Reverse the Curse: A RAISIN IN THE SUN

 This past Wednesday night marked a miracle: Liesl Tommy finally opened a Huntington show on schedule. Liesl’s previous two Huntington Openings were canceled –from a huge snowstorm January 5, 2011 (Ruined) and because of the Back Bay Blackout in March 13-14, 2012 (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom). But the third time is a charm, and A Raisin In The Sun went off without a hitch!

To be fair, rehearsals for this production were delayed by a half-day due to the Blizzard of 2013 (an actor got stuck across the country), and then last Friday’s snowstorm arrived on the run’s first preview. It’s been a nerve-wracking month to say the least, but we made it through, and if the reviews pouring in are any indication, Liesl has done some tremendous work on this production. 

Which of course is no surprise to us. We love Liesl and her work, which is why we keep having her back in spite of the bad luck that seems to follow her to Boston.

Celebrating with Liesl tonight: the cast, Huntington staff, Trustees, and Overseers, Jon Abbott (WGBH), Karen Holmes Ward (WCVB), Rep. Gloria Fox, Attorney Wendell Taylor (Huntington Overseer), and Cambridge resident and Director of the Lorraine Hansberry Trust Joi Gresham. Gresham was Hansberry’s widower’s step-daughter, grew up in the playwright’s house after her death, and was greatly influenced by her work. Here's a picture of Liesl and Joi before the show on Wednesday night:

A Raisin In The Sun (which, incidentally, celebrated the 54^th anniversary of its Broadway debut on Monday) runs through Sunday, April 7 at the Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre. The Boston Globe calls it, "A shattering production [that] reminds us how fully and richly Raisin continues to reverberate....All the passion Hansberry poured into her play comes surging through in the performances by Tommy's ensemble." Tickets are still on sale, but they're going fast, so don't miss out!

What Audiences Are Saying About MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM

Have you seen Ma Rainey's Black Bottom?

Please share your comments with us.

• Wilson's play is rich with themes. Which ones resonated with you?
• What do you think happens to these characters after the curtain comes down?
• Have you seen other August Wilson plays at the Huntington or elsewhere? What are your memories of them?
• Did you attend a post-show conversation? What comments surprised you or made you think differently about the play? Would you attend a post-show conversation again? What were you thinking about on the way home from the theatre?

Please leave your comments here.

The Huntington Theatre Company's presentation of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom plays now through April 8, 2012 only at the B.U. Theatre. Get tickets and information or call our Box Office at 617 266 0800.

What Audiences Are Saying About GOD OF CARNAGE

Have you seen God of Carnage? Please share your comments with us.

• What do you think happens after the curtain goes down? Do the Raleighs bring their their son to apologize to the Novaks'? What happens next between the adults?

• Playwright Yasmina Reza weaves many symbols into her script, and scenic designer Dane Laffrey teases some of them out through his design. What symbols and scenic elements held meaning for you?

• Did you attend a post-show conversation? What comments surprised you or made you think differently about the play? Would you attend a post-show conversation again? What were you thinking about on the way home from the theatre?

Leave your comments here

The Huntington Theatre Company's presentation of God of Carnage plays now through February 5, 2012 only at the B.U. Theatre. Get tickets and information or call our Box Office at 617 266 0800.

What Audiences Are Saying About Captors

Have you seen Captors yet?
Please share your comments with us!

• How did you feel watching Eichmann get captured for the second time? Was this Nazi war criminal a sympathetic character, or are his actions still irredeemable?


• Captors is a dramatization of actual historical events that hopefully illuminates the story in a new and unfamiliar light. Even Peter Malkin himself struggled to remember the exact details of his time in Buenos Aires. Did this story affect or change your perception of world history? Did parts of the the play surprise you, even if you already knew the history behind it and how the story would end?


• Did you attend a post show conversation? What comments surprised you or made you think differently about the play? Would you attend a post show conversation again? What were you thinking about on the way home from the theatre?

Join the Conversation!

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of CAPTORS plays now through November 13, 2011  at the Boston University Theatre. Get tickets and information or call our Box Office at 617 266-0800.

CANDIDE: Audience Comments

Lauren Molina (Cunegonde) and Geoff Packard (Candide)

Have you seen Candide? Please share your comments with us.

What do you make of the philosophies put forth in Candide -- that everything happens for the best as Dr. Pangloss teaches, or for the worst, as Martin believes?

