MELTDOWN | Q & A with the Meltdown Team
The creative team behind our 2025 sparksLIVE co-production with Vital Opera, Meltdown, answered some questions about their experience working on the project.
What resonates for you most in the story of the Glaciologist?
Co-librettist & performer, Hai-Ting Chinn: I admire and celebrate the scientific worldview. To me, the essence of that worldview is twofold: humility and communality.
Humility: The honest scientist seeks truth, not by trying to prove that currently-held knowledge is correct, but rather by trying to disprove it: to look for gaps and explore them; to look for flaws and improve them; to look for evidence that they are wrong, and adjust their understanding according to the new evidence.
Communality: as individuals, we are limited in what we can understand about the complex universe. We build on the knowledge that has been gathered by our predecessors (though we test and re-assess it—see “humility” above). No single human mind can encompass the entirety of scientific knowledge, so we must build on it together. As Åsa wisely puts it: science is a team sport.
Of course, scientists are human beings. Some may act out of greed, cruelty, lust for power. At a time when disinformation and dishonesty are being wielded against the many in order to accrue power to the few, we, the many, must work together, with humility and a communal spirit, to correct the trajectory.
We have so much work to do.
How has the experience of seeing your story dramatized impacted your reflections on a life in science and on the ice fields?
Science advisor, Dr. Åsa Rennermalm: Seeing the stories I shared from my own and colleagues’ experiences dramatized on stage and put to music has been an incredibly emotional and validating experience. Scientific communication often strips away the human element, focusing on data, analysis, and results to ensure credibility and reproducibility. This music theater project, however, weaves together a narrative of climate change, Greenland ice sheet research, and the deeply personal realities of fieldwork. It allows us to connect to feelings—feelings of frustration, anger, and powerlessness when encountering the faceless silhouette of the abuser, representing systemic challenges and the personal harm caused by individual perpetrators. Acknowledging and addressing these injustices and damages are crucial for moving science forward. The portrayal of a beloved mentor moved me to tears; the lyrics, music, and staging captured her warmth and guidance, honoring those who empower others to explore and understand our changing Earth.
What inspired your chosen soundworld for the glaciologist's story?
Composer Stefan Weisman: In past music-theater works, I’ve composed the music after the libretto was largely complete. However, David, Hai-Ting, and I established early on that our collaboration would be different. I wrote preliminary music to a preliminary text, and we determined what worked and what didn’t. While this process was occasionally challenging, I'm proud of the result and hope the music will pull listeners into our glaciologist’s world. Meltdown explores a range of emotions—grief, joy, anger, hope—which allowed me to create a diverse soundworld. My process was intuitive. I tried to find music most appropriate to each dramatic situation. At times, this meant subtly contrasting with the text, which underscores alternate perspectives and nuances hidden beneath the surface.
What have you learned about women in science through co-writing the glaciologist's story?
Co-librettist, David Cote: To me, happiness is collaboration. Each person in the room—the performers, composer, director, projection designer—multiplies by several powers the depth and sensitivity of the material. As co-librettist and dramaturg, Hai-Ting kept the story moving in the right direction and constantly inspired Stefan and me. She guarded the science and Olivia’s memory, I got to absorb information and transmit it through words, along with Hai-Ting, and Stefan did his magic, making everything dance in the air. I’m grateful the process educated me. Not just about firn, but the persecution that women in science face. After years of #MeToo and, well, human history, gender inequality and misogyny shouldn’t surprise me, but I naively assumed all scientists were above it. We still need to evolve.
February 2, 2025
Grounded in the lived experience of scientific practice, Meltdown explores the intertwined dynamics of grief over the climate crisis, sexual harassment and violence, and the exploitation of people and land.
Meltdown makes its world premiere on February 8, 2025 at National Sawdust in Brooklyn, NY. Tickets here.
