Montclair State University to Present The ELEMENTARY SPACETIME SHOW at Lincoln Center
The production features a full student cast under the direction of Dante Green, with performances scheduled at the Alexander Kasser Theater.
The Montclair State University Department of Theatre and Dance will present a full-scale staging of The Elementary Spacetime Show, the inventive new musical by César Alvarez with a book by Alvarez and Emily Orling. The production features more than two dozen student performers, stage managers, and musicians, culminating in a special concert presentation at Lincoln Center's David Rubenstein Atrium on April 26, 2026.
The Elementary Spacetime Show tells the story of Alameda, a teenager who, after attempting to take her own life, finds herself in a cosmic game show that she must win in order to die. Alameda faces down a host of avatars-including a depressed mosquito, an arrogant android, a self-loathing doppelgänger, and a talking piece of rhubarb. Through eight existential trials, Alameda confronts questions of identity, loneliness, and the meaning of existence, discovering that her darkness may be a gift.
With music and lyrics by Alvarez and a book by Alvarez and Orling, the musical blends indie-rock soundscapes, experimental theatre, and philosophical storytelling.
The musical has been developed in earlier iterations at Ars Nova, University of the Arts, NYU and New York Stage and Film.
Following the Montclair performances, the full MSU company-including student actors and musicians-will bring excerpts from the production to New York City, giving students the opportunity to share their inventive staging on one of the city's most prominent public performance stages.
The creative team includes composer and lyricist César Alvarez, who also co-wrote the book with Emily Orling, with additional lyrics by Orling. Arrangements and orchestrations are by Alaina Ferris and César Alvarez. The production is directed by Dante Green with choreography by Spencer Weidie. Music direction is led by co-music directors Piper Hill and César Alvarez, with Alexander Tom serving as music coordinator. Scenic and costume design is by Emily Orling, lighting design by Nick Kolin, and stage management by Ansel Brasel, with assistant stage managers Max Vann and Isabella Ferrara.
Performances will take place at the Alexander Kasser Theater at Montclair State University on Saturday, April 11 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM; Wednesday, April 15 at 7:30 PM; Thursday, April 16 at 7:30 PM; Friday, April 17 at 7:30 PM; and Saturday, April 18 at 2:00 PM. A special concert presentation will follow at Lincoln Center in New York City on Sunday, April 26 at the David Rubenstein Atrium.
Photo Credit: Carol Lollis
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