Have you seen other productions of Candide? How did this one differ?

Were any storytelling techniques director/adaptor Mary Zimmerman utilized in her script or staging particularly memorable for you?

Did you attend a post show conversation? What comments surprised you or made you think differently about the play? Would you attend a post show conversation again? What were you thinking about on the way home from the theatre?

Leave your comments here

The Huntington Theatre Company's presentation of Candide plays now through October, 16, 2011 only at the B.U. Theatre. Get tickets and information or call our Box Office at 617 266-0800.

Propeller's THE COMEDY OF ERRORS and RICHARD III: Audience Comments

Dugald Bruce-Lockhart and Richard Frame in

The Comedy of Errors. Photo: Manuel Harlan

Have you seen Propeller's The Comedy of Errors or Richard III?


How did it differ from other productions of Shakespeare's plays you've seen? Other productions of Comedy or Richard?

Did you attend a post show conversation? What comments surprised you or made you think differently about the play? Would you attend a post show conversation again? What were you thinking about on the way home from the theatre?

Have you seen both shows? If so, how was your experience impacted or enhanced by doing so?

Jon Trenchard in Richard III. Photo: Manuel Harlan

(Don't miss the experience of seeing both, by the way. In this writer's opinion, you'll more fully appreciate the actors' depth and range of talent and find interesting connections between the two plays.) 

Leave your comments here.


The Huntington Theatre Company's presentation of Propeller Theatre Company's The Comedy of Errors and Richard III plays now through June 19, 2011 only at the B.U. Theatre. Get tickets and information or call our Box Office at 617 266-0800.

EDUCATING RITA: Audience Comments

Have you seen Educating Rita? Please share your comments with us.

Jane Pfitsch and Andrew Long, photo by T. Charles Erickson

 How does Rita's experience as a student remind you of or differ from your own?

Did Rita or Frank change in surprising ways? What do you think happens to them after the curtain comes down?

Did you attend a post show conversation? What comments surprised you or made you think differently about the play? Would you attend a post show conversation again? What were you thinking about on the way home from the theatre?

Leave your comments here.

The Huntington Theatre Company production of Educating Rita by Willy Russell plays now through April 10, 2011 at the B.U. Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston. Get tickets and information or call our Box Office at 617 266-0800.

RUINED: Audience Comments

Have you seen Ruined? Please share your thoughts with us.

Oberon K.A. Adjepong and Tonye Patano, photo by Kevin Berne

Whose stories moved you? How and why?

What do you think happens to Mama Nadi, Christian, Sophie, and Josephine after the curtain comes down?

Did you attend a post show conversation? What comments surprised you or made you think differently about the play? Would you attend a post show conversation again? What were you thinking about on the way home from the theatre?


Leave your comments here

The Huntington Theatre Company production of Ruined by Lynn Nottage plays now through February 6, 2011 at the B.U. Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston. Get tickets and information or call our Box Office at 617 266-0800

VENGEANCE IS THE LORD'S: Audience Comments

Have you seen Vengeance is the Lord's? Please share your thoughts with us.

Roberta Wallach, Lee Tergesen, Katie Kreisler, Larry Pine, and Karl Baker Olson, photo by T. Charles Erickson

Did the Horvaths display any family traits that you recognize in your own?

How did you think the play would end? What do you think happens to Donald after the curtain comes down?

Did you attend a post show conversation? What comments surprised you or made you think differently about the play? Would you attend a post show conversation again? What were you thinking about on the way home from the theatre?

Leave your comments here

The Huntington Theatre Company production of Vengeance is the Lord's by Bob Glaudini plays now through December 12th, 2010 at the B.U. Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston. Get tickets and information or call our Box Office at 617 266-0800

CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION - Audience Comments

contributed by Todd Williams

Michael Hammond (James), Betsy Aidem (Marty), Marie Polizzano (Lauren),  Nadia Bowers (Theresa), and Jeremiah Kissel (Schultz) in the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of Circle Mirror Transformation, by Annie Baker, playing October 15 – November 14, 2010 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA as part of the Shirly, VT Plays Festival. Photo: T. Charles Erickson

Have you seen Circle Mirror Transformation? Share your thoughts with us!

Did you find the structure of the play different from Bus Stop? How did it affect your experience as an audience member?

