The Life of Galileo NYC Reviews and Tickets

77%

(23 Reviews)

Positive

78%

Mixed

18%

Negative

Members say

Ambitious, Clever, Thought-provoking, Relevant, Great acting

About the Show

Irondale Ensemble presents a new staging of Bertolt Brecht's drama about the legendary astronomer and physicist and his battle between his scientific principles and the Catholic Church.

"Galileo" follows Galileo as he worked to prove the Copernican theory that the sun, not the earth, is the center of the universe. Galileo’s findings and claims challenged the Catholic Church’s omnipotent religious rule. Accused of heresy and brought to trial, Galileo forcefully recanted his findings and was confined to house arrest for the rest of his life, forbidden to continue to write further about a moving earth or a stationary sun. The adaptation also showcases a new political system coming into power and the extreme intellectual conflict experienced by technology and information.

Member Reviews (23)

Resonant, Relevant, Profound, Intelligent, Slow

See it if A very well acted story good acting. Scientist vs religion and the conflicr was interesting to watch.

Don't see it if Very, very long. First act about hour and a half. If you want a lighter show, a comedy ect.

Thoughtful, Probative, Contemporary, Enjoyable, Faithful in its fashion

See it if you are a Brechtian who understands that fidelity to Brecht means probing his work for what it has to say to a contemporary audience.

Don't see it if you either don't like Brecht or only like Brecht as he was written. Read more

Critic Reviews (1)

February 22nd, 2019

Michael Appler

"Irondale’s innovative and triumphant 'Galileo' is Bertolt Brecht at his most excellent, cradled by an ensemble of dynamic and invested performers and pitched inevitably toward its audience with a playful, conscious eye toward its own didactic mission...As much a top-notch production of the play as it is a contemplation on the playwright himself, staged like a troupe of actors trading spirited performances, mulling over Brecht’s text."
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