The work was conceived by three artists—Greenstein, Smith and director Joshua Frankel,[1] who also created animation that is projected throughout the opera.
[7] The completed opera had its world premiere on October 20, 2022 at the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State, in the culmination of a multi-year partnership which included three creative development residencies.
[13] Moses' plans include the demolition of Jacobs' home and the surrounding West Village neighborhood to make way for housing towers.
In response, Jacobs leads an activist movement, culminating in a riot—exemplifying the conflicts and heightened human emotions that surround decisions about what to build, what to preserve and what to destroy, which impact towns and cities everywhere.
The narrative foregrounds questions about urban development and protest, and the influence these forces have on the lives of people, rendered through music, poetry and animation.