Faust

The scene opens in smoke and flash. Flaming horsemen with the bodies of skeletons are riding ghastly horses up through the dark sky.

Behold: the portals of darkness are open and the shadows of the dead hunt over the Earth!

The demon Mephisto follows close behind, but from a circle of glowing rays, an Archangel interrupts.

Back! Hold! Why dost thou scourge mankind with War, Plague, Famine?

Mephisto bellows:

The Earth is mine!

The Archangel points down.

Man is good: he strives for Truth! Look below!

Now meet Faust: philosopher, alchemist, scholar, educator, doctor of medicine, seeker of knowledge. He lectures:

All things in heaven and on Earth and wonderful! But the greatest wonder is man’s freedom to choose between good and evil

But Faust does not know how his teaching is about to be tested.

“Dost thou know Faust?”, asks the Archangel.

“A knave like all others!”, says Mephisto. “He preaches good and does evil! He seeks to turn base metal into gold. Behold his greed!”

The Archangel makes a bet. “If thou canst destroy what is divine in Faust, the Earth is thine!”

Join us as Modern Robot follows this story of good and evil, accompanying F.W. Murnau’s epic movie from 1926. “Faust” was a huge production, with an enormous budget for sets and special camera techniques. It remains a classic of the silent movie canon.

In a new configuration, we’ll be playing the show with Ben on guitar and Nic Stott on drums.

First set: 10:00pm
Second set: 11:30pm