▁the atr ical ▁influ ences ▁as ▁Pir and ello ' s ▁Six ▁Char acters ▁In ▁Search ▁of ▁An ▁Author . ▁ ▁How ▁to ▁Sur v ive ▁the ▁Ap ocal yp se ▁( aka ▁" B urn ing ▁Opera ") ▁The ▁most ▁widely ▁popular ▁of ▁the ▁Nich ols ▁ep ic ▁rock ▁oper as ▁was ▁created ▁by ▁Erik ▁Davis , ▁Christopher ▁Fu elling , ▁D ana ▁Harrison ▁and ▁Mark ▁Nich ols , ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁the ▁real - life ▁Burn ing ▁Man ▁festival , ▁which ▁takes ▁place ▁every ▁year ▁on ▁the ▁Black ▁Rock ▁Des ert ▁in ▁Nev ada , ▁and ▁its ▁real - life ▁found ers . ▁The ▁opera ▁j umps ▁between ▁three ▁time ▁periods ▁in ▁the ▁festival ' s ▁history : ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁when ▁" the ▁man " ▁was ▁first ▁burn ed ▁on ▁San ▁Francisco ' s ▁Baker ▁Beach ; ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁when ▁the ▁festival ▁experienced ▁its ▁first ▁real ▁tra ged ies ▁and ▁deep ▁philosoph ical ▁cl ash es ; ▁and ▁the ▁present ▁day , ▁as ▁seen ▁through ▁the ▁eyes ▁of ▁three ▁" new b ies " ▁who ▁under go ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁un ner ving ▁tri als ▁during ▁their ▁first ▁ 2 4 - h ours ▁on ▁the ▁desert . ▁▁ ▁The ▁opera ▁had ▁its ▁first ▁production ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁at ▁San ▁Francisco ' s ▁Teatro ▁Z in z anni ▁and ▁played ▁to ▁standing ▁ov ations . ▁Public ity ▁for ▁the ▁opera ▁described ▁it ▁as ▁" the atr ical ▁fre