Free play, ‘Mr. Darwin’s Tree,’ features British film, TV and theatre actor
Mr. Darwin’s Tree, the acclaimed British one-man play about the life and work of Charles Darwin, will be performed at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 21, in Wood-Mar Auditorium. Produced by Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford (SCIO) and sponsored by George Fox’s science and religion clubs, the play aims to enhance the conversation on science and religion.
Written by noted playwright and director Murray Watts (The Miracle Maker, KJB: The Book that Changed the World, The Dream) and starring British film, TV and theatre actor Andrew Harrison (Dorian Gray, Miss Marple, Beyond Narnia), Mr. Darwin’s Tree presents a very human and very real Charles Darwin, one who wrestled with the challenges that his theories posed for traditional beliefs.
It also presents Darwin’s wife, Emma, as an intelligent and articulate representative of Christian faith. In doing so, the play rejects the “straw man” effigies of Darwin presented by both his extreme protagonists and antagonists, providing the opportunity for lively engagement, thoughtful conversations and fresh explorations.
The performance will mark the play’s first tour of the U.S. since it first premiered in 2009 at Westminster Abbey in England. The April 21 show will be followed by a reception and discussion with the playwright and leading campus academics.
Admission is free, but if you plan to attend an RSVP is requested. Please register at this link.
For more information, contact Jeongah Kim at jkim@georgefox.edu. More about the play is available at mrdarwinstree.com or scio-uk.org.