The play was very specifically scripted, the pauses, even the games. Only one game was improvised. Can you guess which one?

Were you familiar with the theatre games the characters were playing? Was the class portrayed in the play what you would expect of a drama class? Tell us about an experience you've had in a creative drama class.

Leave your comments here

The Huntington Theatre Company production of Circle Mirror Transformation  by Annie Baker plays now through November 14th, 2010 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 572 Tremont St Boston MA 02116.  For tickets and information click here or call our box office at 617 266-0800

Bus Stop Audience Comments

 

Ronete Levenson (as Elma Duckworth), Noah Bean (as Bo Decker), Karen MacDonald (as Grace Hoylard) and Will LeBow (as Carl) in the Huntington Theatre Company's Production of Bus Stop playing through October 17, 2010 at the Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA

The post show feedback has been very positive with our audiences; Bus Stop seems to be a hit. Audience members are telling us that it's fun, there's substance behind the laughs, a real sense of loneliness within the comedy, and people seem to be taken by surprise at the ending. How did you think the play would end?

Stephen Lee Anderson (as Virgil Blessing) and Noah Bean (as Bo Decker) in the Huntington Theatre Company's Production of Bus Stop playing through October 17, 2010 at the Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA

What did you talk about on the way home? We'd love to hear what you thought about Bus Stop - please leave your comments here.

Want to learn more about Bus Stop - click here for articles, bios, audio and video, and more!

Post show Audience Conversations take place, with a member of the Huntington staff, following most performances. Click here for a complete calendar of Bus Stop events

The Huntington Theatre Company's Production of Bus Stop is playing through October 17, 2010 at the Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA. For tickets and information click here or call our box office at 617 266-0800

Prelude Review, Interview, Slideshow

Here's a slideshow courtesy of BU Today with Cassie Beck and Brian Sgambati.



And a review from the Boston Globe

And a great interview with Peter DuBois on Edge Boston

Have you seen the show? Did you stay afterward for post show conversation? What did you talk about on the way home. Please leave your thoughts about the play, performances, and production right here on our blog for others to respond to.

Click here to comment!

Becky Shaw Reviews

The Becky Shaw reviews are in and it seems we have yet another hit this Season. It's great that so many people have engaged with our work this year!

Here's a sample of what the critics are saying:

"A comedy so sharp you don’t even notice the blade slipping until it’s pierced you to the bone. A comedy of manners for moderns. It’s clear why Becky Shaw was up for the Pulitzer. It’s smart and really, really funny."  The Boston Herald

"I loved the way Gionfriddo brings the play to the edge! So rich and real it may leave you rethinking your beliefs about relationships and love". The Patriot Ledger

"Irresistible! Laugh, and often! Director Peter DuBois brings a polished production that shows off the play’s pointed humor". - The Boston Globe

"Outrageously and brilliantly funny! A tour de force masterfully handled by a killer cast. We leapt to our feet at curtain, me with the thought of when, and how soon I could see it again!" Joyce Kulhawik

"Entertainment as it should be: original, intelligent, and humorously disconcerting. DuBois’ direction is masterful and humorously elegant." Berkshire Fine Arts

"You know upon meeting Becky Shaw that you're in the presence of a smart, snappy writer. A polished Boston premiere" Boston Phoenix

"Hugely enjoyable! Engrossing and ceaselessly funny! Hail Becky Shaw’s wit and enormous insight by a playwright with a most welcome voice". EDGE Boston

I called Literary Associate Charles Haugland, who hosts many of our post show conversations, and asked what our audiences have been talking about. Here's his reply:

At the post-show conversations for BECKY SHAW, audiences have been having discussions as sharp as the play about what makes us laugh and why. 

When people talk to each other about the play, they quickly discover that Gina Gionfriddo has written a comedy that reflects things we didn't know back to ourselves.  In the play, the reactions of the other characters listening to Suzanna’s “Bubbla” story tells us a lot about who they are - Max thinks it's hilarious, Andrew thinks it's callous.  The same is true for us watching BECKY SHAW; what we laugh at says a lot about who we are.  Who do we empathize with?  Whose feelings can we shut out?

