Two Nights with Taylor Mac | Night 2: Oxy Live! Conversation 10/25

Join us at Occidental College's historic Thorne Hall for Hume Visiting Artist Taylor Mac, a MacArthur "Genius Grant" recipient, 2017 Pulitzer Prize finalist for drama, and Tony nominee. These events are free and open to the public: come join us for two unforgettable evenings with the one and only Taylor Mac!

Night 1: Taylor Mac in Hume Fellow Concert | Friday, 10/24 at 7:30 PM

On Friday, October 24th, Taylor Mac joins us with Obie Award-winning composer, pianist, and longtime collaborator Matt Ray for a one-night-only concert. Dubbed “a shape shifter of the highest order” by The New York Times, Mac creates experimental theater work that pushes the boundaries of performance—as in the Pulitzer Prize finalist epic, A 24-Decade History of Popular Music. Join us for a night of music, connection, and joy as Taylor and Matt perform from their celebrated canon and share their newest work.

Bill Hume ’50 M’52 taught music, speech, and history at Occidental and later served as director of Thorne Hall and student activities, spending nearly 20 years enriching campus life. The Hume Fellowship honors his legacy by supporting visiting artists’ public performances and residencies that include master classes, workshops, and classroom engagement, providing transformative experiences for students across music, theater, and the wider campus.

Night 2: Oxy Live! Presents Taylor Mac | Saturday, 10/25 at 7:00 PM

On Saturday, October 25th, Taylor Mac returns to Thorne Hall for a second electric evening in conversation with artist, cultural collaborator, and host of Oxy Live! Alexandra Grant.

Oxy Live! is a series of conversations with a wide-ranging lineup of cultural luminaries at the forefront of their fields, joined for thought-provoking discussions. All conversations are open to the public at no cost, creating a space for diverse communities to join in the conversation and explore ideas together.

Presented by Occidental College and OXY ARTS, this series of conversations provides immersive, revelatory experiences that go beyond the classroom, fostering an environment of innovation and creativity.

Each speaker will bring to the conversation their unique perspective and expertise, making for events that are intellectually stimulating and emotionally moving. All conversations are open to the public at no cost, creating a space for diverse communities to join in the conversation and explore ideas together.
This event is funded through the generous support of Occidental trustee and alumna, Lisa Coscino ’85, and the Occidental Class of ’74.
* The event will not be livestreamed. A recording of the event will be available online a few weeks after the event.

More About Taylor Mac

Taylor Mac is a MacArthur Fellow, a Pulitzer Prize Finalist, a Tony nominee for Best Play, and the recipient of the International Ibsen Award. Selected works include: Bark of Millions (a fifty-five song—and counting—parade trance extravaganza for the living library of the deviant theme); A 24-Decade History of Popular Music (a 24-hour performance-art concert about communities building themselves because they’re torn apart); and An American Dionysia (four plays about the polarization of America: Prosperous Fools; The Fre; Gary; and Hir). The Emmy Award-winning concert-doc, Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music, is currently streaming on HBO/Max.

More About Matt Ray
Matt Ray is a composer, arranger, theater maker, pianist, singer, songwriter, and music director living in New York. He is a fixture of New York’s downtown cabaret and nightlife scene, having collaborated with luminaries such as Taylor Mac, Justin Vivian Bond, Bridget Everett, and Joey Arias. For his composition and music direction on he and Mac’s jazz-based theater piece The Hang (2022, HERE Arts Center), Matt received a 2023 Obie Award. The show also received 4 Drama Desk and 2 Drama League nominations, including a Drama Desk nomination for Matt Ray for Best Music. Other Ray and Mac collaborations include The Lily’s Revenge (2009, HERE Arts Center), Bark of Millions (2023, Sydney Opera House), and A 24-Decade History of Popular Music (2016, St. Anne’s Warehouse). For his work on 24-Decade, he and Mac shared the 2017 Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired By American History.

More About Alexandra Grant

Alexandra Grant is a celebrated Los Angeles and Berlin based visual artist whose work explores text, language, literature, and philosophy. She has exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide and collaborated with artists across disciplines. Her practice extends beyond the studio as a cultural collaborator who supports and elevates the work of creatives and organizations across many communities. Grant is a staunch advocate of artists and particularly dedicated to supporting women and emerging artists. She is recognized for creating thoughtful spaces of dialogue and exchange, supporting innovative projects, and engaging audiences in conversations around creativity and cultural expression. In 2017 Grant co-founded the independent publisher X Artists’ Books to publish thoughtful, high-quality, artist-centered books; in 2008, she created the grantLOVE Project to raise awareness and funds for various arts nonprofits, and this year launched “LOVE Wine” with J Vineyards to empower women and creativity in the wine industry and the art world. A trailblazer and champion of the arts, Grant brings her passion, love of conversation, and open heart to Oxy Live!

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