there will come soft rains: a science fiction symphony in three acts

[ellen_datlow]

This evening (very early, 5:15), Rick Bowes, Jim Patrick Kelly, Mary Robinette Kowal, and I attended a performance of three one acts: Stanislaw Lem's How the World Was Saved, translated by Michael Kandel, who was coincidentally also in the audience with his charming wife Margie; On the Nature of Time by Bill Pronzini and Barry N. Malzberg; and There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury.

The first play--with puppets--was wonderful (even though I'm not all that fond of Lem). It's about a scientist who builds a robot that can create anything that starts with the letter "n" and the fellow scientist whose challenge causes the robot to deconstruct the world. The puppets, music, robot (played by a human), and set --made up with many light bulbs were all very fine.

The second play was a perfectly realized time travel story about a man who recounts how, as a boy, he dreamed of discovering his difficult father murdered in his study. The special effects with a scrim and holographic--seeming lighting worked very well. I hope Barry has had a chance to see the performance. I'd think he would have enjoyed it.

The third, from a classic Bradbury story that really upset me when I first read it years ago, is about a completely mechanized house that continues to do all it's been programmed to do, despite the fact that the family who lived there -and everything else in the area--has been obliterated by a nuclear bomb. Three young women carry large white squares that represented the walls of the house. Rain is created by pouring water from a basin into a bucket and at times, letting it roll over the squares. The set was minimal, the overall effect powerful.

Afterward, we discovered that Liz Gorinsky of Tor was also in the audience. All of us but Liz (she had another engagement) went to dinner at Paris Commune after.

The last performance is at 151 Bank street in the west village on Saturday 7:30. If you're in the NYC area and can make it, I highly recommend it.
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Comments

[al-zorra.livejournal.com]

"There Will Come Soft Rains," was probably the first sf story, and certainly the first Bradbury story, I ever read. It was in my freshman year lit text book for English class. It was deeply evocative then, and sounds as though it remains so. It's been many years since I read it last.

We were over there last night too -- and had a drink at the Paris Commune. We'd gone to the Brecht Forum for a screening of a documentary on the disappearance of black voice radio.

It was a beautiful, perfect summer evening and night. The light at this time of the year is a wonder. On our way over I wanted to stop all the time and take photos.

Love, C.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

What time were at the Paris Commune. We left before 8 I think as the show was only a bit over an hour and started 5:15.

What gorgeous weather we've been having... too bad it won't last.

[al-zorra.livejournal.com]

We were there a little before 7.

Love, C.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

that's when we were there--table for six at the back of the front section...weird...were you at the bar?