Gina and director Peter DuBois don’t take sides.  They have carefully calibrated a world where all the characters - Suzanna, Max, Becky, Andrew, and Susan - have valid perspectives on the situation.  But, odds are that we think someone's right and someone's wrong - it's human nature, and in just the first few conversations, I've heard from lots of people about what Max did, what Becky didn't do, etc. - and when we laugh, we subtly reveal whose side we are taking at any one moment. 

So, what made you laugh the most?  If you haven't seen the show yet, stick around when you do and tell us about it." - Charles

Click here to share your thoughts and comments

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Becky Shaw by Gina Gionfriddo directed by the Huntington's Artistic Director Peter DuBois is playing at the Huntington's mainstage The Boston University Theatre at 264 Huntington Ave Boston MA 02115 now thru April 4th. Tickets available online 24/7 and by visiting or calling our box office locations.

Stick Fly - Audience Comments

 

Wendell Wright as Joe LeVay, Nikkole Salter as Taylor, and Jason Dirden as Kent in the Huntington Theatre Company's production of Lydia R. Diamond's Stick Fly playing February 19 — March 21 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. 

Have you seen Stick Fly? We would love to hear your thoughts;

- What were you thinking about on the way home from the performance? Family dynamics? Racial issues? Secrets revealed? Your Dad? Something else?

- Did you attend a post show conversation? What comments surprised you or made you think differently about the play? Would you attend a post show conversation again?

- What elements of the play struck you as most  interesting? The story? The performances? The design?

- Which character did you indentify with Most? Least?

Click here to join the conversation

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Stick Fly by Lydia Diamond is playing February 19 through March 28, 2010 at our second space, the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St Boston MA 02116. Online tickets and information available 24/7 or call our Box Office (click for hours this week) at 617 266-0800.

All My Sons - Reviews

Audiences and critics alike seem to be impressed with our production of Arthur Miller's ALL MY SONS. Here are a few links - and please - feel free to leave your own thoughts and comments!

The Boston Globe  "Under the direction of David Esbjornson, a superb Huntington cast gives us Miller at his fiercest and most unflinching. During the climactic moments of “All My Sons,’’ everyone in the Boston University Theatre seemed to be holding their breath."

The Hub Review "I realized about half an hour into the show that I was going to need all my superlatives for All My Sons, the new production of Arthur Miller's 1947 classic that singlehandedly re-instates the Huntington as a great regional theatre. The Huntington is back, and it rules"

The Theater Mirror (Carl Rossi) "When the applause that ends Act One sounds like the applause heard at curtain call, you know you’re seeing a winner!"

Boston Herald "Productions like this remind you why classics became classics in the first place." "The palpitating heart of this production is Karen MacDonald, whose turn as Kate is virtuosic."

Blast Magazine "“All My Sons” is the fourth play in what the Huntington has called its “Season of American Stories.” In many ways, it echoes the season’s premier, August Wilson’s “Fences.” While very different in rhythm and tone, both plays feature a charismatic father holding court over his backyard, who ultimately tests your loyalty and trust. Both explore strained families, and the way a father’s past can shape his son’s future. Both are excellent."

The Fenway News "Secrets are always bound to come out sooner or later, and hope and faith do not always translate into a happy ending." "it resonates with the same tone as it did over 60 years ago."

Citrus Quark Blog "by the end the sh-- really hits the fan! The suspense was amazing, and I'm not sure that I blinked during the entire second and third acts."

Berkshire Fine Arts "Here is serious theatre at its best. The performances, the production and the play are simply superb. All My Sons is a must see!"

Boston Low Brow "Scott Bradley has built a barren, while mildly reflective of post-war American prosperity, set that gives the production a smart touch of Ibsen and Bergman. A plain backing is either lighted as a blank abstraction of a Midwestern horizon or used as a massive movie screen for Maya Ciarrocchi’s film montages – a device I liked"

The Boston Phoenix "this is enacted on the BU stage with a blistering believability that does not flinch from the play's near-operatic anguish." "a production that proves, however out of fashion the moral crusader who married Marilyn Monroe might have been, it's Miller time in America once again."

Theater Mirror (Larry Stark) "it is glorious to see a cast headed by half a dozen of Boston's best actors filling Boston's biggest local stage with landmark performances."

