The Life of Galileo, a Theatre Pro Rata production at Gremlin Theatre on 4/4/09
By: David de Young
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Noë Tallen as Galileo - Photo by Charlie Gorrill
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Bertolt Brecht’s The Life of Galileo was written in the late 1930s and first produced in Zurich in 1943. Brecht’s English version with which most Americans are familiar was written in the mid 1940’s with Charles Laughton.
Theatre Pro Rata’s production, which opened Saturday night at the Gremlin Theater in St. Paul, is of a new version by English playwright David Hare. The staging is timely, coming as scientists celebrate the International Year of Astronomy and the 400th anniversary of the controversial conclusions Galileo Galilei reached after examining the night sky through the then new telescope in 1609. At the time, it was not only difficult for people to accept the fact that the earth revolved around the sun, it was blasphemous to even suggest it because it broke down the distinction between “the heavens” and the earth.
One central theme in Brecht’s The Life of Galileo is the conflict between dogmatism and scientific evidence, an issue as relevant today as ever as stories about creationism and “intelligent design” grace newspaper headlines daily. Even a statement by one of the Church officials in The Life of Galileo that “unrestricted research is a danger to humanity” also brings to mind the current stem cell debate.
The action of the play follows history fairly closely. Galileo makes a telescope (at one point referred to in the script as “the devil’s own tube”) based on a “borrowed” design and verifies scientifically that the Copernican, heliocentric model of the solar system is correct. After sharing his views, he is summoned to the Vatican for interrogation, where church leaders insist he continue to subscribe to the Ptolemaic version of the universe with the earth at its center. Threatened with torture, Galileo recants his theories, shocking and disappointing his students, and putting the progress of modern astronomy on hold. Later in life he gives a copy of his work to a former student to get it smuggled out of Italy, upholding a viewpoint he had expressed earlier in the play that “The truth cannot be resisted, or at least not for long.”
Theatre Pro Rata’s gender neutral production casts eight actors in twenty five roles with Noë Tallen as Galileo, Eva Nelson as his pupil Andrea Sarti, Valerie Rigsbee as his daughter, Julie Ann Nevill as the Cardinal Inquisitor, and Clarence Wethern as Signor Priuli. Other supporting roles are played by Erik Hoover, Megan Engeseth and James Lekvin, and every actor plays multiple roles.
Director Carin Batlie used a gender neutral cast as a Brechtian device, the intent of which is to not let the audience forget they are watching a play. In principle anyway, this may help an audience remember that what they are seeing is not fiction but may actually be information relevant to their lives. Bratlie also has the actors remain on stage behind the action throughout the play, a technique so familiar these days it may have more academic than practical application. At the very end of the show, however, with dramatic effect, one imaginary wall of the theater is broken as an actor leaves the stage clearly heading for not a more intellectually free part of Europe, but what we as an audience can only know as a place much closer to home.
The set (also designed by Bratlie) is both minimalist and effective, a couple sheets of white cloth draping down from the top of the rear of the stage. A table at the back of the room holds all the props in clear view of the audience.
I would have liked to see more pride and energy early on in the character of Galileo played by Tallen, who otherwise brings humanity to the role of this historical figure. I felt the portrayal came across as too resigned for a scientist who had proven (and knew it) one of the most worldview-changing theories in history. Eva Nelson’s performance as his pupil Andrea worked well, however, and she played off Tallen convincingly as their characters aged throughout the play. Stand out performances included Clarence Wethern’s hilarious Cosimo de Medici and Erik Hoover’s decrepit old cardinal.
The 2 hour 37 runtime with 10-15 minute intermission went by quickly, a blessing as any tedium would have been all the noticeable in the smallish seats of the 120 capacity Gremlin. There are occasional spots in the production where pacing slows, but never to the point where it would be fair to say it dragged. At the same time, I did get the sense the play could be tightened up a bit. When most people already know the story, it’s easier to make cuts without losing the audiences understanding of what’s going on, and this production might have been better about ten minutes shorter. All things considered though, Theatre Pro Rata’s production is even and well worth seeing, especially for those interested in the history (and future!) of science.
The Life of Galileo runs through April 19th. Tickets and information from 612-874-9321 or www.theatreprorata.org.
Location Info:
Gremlin Theatre
Artist Info: Theatre Pro Rata
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