"Would you transform the world?" Galileo's daughter, Maria (played by Molly Schreiber), asks her father, the controversial and brilliant scientist. Galileo (Jay O. Sanders) replies, "Not the world, but the mind of man by which the world is known." Remaining true to this theme, The Huntington Theatre Company presents a play that, while it doesn't physically bend the world, succeeds in altering viewers' perception of what theater and life can accomplish.
"Two Men of Florence" is presidential adviser and speech writer, historian, author and Tufts alum Richard N. Goodwin's (A '53) first play, making for an excellent theatrical premiere. Edward Hall helms this elegantly executed production, and his and Goodwin's combined creative vision is evident in the show's clever witticisms, alternately heartwrenching and heartwarming dialogue and thought-provoking set designs. The remarkably talented cast stars Tony and Emmy Award-winning Edward Herrmann as Pope Urban VII and Broadway and film actor Sanders as Galileo Galilei.
The Galileo presented in "Two Men of Florence" is a devout Catholic not satisfied with the Church approved explanations and philosophies, but more interested in the study of the "natural" world. His simple observations lead him to contradict traditional modes of thought, beginning as friendly "discussion" with the approval of his patron Cardinal Maffeo Barberini (Herrmann). The ambitious Barberini eventually ascends to the position of Pope Urban VII and Galileo's formerly condoned "discussion" lead to an inquisition and trial for heresy. Goodwin's history based play places faith, science and their areas of overlap between them on the stage in a beautiful and aesthetically astounding performance.
Hall remarked in a press release that the play, like Galileo, is imbued with struggle: "I think Goodwin tells a particularly contemporary story in this play -- one about what happens when ideologies clash. Not just religious ideologies, but philosophical ones and those that challenge the way we live. The backdrop of this story is an extraordinary war, in part being fought over money, politics and territory, and part being fought over what is the right set of beliefs through which we should live our lives. Plays about beliefs are always contentious things. I hope this will be a contentious evening in the theatre."
The production's set design succeeds in presenting a clash between two opposing, albeit sometimes parallel, forces. A revolving stage evokes not only Galileo's study of the planets, but also the constant passage of time. A clock ticks in the background, a cruel reminder to Galileo that his time is running out and that he is waging a war against the age-old "truths" of Aristotle. Truth, faith and philosophy intertwine with the spinning characters and set in motion a whirlwind of passion and reason that resonates through the ages. The elegant motion of the set also allows for beautiful and graceful transitions between scenes; the entire play mimics the dancing motions of the planets across the sky. The final effect for the audience is gazing through Galileo's telescope at bodies that reveal certain mysteries and truths about the world in which we live.
While theatrically brilliant, the play forces the audience to place too much emphasis on the disintegration of a friendship that never really develops. The play focuses almost entirely on the two male characters, and at times the dialogue between them becomes tedious. What should be a moving portrait fails due to its inability to communicate the personal emotion caused by the destruction of a supposedly established friendship. Herrmann and Sanders play their parts well, yet they appear more as two institutions than as two individuals. This dehumanizing effect makes it difficult to believe that such a deep and lasting friendship existed.
Ultimately, "Two Men of Florence" is about truth. As Galileo repeats throughout the play, "Ideas are not like wines which improve with age; that which was wrong hundreds of years ago is still wrong today." However, Pope Urban VII sternly reminds him, "Truth is a modern prejudice." What is and is not the truth remains for the audience to decide.
"Two Men of Florence" runs from March 5 to April 6 at the Huntington Theatre Company's main stage, the Boston University Theatre, on Huntington Avenue. Student rush tickets are available for $15 two hours before each show.