BroadwayWorld.com "Still Awesome after all these years"

Add your comment here

Karen MacDonald as Kate Keller and Will Lyman as Joe Keller in the Huntington Theatre Company's production of All My Sons by Arthur Miller is playing January 8 through February 7, 2010 at our Mainstage, the Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave Boston MA 02115. Online tickets and information available 24/7 or call our Box Office (click for hours this week) at 617 266-0800

A Civil War Christmas - Audience Comments

Paula Vogel gives us plenty to think about in A Civil War Christmas. What were you thinking about on the way home after you saw the play? Did you attend a post show discussion? What comments surprised you? What elements of the play struck you as most profound or interesting? Race issues, the history, or the style of the production, the music, the design? We would love to hear your thoughts and reactions to other comments. Please join the conversation and share your ideas - click here to comment.

Uzo Aduba (Hannah) and Alanna T. Logan (Jessa) in the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of Paula Vogel’s A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration playing now through December 13 at the B.U. Theatre. 

Comment on this post

A Civil War Christmas - An American Musical Celebration by Paula Vogel. Music supervised, arranged, and orchestrated by Daryl Waters. Directed by Jessica Thebus. At the Huntington Theatre Company's main stage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA, 02115. Runs November 13 through December 13, 2009. Box Office 617 266-0800 or buy online at HuntingtonTheatre.org

A Long and Winding Road: Reviews

The word is in - and people are really enjoying Maureen McGovern in A Long and Winding Road.


The Boston Globe says "Maureen McGovern's voice remains powerful, supple, and expressive. She knows how to navigate a song's emotional peaks and valleys and how to woo and win an audience. When you hear her deliver these songs, it's a reminder of how much they deserve to live on." click here to read more.

We love a good review in the Boston Globe - but we like it even more when we get to hear what you have to say. Join the conversation by adding your comments here.

You are also invited to join the conversation when you come to the theatre. Check out our humanities forum with Steve Morse, host of "Morse on Music" and former staff rock critic for The Boston Globe. Following the 2pm performance on Sunday, October 25. Free with a ticket to the show.

If you can't make it that night we are holding audience discussions following most weeknight and matinee performance, as we did with Fences. Check out the full schedule of performances and discussions here.

Join the conversation - add your comments here

Maureen McGovern in A Long and Winding Road at the Huntington Theatre Company's second stage - The Virginia Wimberly Theatre at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. 527 Tremont St, Boston MA 02116.  Buy tickets online or call our box office at 617 266-0800. Box Office locations and hours click here.

Fences - Audience Comments

Join the conversation  - tell us what theatre means to you and add your thoughts about our production of Fences. 

How does this story - set in the 1950's - resonate today? Why do you think Rose wanted the fence? Did you attend a discussion before or after the performance and how did that add to your experience?

click here to comment

 John Beasley (Troy Maxson) in the Huntington Theatre Company production of August Wilson’s “Fences.” Playing now through October 11 at the Boston University Theatre. Photo: Eric Antoniou

Click here to comment

[Opening Night Addendum]

I had to add to the post this morning, after an incredible opening last night. It was a great performance, with a packed house full of staff, friends and family, board and subscribers, including Doris Kearns Goodwin, Phylicia Rashad, and Keith David. The after party was hosted by our friends at Legal Seafoods. Here is a small sample of what I found on Facebook (and my email) this morning:

"Congratulations to the entire Huntington Family -- tonight's Opening of "Fences" was truly magical. Phylicia Rashad, Keith David, and an even more star-studded audience, along with an amazing cast and an incredibly talented Director provided one of the best nights of theatre...I can't wait to see it again and feel blessed to be a part of the family." Meg Wieder

"What a fantastic show! Congrats, Huntington cast, crew, and staff and thank you for such a wonderful night at the theatre." Erica Spyres

"...what a fantastic season opening last night! 'Fences' was brilliant..." Justin Seward

"WOW. All personal bias aside, @Huntington's production of 'Fences' is absolutely breathtaking. Do yourself a favor and see it." Thom Dunn

"loved August Wilson's Fences at the Huntington..." Dina Croce

"cried through the entire second act. held my breath, clenched my fists, frozen." Penney Pinnette

"It was the most amazing performance... I've seen the show twice before including on Broadway with James Earl Jones and I enjoyed this performance more - it came across as more human and multi-dimensional than in a Broadway theater.  Kudos to the cast for their honest, committed performances." David Miller

""You have to take the crookeds with the straights." Tired as hell, but had a great dinner/night at the theatre" Amanda Rota Pyne

Lisa McColgan "got a big hug from Doris Kearns Goodwin, helped Phylicia Rashad through the Opening Night throng to the box office, and is full of delicious cupcakes. She'll stick with nonprofit theatre, thanks."

