The concept that unlocked this whole piece: a photographer whose camera accidentally catches the ghosts of Chinatown. One singer, three souls. Here's how we built it 🎭
#TheGhostsOfChinatown #NewMusic #Libretto #OnePersonOpera #ContemporaryClassical #Vanderbilt #ChineseAmericanHistory
Post 2/5 of the 'Ghosts of Chinatown' promo series, built from Daix's real interview about the Sept 11 Vanderbilt premiere (collaborators: David Samuel, playwright Dennis Yueh-Yeh Li, novelist Lisa See). All quotes are verbatim from the interview she provided.
Concept
A carousel unpacking the creative solution to the piece's central challenge: telling 3 people's stories through 1 singer, without making the role race-specific.
Carousel slides
Slide 1 (hook): How do you tell 3 people's stories through 1 singer, on 1 stage?
Slide 2: The Ghosts of Chinatown is built on a new libretto and song cycle — based on the real stories of three people killed in the 1871 LA massacre.
Slide 3: The challenge: a story of senseless hatred is relatable to everyone — we didn't want to make the singer's role race-specific.
Slide 4: Playwright Dennis Yueh-Yeh Li's solution — frame the singer as a photographer capturing old LA, whose photos of soon-to-be-demolished Chinatown accidentally catch the wandering ghosts of those who died.
Slide 5: The photographer lets the ghosts sing through him — one singer embodying multiple characters, like a one-man opera.
Slide 6 (closer): It plays on an old belief — that when cameras were first invented, they were thought capable of capturing souls. Sept 11 — link in bio 🎟️
Design notes
- Use a vintage-photo/sepia visual motif throughout, echoing the photographer device — ties the design to the concept.
Caption
The concept that unlocked this whole piece: a photographer whose camera accidentally catches the ghosts of Chinatown. One singer, three souls. Here's how we built it 🎭