to adapt.”
Katherine Garcia, the executive director of Live Arts Miami, gets the credit for bringing the play to Miami.
“I was immediately struck by its exquisite artistry, unexpected humor and hopeful tone,” says Kathryn Garcia. “The work truly transports you to another reality, capturing your imagination with vivid storytelling, beautiful music and outstanding performances.”
New York based artists including Gelsey Bell, Aviva Jaye, Mia Pak, Brian McCorkle and Paul Pinto, have created something unique. And they brought it to Miami for a weekend.
Catch it while you can.
Performance Details:
· Dates & Time: October 17-19, 2024, 7:30PM
· Location: The Art Lab at MDC Wolfson, 300 NE 2nd Ave Building 1, Miami, FL 33132 (bring a sweater, it’s cold in there).
Tickets and Information:
As part of Live Arts Miami’s 35th Anniversary celebration, tickets for this unique event are priced at $35.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit liveartsmiami.org.
If you are a student at Miami Dade College, enter MDCSTU at checkout to get a free ticket.
