Home  Entertainment Reviews Review: Galileo by Bertolt Brecht (Jan. 22)
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Review: Galileo by Bertolt Brecht (Jan. 22) |
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Written by Barry Gaines
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Tuesday, 22 January 2008 |
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If you haven’t visited ¡Explora! in the Old Town area, invite a child and discover this museum’s bright and imaginatively interactive experiences in science, technology, and art. There is fascination and excitement for all visitors—toddlers to dodderers. I came to see the Explora Theater presentation of Bertolt Brecht’s “Galileo.”
Under the direction of Lou Ann Graham, the large and enthusiastic cast is performing two versions of the text: the full-length play and a version specially adapted for families with children. I attended the shortened version with an audience that included plenty of young people. The fact that the younger portion of the audience remained attentive and involved throughout the performance is a tribute to the production (and the parents). “Galileo” tells the story of the Renaissance Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher Galileo Galilei whose use of the newly invented telescope led him to declare that the earth revolved around the sun. This fundamental astral observation put Galileo in direct conflict with the doctrines of the Catholic Church, which held that the earth was the center of the universe and that the other heavenly bodies revolved around it—thus placing humankind at the center of the universe and illustrating divine concern for God’s prime creations. The conflict between science/rationality and religion/faith is at the center of the play. Galileo’s daughter Virginia is a pious believer who wants her father to renounce his heresies. And while Galileo explains the implications of his discoveries (such as the four moons revolving around the planet Jupiter), he is also giving lessons in experimentation and theory to the audience. Dozens of people are involved in this production; besides the actors, there are designers of the set, the sound, the lighting, the bright costumes, and the inventive props. The cast, many acting for the first time and several playing a variety of parts, performed well. I can only call attention to a few. Alison White pleasantly recited the short poems that Brecht used to introduce each scene, and director Graham added a signboard to indicate the locale. Kelly White did well as Virginia, although her part was much reduced in the version I saw. Joe Martinez played a very human Galileo. With his grey hair and beard, he certainly looked the part, resembling existing portraits of Galileo. His character took obvious delight in teaching others, both through physical experiments and theoretical discussions. His best scene was with Patricio Trujillo who played Fulganzio, the Little Monk, with spirit. I spoke to young spectators Charlie, Dylan, and Kaelan after the show and found them discerning and sophisticated. “This was the best Explora show yet.” “I liked the props and special effects.” Explora reached its audience. “Galileo” by Bertolt Brecht at Explora Theater, 1701 Mountain Road NW, January 24 and 25 at 7 p.m., January 30 at 11 a.m. (full-length); and January 26-27 at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. (family adaptation). Free.
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About Reviewers D.S. Crafts (Website) Composer Daniel Steven Crafts came to New Mexico from San Francisco where he had hosted a classical music radio program on KPFA. His first commission from opera star Jerry Hadley, "The Song & the Slogan" based on texts by Carl Sandburg, was made into a TV program for the PBS network and aired nationally in 2004 and won an Emmy for Best Music. His latest opera La Llorona is a collaboration with novelist Rudolfo Anaya based on his play "The Season of La Llorona." Mr. Crafts is currently working on another commission from Jerry Hadley for a piece about the American Southwest which includes texts by Rudolfo Anaya and V.B. Price. Two CDs of his music, Contemporaries (short, satirical keyboard works) and ARIAS (excerpts from his various operas) have been released on the BACAT label in San Francisco.
David Steinberg David Steinberg has covered state government, the courts, city and county government in Santa Fe for the Albuquerque Journal. He's been an arts writer for the past 20 years, and serves as the book editor, for the Journal. Over the years, he's also acted in plays, sung in choruses and played trumpet.
Jennifer Noyer Jennifer Noyer has been writing dance reviews for the Albuquerque Journal for 17 years, as well as contributing articles for Dance Magazine and other art journals. She trained in dance with Hanya Holm in New York City and Colorado Springs, and studied several dance techniques at the graduate level at the University of Michigan. After teaching dance at Wayne State University she entered and completed a Masters Degree in Humanities there. In New Mexico Ms. Noyer has taught, directed, and choreographed contemporary dance for several years. Her writing on dance includes a monograph accompanying the video of choreographer Bill Evens’ ballet “The Legacy.” An overview of Evans’s world wide career, it was written and published during his tenure at the University of New Mexico. Ms. Noyer’s studies in the humanities, and her studio dance work influence her approach to dance as an integrative art form in the United States.
Barry Gaines Barry Gaines has taught Shakespeare in the University of New Mexico English Department for over twenty-five years and has received two outstanding teaching awards. He has written theater reviews for the Journal since 2000. He has attended theater all over the world including Shakespeare productions in Russia, South Africa, Denmark, and Poland. He has also served as literary advisor for two professional theater companies and written performance reviews for Shakespeare Quarterly. Gaines has taken two years of acting with Paul Ford and appeared in small parts in three plays at the Albuquerque Little Theater. He believes that he is probably a better reviewer than actor.
Joanne Sheehy Hoover Joanne Sheehy Hoover, music critic emeritus of the Albuquerque Journal, has written for NPR, PBS, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Symphony, among others. She has also been a music lecturer for the Smithsonian Associates and a music critic and arts writer for The Washington Post. She was director of the Levine School of Music, one of the country’s largest community music schools, in Washington, D. C. 1980-1993. She and her husband moved to Corrales, New Mexico in July 1993. Also a poet, her fifth collection, “Einstein in New Mexico,” was published in 2002.
Marissa Greenberg Marissa Greenberg is a member of the faculty of the University of New Mexico English Department, where she teaches Shakespeare and early English literature. A prior guest reviewer for the Albuquerque Journal, Greenberg will be reviewing theater while Barry Gaines is out of town. She also composed and edited the program notes for last year’s Albuquerque Shakespeare Festival and has written performance reviews for Shakespeare Bulletin. A graduate of Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania, Greenberg has been performing and studying drama for most of her life. She is thrilled to have this opportunity to review for the Journal.
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