Please tell us about your night at Fences: Click here to comment


Fences by August Wilson, directed by Kenny Leon, at the Huntington Theatre Company's mainstage - Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115. Buy tickets online or call our box office at 617 266-0800. Box Office locations and hours click here.

Pirates! A letter from Michael Maso

Those of you who were among this past week's cheering and deeply appreciative audiences for Pirates!— including many families with young children — will be stunned to read Louise Kennedy's aggressively negative review, which was posted Thursday afternoon on the Globe website but will be more readily accessible Friday on line and in print. Here is the link:

http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/05/22/sunken_treasure/

In over three decades of producing plays, I have never felt such a disconnect between the experience in the theatre and the reflection of a critic. Louise's first line displays her anger at the fact that the audience was responding with cheers and laughter throughout the evening, and her condescension to the audience and artists alike is breathtaking.

So if you have seen our production, I would appreciate it if you do two things. First, please post a comment about her review. Posting now will have the greatest impact.

Comment to the Boston Globe and/or post your own review of Pirates! right here on our blog

Second, please share this post and your views with your friends. If you agree with Louise, say so, though I admit that I think you will not. If you disagree, please let her — and everyone who may read her piece in the coming days — know that as well. The direct link is http://blog.huntingtontheatre.org/2009/05/pirates-letter-from-michael-maso.html

I have no theory about what is behind this review. I only know that the destructive power of one person, when that person is given the imprimatur of the region's largest newspaper, needs to be balanced by the voices of the thousands who have already let us know about the joy they have found in the laughter, the music, the wit, and the sheer artistry displayed by those involved in this production.

Please — let your voice be heard.

My thanks, and very best wishes.

Michael Maso,
Managing Director - Huntington Theatre Company

Again - the links are: Comment on boston.com and Comment on our blog

Two Men of Florence - Audience Comments

Here are some beautiful photos from Two Men of Florence. Have you seen it yet? What did you think? Click here to comment.

Edward Herrmann (Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, before he becomes Pope Urban VIII) in Barberini’s study. Pride and ambition seem to play a large role in the stories of our "Two Men". They both seem to desire a place in history as well as a need to be right. Does their ambition serve them, or us, in the end? Click here to comment.

Peter Van Wagner, Joe Curnutte, and Diego Arciniegas as Venetian Senators spy through a far-off building’s window as they experience the power of Galileo’s telescope for the first-time. The ruling class are somewhat mocked in this play - with merchants and their negotiations holding little merit in the eyes of Galileo and Pope Urban. Yet they have their influences in the politics of church and science. Do you see parallels in today's society? Click here to comment.

Jay O. Sanders as Galileo turns his newly-built telescope to the sky for the first time and catches a glimpse of the cratered moon, stars, and the Milky Way. How did this moment strike you? We grew up with lunar landings, space walks, Mars missions, science stations orbiting the earth, and fantastic images from the Hubble telescope. How do you think it would feel to know that you were the first person ever to see the heavens with the detail that Galileo and his telescope did? Click here to comment.

Edward Herrmann as Pope Urban VIII considers Galileo’s fate. The Pope, while intrigued by the science and the benefits it might serve his armies, is fiercely protective of the idea of faith and belief. Galileo enjoyed challenging old assumptions and relished proving them wrong. What are the dangers in each approach? Click here to comment.

Edward Herrmann as Pope Urban VIII explains the betrayal of the Church he perceives in Galileo’s book (played by Jay O. Sanders). Again - these two men saw things very differently. Was Galileo wrong not to see how his science would challenge his faith? Click here to comment.

Jay O. Sanders as Galileo realizes his fate at the hands of his Church. Both men in this play suffer loss. Which character did you most empathize with? How did you feel about their interactions? How does the play's debate about faith and science resonate with issues we are facing in today's world?

What do you have to say? Click here to comment and share your experience with Two Men of Florence.

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Two Men of Florence, by Richard Goodwin, playing March 6 through April 5, 2009 at the Huntington's mainstage, the B.U. Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA. Buy tickets online or call our Box Office at 617 266-0800. Photos by T. Charles Erickson