The history of space travel is filled with fascinating stories of human frailty and endeavour. It seems that every time we strive into the beyond, humanity’s weaknesses become more apparent.
Glass Ceiling Beneath the Stars follows the story of Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to go to space (and later, the first actual astronaut to appear on Star Trek). Mae’s story is eclipsed somewhat by that of Jan Davis, a fellow astronaut, who, once selected to go into space, secretly marries fellow crew member Mark Lee. Once discovered, the general public becomes less interested in Mae or Jan and focuses on the notion that two people might have sex in space.
The play focuses on the perspectives of Mae and Jan. Both have to deal with sexism, ignorance and brutal stupidity as they make their way to achieve the dream of becoming astronauts. It’s brutal and gritty but also inspirational. Despite the flaws of the world, anyone can make their way to the stars.
It’s an all-woman cast, and the story is presented in a very kinetic, physical way. (The group is LeCoq trained). Screens on the stage are combined with streaming cameras, and subtitles for the show form part of the actual on-stage experience. They are some brilliant moments of physical theatre here. For example, we see the model for the shuttle launch on stage, and it’s filmed live. So if you look at the model, you see how the effect is done, but if you look at the screen, you just see the ‘shuttle launch’. This provides a very tactile sense to the show, which lends weight to the scenes of casual sexism and Institutional discrimination.
Bric à Brac Theatre has created a beautiful, intelligent and thought-provoking piece of theatre. It’s a must for fans of science and science fiction. If you’re a fan of space-exploration history, Mary Robinette Kowal’s Lady Astronaut books, the TV series For All Mankind or just clever stories about space travel in general, you owe it to yourself to go see this.
This show runs at the Edinburgh Fringe until August 27th, 2023. Find tickets here.
