What better place to celebrate sci-fi author Ray Bradbury than one of America’s most lauded science hubs?
Caltech will honor the works of one of the country’s most celebrated science fiction writers over this weekend and the next, with “Bradbury 100,” a series of short, adapted, one-act plays from his works. Bradbury, who had a long connection with Caltech, would be celebrating his 100th birthday this month, and in his science fiction world, he just may be.
The creative team of Bradbury 100 is drawn from a host of Caltech undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, Caltech community and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
The productions involve five different directors: JPL’s Barbie Insua (Marionettes, Inc.) and Brian White (The Martian Chronicles); Caltech’s former science magazine editor Doug Smith (The Sound of Thunder); Miranda Stewart (The Flying Machine, in Mandarin with English subtitles), a Caltech alumna who went on to a theater directing career; and current Caltech freshman Aditi Seetharaman (All Summer in a Day).
Jocelyn Holland, Professor of Comparative Literature, and Brian White adapted The Martian Chronicles; Caltech PhD Mark Kozlowski and Doug Smith adapted The Sound of Thunder; and Caltech postdoc Jin Yan Yeo with graduate students Xiao Tong and Yuhui Jin, and undergraduate Betty Wang translated Bradbury’s text of The Flying Machine into Mandarin.
And because this is Caltech, Assistant Professor of Philosophy Chip Sebens will discuss Bradbury’s science fiction and the paradoxes of time travel, on Friday, February 28. One of the author’s daughters, Ramona Bradbury, and her daughters Claire and Julia Handleman will make appearances on stage of Saturday, February 29, to share personal stories of their father and grandfather, moderated by Vice Provost, Chief Diversity Officer, and the Eli and Edythe Broad Professor of English, Cindy Weinstein.
Bradbury 100 is part of a national celebration of Ray Bradbury and his extensive oeuvre.
Here’s next weekend’s schedule:
Friday & Saturday, February 21 & 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 23 at 2:30 p.m.
Ramo Auditorium on the Caltech campus.
All Summer in a Day, directed by Aditi Seetharaman
Marionettes, Inc., directed by Barbie Insua
The Martian Chronicles, directed by Brian White
Ticket Info:
Ticket prices are: $20; $10 for seniors and Caltech faculty & staff; $5 students. Tickets are available by calling 626-395-4652, or at tacit.caltech.edu
