A Review of Richard N. Goodwin’s “Two Men of Florence”
Submitted by Patricia McCarron
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Scenic and Costume Designer Francis O’Connor uses an intricate and alternating array of candles and lights on all sides and above the stage to denote in like terms both subjects of the play: the universe and the universal God. At center-stage Goodwin has placed his subjects on a rotating circular disc, which he cleverly uses to transport the audience to and from the laboratory of mathematician, Galileo Galilei, where he animatedly, and in hermeneutical terms not unlike those of his antagonist, Pope Urban VIII, explains his experimentation with motion to his contemporaries and most proudly to his daughter, a profound religious, who generously returns her father’s love and validates his genius. To suggest her engagement from a distance, when not in her father’s laboratory, she moves about on the stationary periphery of Goodwin’s rotating set, listening intently, and, like her father, surrenders life to faith. Against the backdrop of Galileo’s claim of the earth’s rotation around the sun, the rotating set becomes a metaphor for the storyline’s span over decades, as Galileo Galilei (Jay O. Sanders), a father of modern science, and Pope Urban VIII (Peter Van Wagner), the vicar of Christ, play out the spectacle of their conflicting vocations, as they evolved (pardon the pun) up to and through the time in 1632, when Galileo published his book, Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief Systems of the World.
Through Goodwin’s impartial and stunning mind's eye and skillfully crafted dialogue, we vividly witness, as the bond of friendship between then Cardinal Bellarmine and Galileo disintegrates into a tragic collision of science and religion, as it plays out in a world over which both hold strong influence. While Sanders’ deep portrayal of the piously Catholic Galileo evokes his suffering in being at odds with the church he loves, Van Wagner’s powerful depiction of Pope Urban VIII brings sympathy to his ecclesial character as Vicar of Christ, even as special effects lighting unambiguously displays the imperial power that he wields with impunity. Molly Schreiber’s role as Galileo’s daughter, Maria Celeste, stands in sharp contrast to those of Sanders and Van Wagner, as she deftly conveys the sublime humility of her character: We’re not sure how, but she appears to float above the surface of it all, and poignantly embodies the simple nature and divine grace of dutiful nun and beloved daughter of her controversial father. A splendid array of actors and actresses in supporting roles energized and ignited this story, as told by Goodwin’s imaginative genius, as both sides of the argument prepare the case and react to the verdict of the Inquisition. Ever considerate of his audience, throughout the story, Goodwin lightens the load, effectively using caricature, wit and humor to display the very human foolishness of his renowned characters and their contemporaries, and as an anecdote to the magnitude of the issues at stake. The satirical sycophants surrounding both mathematician and pope cleverly allude to society’s ever present need of supermen, and its willingness to overlook the obvious to legitimize their want.
For Voice of the Faithful members, “Two Men of Florence” is timely, because it evokes for today’s Catholics the struggle to live out the faith Jesus gave us, as opposed to the “faith” the institution would have us blindly accept, while Pope Benedict XVI, although often mired in controversy, challenges modernity, even in the wake of a worldwide ongoing sexual abuse crisis in the church he leads.
As the play progresses we become aware of the differences: Unencumbered by television and the ubiquitous media, Pope Urban VIII wielded the Inquisition against Galileo’s ingenuous breakthrough with impunity, whereas Pope Benedict’s errors of judgment receive global scrutiny, revealing to today’s people of God the chink in the armor of absolute authority. Especially in this era, this playwright is a catalyst: We leave the theatre with many questions and considerations, and the knowledge that contemporary struggles are a fresh opening to revisit outcomes limited by the culture and knowledge of their day, albeit with the reality of our own limits.
My only disappointments with the show were: In this very age of technology, Goodwin was deprived of a microphone during the preliminary question and answer period, which resulted in people sitting at a distance shouting for him to speak louder, and, obviously, the missing microphone became an offense to both playwright and audience. Secondly, from our balcony seats it seemed that some of the cast’s voices bounced off the vaulted ceiling of the Huntington, giving a hollow sound to the player’s well spoken lines. But this would be true in any of Boston’s vintage theatres. (I may see the play a second time, if orchestra seats are available!)
