Review: And the Sun Stood Still

And the Sun Stood Still by Dava Sobel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

And the Sun Stood Still

By: Dava Sobel

Narrated by: Robert Foxworth, John Vickery, Kate Steele, Michael Kirby, Gregory Harrison

Length: 1 hr and 50 mins

Audiobook, Dramatization with full cast

Published June 16th 2015 by LA Theatre Works

Science! It seems to have the answer to everything. But how do those answers get discovered? Sometimes a discovery is made an voila! all is understood. Sometimes however a discovery is made and current science cannot support so the new discovery meets with some resistance. What's even worse is when science goes against religion. Then not only is there resistance, but possible punishment for trying to make the religious folk wrong. More so in Copernicus' day than now, but every so often one finds that religion is the biggest hurtle to get over to promote fact.

This play brings to life the time when Copernicus discovered that the Earth is not the center of the Universe. Copernicus was hesitant to publis because of religion and even a little self-doubt. Rheticus comes in from Germany and pushes Copernicus to publish because the world needs to know. This play is about that struggle.

This production is produced/published by L.A. Theatre Works and once again LATW delivers. As always the production values puts you smack dab in the middle of a production and you feel as if you were sitting in the center of the theatre for this production. The sound effects and music are perfect, but what makes this even more believable is the calibre of actors. As with every LATW production the actors bring their all to make this production come to life in an audiobook form.

Publisher's Summary

Dava Sobel’s thoughtful play brings to life the story of Nicolaus Copernicus, the Renaissance astronomer, and mathematician who proposed the heliocentric model of the universe in which the Sun stands at the center. Plagued by self-doubt and threatened by religious censure, Copernicus resisted the publication of his work until just before his death in 1543. The play follows Copernicus in those final years as he works to complete his research with the help of Georg Rheticus, a young disciple from Wittenberg, Germany.

Includes a conversation with playwright Dava Sobel, author of A More Perfect Heaven: How Copernicus Revolutionized the Cosmos.

Recorded at The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood in February, 2015.

And the Sun Stood Still is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series of science-themed plays. Lead funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, bridging science and the arts in the modern world.

Directed by Rosalind Ayres

Producing Director Susan Albert Loewenberg

Robert Foxworth as Copernicus

Gregory Harrison as Giese

Michael Kirby as Rheticus

Kate Steele as Anna

John Vickery as Bishop Dantsicus

Associate Producers: Anna Lyse Erikson, Myke Weiskopf.

Recording Engineer, Sound Designer, Mixer: Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood.

Editor: Wes Dewberry

©2015 L.A. Theatre Works (P)2015 L.A. Theatre Works

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