Actors will roam the galaxy and dark matter will find its place in the spotlight when art and science converge in Boulder this month.
In an unusual collaboration, the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company and Boulder’s Fiske Planetarium present “Vera Rubin: Bringing the Dark to Light,” a performance piece running Jan. 21 through Feb. 6.
The original production, with a script by a local playwright and using Fiske’s video technology, is the result of an arts-business grant and two years’ work.
“Vera Rubin” has ambitions beyond entertainment.
Among the high-minded goals: expand the concept of theater beyond the stage, tap into Boulder’s large science community to bring new audiences to performances, introduce young women and girls to the possibility of careers in science, and address the earth science curriculum requirements for Colorado middle school and high school students.
Not incidentally, it’s also a way for BETC to carry on off-campus while the Dairy Center for the Arts is under renovation.
Stephen Weitz, BETC producing ensemble director, observed that the theater industry is under pressure to reinvent itself and “break down traditional barriers.”
The “Vera Rubin” project is about “bringing content to new audiences in unusual and innovative ways,” Weitz said. “This is also an example of how BETC has pursued a deeper connection with a particular segment of our community. Boulder is a prominent scientific community. And by continuing to offer content aimed at this group, we are embedding ourselves more firmly within our home town.”
