The Moons of Jupiter : a new play about Galileo and his family

12 February 2010

A surprising outcome and a powerful new legacy from IYA2009 arose from a 2008 enquiry to the University of Victoria (Canada) Theatre Department.  To help bridge between the many science lectures and star parties on campus with the broader aspects of Galileo’s life and work, Canada Research Chair Prof. Sara Ellison (University of Victoria Physics and Astronomy) was exploring the presentation of a play about Galileo during IYA2009. After reviewing the existing plays, Professor of Theater History and playwright Jennifer Wise became inspired to write The Moons of Jupiter. A three-week workshop process with students in the Department of Theatre culminated in the first staged reading on 25-28 November. An article by Adrienne Holierhoek in the university newspaper beautifully describes the play and its origins, including these passages:

“In her play The Moons of Jupiter, Wise portrays the family dynamics between Galileo and his children, while focusing on the lives of his two daughters in seclusion in the San Matteo Convent in Florence. Beginning with a comet that traverses the night sky in 1618, the play spans the years of Galileo’s altercations with Rome and his supposed imprisonment there. 'The members of his family revolve around Galileo like planets in a solar system, and it is through their stories that we can begin to understand this philosopher and astronomer’s entire life, not just his science,' says Wise. 'I discovered, through the process of allowing these marginalized historical figures to speak, that Galileo’s family drama provides a surprisingly powerful tool for understanding his public life.'”

One of Prof. Wise’s sources of inspiration was Dava Sobel’s book, Galileo’s Daughter. Prof. Ellison served as science advisor thus helping the author ensure that her story accurately portrays the science serving as the backdrop to the complex social and emotional elements. With the feedback from the workshop process, Prof. Wise is now readying her play for full production.

For more on this IYA2009 legacy, please see: http://ring.uvic.ca/09dec03/galileo.html

 Photo courtesy of the University of Victoria.

Organisational Associates:
ESO AAS INSU CAS STRW NOVA STFC SCNAT SPA NRC MEC CNES DLR ESA JAXA NAOJ APL PS ESF ISRO ICRAN NLSI NOT U Cluster NASAEAS ASI NRAO CEA  KASI EAE SPA AUI CROSCI


The International Year of Astronomy 2009 is endorsed by the United Nations and the International Council of Science.