Man-Moth & The Gospel of Possibility
at Teatro Paragus Second Space
Santa Fe
Friday, May 1 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, May 2 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, May 3 at 2:00 PM
Friday, May 1 at 7:30 PM Saturday, May 2 at 7:30 PM Sunday, May 3 at 2:00 PM
Performances take place at Teatro Paraguas' Second Space
$25 Ticket includes inaugural copy of Man-Moth & The Gospel of Possibility, a chapbook of poems by Donald Levering
$15 Limited Income Ticket
What: The event is centered around the book of poems, Man-Moth & The Gospel of Possibility, which will be released on the performance dates. The 20 poems will be read by two readers in a unique style of “double-down and overlap.” The live reading will be accompanied by audio and original music played on multiple instruments by a single musician. The readers will perform in a venue set will sculptural, fiber, and lighting elements designed to underscore the themes of the poetry.
Who: The four principles of the performance include Donald Levering, Gary Barten, Joe West, and Barbara Mehlman. Levering is a well-known poet in Santa Fe with national awards who curates poetry readings. Barten has contributed to the local artistic scene with his nouveau-Symbolist painting and multi-faceted music concerts, and by hosting the Poets@HERE Gallery series. West is the beloved impresario of the Theatre of Death series and more. Mehlman’s unique installation art, which merges several disparate elements, has garnered her and her Blue Studio recognition from Santa Fe and beyond. More detailed biographies follow.
The Back Story: The book came into existence after Levering read Elizabeth Bishop’s 1935 poem, “The Man-Moth.” Her poem was inspired by a misprint of the word “Man-Moth” for the word “mammoth” in the New York Times. Levering expanded on the idea of a Man-Moth hybrid being, writing poems that eventually coalesced into a book manuscript. After Barten heard Levering read some of his Man-Moth poems, Barten proposed a show in which he would create music to go with the poems. Mehlman was already on board to provide art for the book, so it was natural to invite her to create the central Man-Moth image and the setting for the performance at Teatro Paraguas. Levering had witnessed MacNeice’s stage performance and recognized how her powerful voice reading the poems would enhance the project. A further synchronicity occurred when Jules Nyquist and John Roche of Poetry Playhouse Publications accepted Levering’s book manuscript, Man-Moth & The Gospel of Possibility, and determined it could be published to coincide with the show’s opening.
Why: This particular confluence of art has never been done, because the artists are curious, because collaboration is in the air, because moths and mushrooms are rapidly becoming better understood and appreciated.