Haunted by the ghosts of Moby Dick and the memory of all those lost to the opiate epidemic, A Phantom Song takes us down to “the crossroads" where the past and future collide in a dramatic struggle for the soul of a theater and its surrounding community.

Cast directly from the recovery, reentry, and unhoused community, playwright Michael Gorman and his “Phantoms” create an inspiring chorus of faces and voices that are often unseen and unheard to confront the bias and resistance that often lead to the destructive power of stigma.

A Phantom Song is an impassioned companion piece to Gorman’s new opera The Moby Dick Blues, which will premiere at The Ellen Stewart Theater at La MaMa June 5-22, 2025.

Q&A with playwright, director, cast, and crew to follow screening.