On Sunday, September 21, NASA's
Galileo spacecraft will plunge into Jupiter on a targeted trajectory of self-destruction, ending a historic 14-year voyage of discovery of the gas giant and its host of moons. The following evening,
The Planetary Society will pay tribute to the highly successful mission and the team that made it possible with a special theatrical event involving two alumni of
Star Trek: Voyager.
Robert Picardo ("The Doctor") is the director of "An Evening with Galileo and His Daughter," a one-time-only benefit performance starring John Rhys-Davies as Galileo Galilei. In Voyager Rhys-Davies played a similar character, the holographic "Leonardo da Vinci," and is also well-known for his roles in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
The reading will take place Monday, September 22, at 7:30 p.m. at the historic Pasadena Playhouse. Tickets for the fundraiser are $60 and $75. A reception with the cast will follow, and tickets for that are separate. For more information, visit this page at the Planetary Society Web site.
"An Evening with Galileo and His Daughter" will be readings of actual letters written to the scientist by his eldest daughter in the early 1600's, and writings by the historical figure himself (translated from the original Italian, of course). These writings were compiled and published in a book titled "Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love," authored by former science reporter Dava Sobel, who also scripted the staged reading and will be in attendance on Monday. Linda Purl, a stage and television actress recruited by Picardo, will play Suor Maria Celeste, a cloistered nun since the age of 13, who, despite her association with the very institution that threatened scientific progress at the time, mirrored her father's "brilliance, industry and sensibility, and by virtue of these qualities became his confidante," according to Sobel's book.
During a break from his current television project, The Lyon's Den, Picardo spoke with STARTREK.COM about the fundraising event. "The evening is a 40-minute experience of beautiful language and a glimpse into one of the greatest minds of science," he described. Picardo came on to the project after reading the book the play is based on. "I just thought it was a lovely piece of writing," he said. "Dava Sobel is a historian with a really unique ability to bring her subjects to life by showing them through a new prism — in this case, the writings of Galileo's daughter." He said the work juxtaposes Galileo's "passionate writings of new discovery with his daughter's very spiritual letters to him."
"The underlying irony of the whole piece is, of course, that he had that great conflict with the Catholic church, which she was completely and totally committed to, while at the same time being totally committed to her father," he added. "Not being a great reader of history myself, it was gratifying to read a book that really appealed on a number of levels beyond just being informational."
Picardo is a member of the Advisory Board of the Planetary Society, and was recruited into the organization six years ago by Andre Bormanis, science consultant on Voyager and now Executive Story Editor of Enterprise. "It's been a great experience," Picardo said about his time with the Society. "I've had the opportunity to help promote some of their educational programs, like the 'Red Rover Goes to Mars' competition. It's been a nice relationship that makes me feel good about my access to the science fiction audience through Voyager, and helping stimulate some of those sci-fi fans into being real-science fans."
Unlike several of his Trek castmates, Picardo rarely puts on the director's hat — though he did helm two Voyager episodes, "Alter Ego" and "One Small Step" — but he couldn't pass up the chance to work with Rhys-Davies, whom he only met briefly when he guest-starred on Voyager (they never had any scenes together). "I had to hear Kate [Mulgrew] go on and on about how wonderful a man he is. So, just to have that opportunity to work with him, to have lunch with him and chat about the material, was too good to turn down. And that coupled with the fact that I believe strongly in the Planetary Society, I was delighted to step up to the plate," he explained.
Picardo talks more about the Galileo celebration in a radio interview conducted by the Planetary Society, in which he also speaks at length about his seven years on Voyager, including comments on how his young daughters regarded the show and him in it. That audio clip can be found at this page.
When it comes time for its suicide dive into the atmosphere of Jupiter, the Galileo spacecraft will have completed 35 orbits of the giant planet, far more than the 11 originally planned. According to a CNN.com article posted today, the craft is being sent to its demise to avoid any accidental contamination of Europa, a Jovian moon which could harbor life of its own.
Be sure to catch Picardo in The Lyon's Den starting with the series premiere on Sunday, September 28, on NBC. Picardo is a guest character, not a regular, but he has already done the first five episodes of the show. "My contract extends through nine [episodes], and at that point, depending on how much they love me, and how many letters the loyal Star Trek fans have written saying how wonderful it is to see me back on series television" — hint, hint — "then maybe I'll be there longer."
