'Moons of Jupiter' to open for three-day run in Warehouse Theatre

Hermes (Cody Losinger) angers his father, Zeus (Pedro CastroVentura).

 Photo Provided

For three days next week, the public will have the opportunity to learn more about climate change through the eyes of Jessica Litwak, author of “Moons of Jupiter,” a play that winds itself around Greek mythology, science fiction, and a few rap-style Beatles songs.

Performances of this Hamilton-Gibson Women’s Project production will be on Friday and Saturday, April 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 23 at 2:30 p.m. in the Warehouse Theatre, 3 Central Ave., Wellsboro.

Litwak is a playwright, performer, educator and leader in the field of socially engaged theatre. She has a BFA in acting, an MFA in playwriting and a Ph.D. in theatre as leadership and change. Her award-winning plays have been translated into three languages and produced across the world.

“Set in the future when the earth is running out of fresh water, the play follows a very strange day in the life of an astrophysicist working on a way to access water in space,” Director Lilace Guignard explains. “The playwright uses dead scientists and Greek gods to explore the history of human beliefs and our understanding of the world to engage our imaginations and motivate us to get involved with any of the many ways to address climate change that we already know.”

The cast includes three men, eight women and the eight-member Greek chorus.

In the female cast includes:

  • Megan Gallant of Mansfield as Chava, an astrophysicist
  • Diamond Thompson of Mansfield as Aphrodite
  • Marie Andrews of Wellsboro as Athena
  • and Kiah James of Millerton as Artemis.

There will also be four famous male scientists played by women, as stipulated by the playwright:

  • Dawn McLelland of Mansfield as Sir Isaac Newton
  • Nikki York of Mainesburg as Galileo
  • Yolie Canales of Wellsboro as Einstein
  • and Rachel James of Millerton as Darwin.

In the male cast includes:

  • Pedro CastroVentura of Wellsboro as Zeus, king of the gods
  • Cody Losinger of Wellsboro as his son Hermes
  • and Louie Preston of Tioga as the bartender.

Commenting in a collective voice during the play on why fresh water is so scarce throughout the world are the eight members of the Greek Chorus, including:

Tina Eyer of Campbell, N.Y., Amy Woodbury, Josiah Hicks-Lee and Nicoleana Woodbury, all of Blossburg; Bryson Fuhrer of Knoxville; Jayna Brodnicki of Morris; and Gunnar Bowen and Arline Buchman, both of Wellsboro.

“The Moons of Jupiter” explores the history of science, the future of planetary travel, and the courage and necessity of looking toward the unknown for solutions.

Tickets for “The Moons of Jupiter” are available at hgp.booktix.org.