'First Person' takes audience to ends of Earth

Production features narrations from NPR's Neal Conan

Select a single seat in John R. Emens Auditorium and be transported into the blinding 29,029 foot peaks of Mount Everest or become submerged in the silent world of coral and fish shadows.

Escape the country for the night without the hassle of waiting for a passport or a plane as "First Person: Stories From the Edge of the World" engages the audience in a multimedia production comprised of Celtic music performed by Ensemble Galilei at 7 p.m.

"We're not all going to climb Mount Everest or dive down 3,000 feet using an aqua lung," Ensemble Galilei founder Carolyn Surrick said. "This show will make people feel a variety of emotions and think about maybe something they forgot. It's just extraordinary putting one foot in front of the other and having the courage to do so."

The presentation will feature narrations from National Public Radio's Neal Conan, who will narrate the first-account experiences of explorers' discoveries from all walks of life. National Geographic Image Collection Photographs will also display maps and photos on a projection screen while the words and images of adventurers tell the triumphs and difficulties of their discoveries.

Martha Woods, vice president of Jonathan Wentworth Associates, management company for Ensemble Galilei described the event as a multi-sensory experience.

"It's an experience that goes beyond the spoken word," she said.

From classical and Celtic backgrounds, the players of the Ensemble Galilei, who will perform alongside the multimedia presentation, earned reputable awards for instrumental talent for the Scottish fiddle, viola da gamba, Celtic harp, recorder and percussion. These instruments will play along to the photographs from the National Geographic Image Collection, capturing the eyes and ears of the audience.

"We call it the goose bump test," Surrick said. "If the hair on the top of your head or on your neck or wherever you have hair stands up, that's when we know we have the right tune or picture.

"The images from National Geographic are a phenomenon; they really take you someplace else, in a good way."

"First Person: Stories From the Edge of the World" is part of the Marie Smith Gray Lecture Series, which began in 1986 to provide free public lectures promoting cultural and scientific understanding.

"I believe the audience will experience beauty," Emens Director Robert Myers said.

If you goWhat: "First Person: Stories From the Edge of the World"When: 7 p.m.Where: John R. Emens AuditoriumAdmission: Free for general audiences


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