Journalism

On Monday, July 23, 2012 from 1 pm PDT – 3 pm PDT / 4pm EDT – 6pm EDT catch Mugwumpin in conversation with cultural critic Greil Marcus at Z Space, exploring the topic of their next show, American prophecy.

San Francisco ensemble Mugwumpin is sifting basic ingredients for their next show, which will explore prophecy in America as both a spiritual and political act. They have been drawing particular inspiration from The Shape of Things to Come: Prophecy and the American Voice, by renowned cultural critic Greil Marcus. And now they’re going to sit down with him and get into it—deep. The conversation will launch from Marcus’s definition of prophecy: rather than soothsaying, prophecy in America is the nation’s judgment upon itself for betraying the promises and ideals on which it was founded. They’ll dive into some of the touchstones that Mugwumpin is using for explorations: the Shakers, communities such as the Oneida Colony, and social justice movements.

Greil Marcus is the acclaimed author of such classics as Mystery Train, Lipstick Traces, and The Old, Weird America. He was the very first reviews editor for Rolling Stone, and has subsequently published extensively on the intersections of popular music and American culture. He currently teaches at the New School in New York City.

Mugwumpin was formed in San Francisco in 2004 with the aim of reinvigorating live performance as a communal event, demanding physical presence. Since then, they have created twelve full-length original works and several shorter performance pieces, all marked by their trademark humor and physicality. In 2010, This Is All I Need played to packed houses and universal critical acclaim in San Francisco; it was named by several critics a Best Play of 2010 and subsequently toured to Paris and Bonn, Germany. Mugwumpin’s latest work, Future Motive Power, performed a completely sold-out run at San Francisco’s historic Old Mint.

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