The Comet / Poppea

The Comet / Poppea is an experimental opera that brings together seemingly disparate worlds connected by stories of cultural transformation, juxtaposing Claudio Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea, an Italian opera from 1643 unfolding among the social divisions of ancient Rome; and The Comet, based on the 1924 science-fiction short story by sociologist and civil rights activist W. E. B. Du Bois. Set in 1920s New York City, the piece depicts a Black man and white woman as the only survivors after a comet hits Earth. Presented on a turntable divided in two halves, these worlds unfold simultaneously, with the stage’s rotation creating a visual and sonic spiral for audiences —inviting associations, dissociations, collisions, and confluences. The musical score, The Comet, was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, composed by George Lewis ’74. The work is directed by Yuval Sharon, and co-produced by Anthony Roth Costanzo, Cath Brittan, The Industry, AMOC*, Curtis Institute of Music, Michigan Central Art, and Yale Schwarzman Center. (March 23–24 | Commons)