HILMA
A WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NEW GEORGES
WORDS BY KATE SCELSA
MUSIC BY ROBERT M. JOHANSON
DIRECTED BY MORGAN GREEN
Choreography by Lisa Fagan
Co-Orchestrator: Granville Mullings
Associate Music Director: Dan Espie
Set Design by Kristen Robinson
Lighting Design by Oona Curley
Costume Design: Maiko Matsushima
Sound Design: Chris Sannino
Cast: Sarah Gliko, J Molière, Brett Ashley Robinson, Evan Spigelman, Kristen Sieh, and Robert M. Johanson
June 2024 at the Wilma Theater
The early 20th century queer mystic and artist Hilma af Klint channeled hundreds of paintings through messages from otherworldly forces, hoping to communicate the mysteries of the universe. Only recently rediscovered and hailed as one of the first-ever abstract artists, she worked in obscurity during a time that was not yet ready to receive her message. This contemporary opera – with a score that mixes genres including opera, rock, pop, and musical theater– wrestles with the hubris and humility that fueled one woman’s spiritual quest.
Photos by Johanna Austin