In the remote California ghost town of Death Valley Junction (pop 10) stands the Amargosa Opera House, where for the past 33 years former New York dancer and artist Marta Becket has performed her own ballets in the theater she spent seven years handpainting with stunning murals. For Becket, the creative life is an obstacle course of self-doubt, criticism and abandonment—a high price to pay in the pursuit of self-expression.
But for the seventy-six-year-old dancer and painter who is isolated in the badlands of Death Valley, the process of creating and performing is her refuge. In this Emmy award-winning documentary, Becket recounts how she first came to live in this unlikely desert oasis, and describes her unquenchable need to create and perform her work. Marta Becket’s life is an inspiring testament to dreams and creative endeavors everywhere.
