Explore the unknown space of the skies through poetry.
Guild Hall in East Hampton, in partnership with the Hamptons Observatory, will co-present A Sky Full of Poems with Dava Sobel — a discussion focused on how the skies have served to inspire poets for centuries. The free program will take place on Zoom on Wednesday, April 7, at 7 PM.
The skies have moved many to explore, imagine, and express. Across time and nations, the planets, moons, and stars have inspired and added meaning to all our lives. It is not surprising that such experiences have been eloquent – and sometimes humorously – expressed by poets.
Directed by Josh Gladstone, the artistic director of Guild Hall’s John Drew Theater, the program will feature Dava Sobel along with a trio of gifted actors including Nehassaiu deGannes, Laura Hix, and Isaac Klein. The recitation of a selection of celestially-inspired poems will be accompanied by related visuals, including “Apollo” by Elizabeth Alexander, “Annie Pearl Smith Discovers Moonlight” by Patricia Smith, and “Three Views of Mars” by Jessica Goodfellow.
“The poets have looked up at the sky and contemplated eternity and eloquently captured the feeling and Dava has curated a diverse, thoughtful, and colorful collection of these poems that touch beautifully upon the universe. Her unique scientific and artistic mind has woven a gorgeous tapestry and the three gifted actors will now bring the words to life,” said Gladstone.
Sobel is a bestselling author and Poetry Editor of the magazine Scientific American. She is a former New York Times science reporter and author and co-author of multiple books as well as a longtime science contributor to Harvard Magazine, Audubon, Discover, Life, Omni, and The New Yorker. Sobel is the recipient of numerous awards for her contributions to the public understanding of science and technology: 2001 Individual Public Service award, Bradford Washburn Award, Harrison Medal, Klumpke-Roberts Award, and the 2015 Cultural Award.
A daughter of the Caribbean diaspora, Nehassaiu deGannes is a multi-hyphenate actor, poet and maker, recently seen Off Broadway, regionally, internationally and in the Ice-T produced indie feature “Equal Standard.” Her pandemic poem “To Find, To Be” was shortlisted for the 2020 Montreal Prize, and her first book-length collection of poems, “Music for Exile,” debuted in February.
Hix currently works in psychological research, investigating wellbeing in college students. She recently received an Educational Design Fellowship at University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she assisted in the development of a program in creative practice. Theater credits include “Gun Play” at NYU, Scarlett O’Hara and the “War on Tara” at La MaMa, “Mo[u]rnin’. After” at The Wild Project, and “References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot” at Hangar Theatre.
Klein is a writer, director, teacher, and performer born and raised in East Hampton. He is the author of the book “The School of Doing: Lessons from Theater Master Gerald Freedman.” His work has been seen in theaters all around the country, perhaps most notably as the assistant director of the Broadway revivals of “Gypsy” and “West Side Story.”
Registration is required. Visit guildhall.org.