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| Actor Ted van Griethuysen appeared in costume at a AAAS reception
after his December 7 performance in the title role of The Life
of Galileo. |
On December 7, 2003, AAAS sponsored a matinee performance of the Bertolt
Brecht play, "The Life of Galileo," at Washington DC's Studio Theatre
for AAAS members and their families, friends, and staff. The event culminated
a series of activities between AAAS and the Theatre to bridge science
and theater that were both entertaining and educational. Additional activities
included two matinee performances for Washington, DC high school students
that drew nearly 300 students and teachers, the preparation of a study
guide for the students, assistance in the convening of three public seminars
related to the play, and a fundraising dinner at the Georgetown home of
AAAS member, Dr. Rebecca Klemm, a former member of the Board of Trustees
of The Studio Theatre.
The Life of Galileo explores the classic struggle between religious
and scientific worldviews and illuminates the challenges that Galileo
experienced in advancing the unconventional idea that the earth revolved
around the sun. When introducing his adaptation of the play in London,
playwright Sir David Hare wrote that "Brecht's principal aim is to tell
the story of a man who comes to realize he has been ethically unequipped
to deal with the consequences of his own genius. But Brecht's own genius
is to turn the tragedy outwards and ask how things might have been otherwise."
It is a story as timely today as it was centuries ago.
Following the December 7 matinee, AAAS hosted a reception for those attending,
at which the actor who portrayed Galileo, Ted Van Griethuysen, spoke about
some of challenges associated with the role and how he prepared for it.
Other actors also mingled with the audience. It was a welcome opportunity
for AAAS to reach out to the local community, particularly its members.
AAAS is the world's largest general science association, whose membership
represents many fields, from physics and biology to history and philosophy.
The eclectic interests of our members is one of the strengths of the Association,
and we are delighted to join with The Studio Theatre, whose commitment
to artistic excellence serves the diverse communities of Washington, to
offer these unique opportunities that combine science and theater in ways
that are both entertaining and provocative to local area students and
scientists.
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