Theatre St. Thomas presents A Life of Galileo - Nov. 21-24
Theatre St. Thomas presents
A LIFE OF GALILEO
by Bertolt Brecht
translated by Mark Ravenhill
Wednesday, November 21 to Saturday, November 24
7:30 pm + 2:00 pm Saturday
Black Box Theatre
Tickets: $5 students/seniors, $10 general
Reserve tickets: theatrestthomas@gmail.com
“Knowledge-hungry people will dance in the streets when they see that a new astronomy has put the Earth on the move.”
— Brecht’s Galileo Galilei
Padua. 1609. Galileo Galilei, a part-time professor and researcher of mathematics and philosophy, takes credit for a new instrument that allows anyone to view the universe in greater detail and allows him to pay his rent where his teaching stipend falls short. Through the telescope he confirms that the earth and the planets revolve around the sun while attracting the interest and ire of a Catholic Church afraid of losing its grip on the faithful masses.
Thrillingly staged using Brecht’s “Epic Theatre” effects in which the means of production and human labour are exposed throughout the performance, audiences will see ‘behind-the-scenes’ while observing the play and weighing the arguments to draw conclusions for themselves.
“With A Life of Galileo, TST offers New Brunswick one of the twentieth-century’s greatest observations on the challenges that free thought and scientific inquiry pose to unchecked power and belief. Not since Brecht’s time have these forces been so pressing,” director Dr. Robin Whittaker said.
This model example of Epic Theatre was written by Brecht in the years before and after WWII, begun as he escaped Nazi authority and revised as he reflected on its consequences before fleeing American McCarthyism and the “red scare” in 1947.
TST’s production of A LIFE OF GALILEO is presented at STU in conjunction with THE GALILEO PROJECT—a series of events in Fall 2018 focused on the themes of science, knowledge, and power—convened by Dr. Jane Jenkins (Science & Technology Studies), Dr. Robin Vose (History), and Dr. Robin C. Whittaker (English and Drama).
THEATRE ST. TOMAS and THE GALILEO PROJECT commemorate the 75th anniversary of the world premiere of Brecht’s LEBEN DES GALILEI at the Zürich Schauspielhaus on September 9, 1943.
Cast: Bella Baldin, Brenna Gauthier, Caitlyn Charles, Chandler Gard, Clara Lucena, Colin Gillis, Dylan Sealy, Eliza Wolfe, Elizabeth John, Emma Dufour, Grace Victor, Gregory Robinson, Jason McIntyre, John Harley, Katie Hanson, MacKenzie Currie, Megan Murphy, Nate Telman, Neomi Iancu Haliva, Nick Ivory, Nolan Goguen, Peter Boyce, Raine O’Connor, Sage Chisholm, Silas McDonald, Telina Debly, Thomas Woolsey, Wilson Kennedy-Mills.
Director and Co-Set Designer: Dr. Robin C. Whittaker. Lights, Sound, and Co-Set Designer: Chris Saad. Scenic and Properties Artist: Laura-Beth Bird. Costume Designer: Lynn Addleman. Music Composers: Nick Ivory and Dylan Sealy. Stage Manager: Wei Qing Tan. Assistant Stage Managers: Beatriz Cordeiro, Sydney Hallett, Mallory Kelly, Naomi McGowan, and Tristan Tozer. Sound and Lighting Operator: Patricia Saad. Poster and Program Designer: Kirsten Stackhouse.
Theatre St. Thomas (TST) is STU’s flagship extra-curricular theatre company. Producing theatre for over 60 years (and more than 45 years as ‘TST’), we have been at home in the Black Box Theatre since it was built in 1993. Working under the professional direction of faculty and staff at St. Thomas, students act and work backstage alongside fellow students, STU alumni, and members of the Fredericton theatre community to learn and develop their stage skills in an educational, fun, and enriching experiential and cross-disciplinary environment.