'Hope: A Tragedy' unfolds the darkly humorous tale of Solomon Kugel's attempt to escape his burdensome history by moving to the inconspicuous town of Stockton, New York. Despite his efforts for a new beginning, the past proves hard to shake, especially with his mother's obsessive faux Holocaust tales. Further complicating Kugel's life, an arsonist threatens the town's tranquility, and a startling discovery in his own attic—a presumed dead historical figure—turns Kugel's hope into a twisted nightmare. Auslander melds mordant wit with poignant reflections on existence and the heavy weight of collective memory.