Julia Sweeney Photos
If you haven’t been keeping up here, last Thursday Oct. 26 the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard and the student group we sponsor, the Harvard Secular Society, brought actress/writer Julia Sweeney to Harvard to perform her new one-woman play, Letting Go of God. The event was a wonderful success, not only because Julia more than lived up to the New York Times’ rave review, entitled “Questioning Religious Faith and Yet Finding Inspiration,” but also because it was evidence of just how much our Humanist community here at Harvard is building great momentum. I can’t say thank you enough to all the Humanist undergraduate and graduate students who helped put it all together. Julia’s performance amounted to our biggest event ever– and also to Julia’s largest crowd ever for a performance of the full version of the show. So, read the unprecedented Harvard Gazette article, and/or just enjoy the photos below! All photos by the wonderful Rick Friedman unless noted.
One audience member checks out the program as the audience flows in. Inside the program was a beautiful invitation to this event.
A huge crowd (or the part of it that fit inside at this point) lines up in the Cathedral-like environs of Memorial Hall/Sanders Theater.
Total attendance: approximately 750.
Harvard Secular Society President Amanda Shapiro helps introduce Julia. (Photo by Andy Connor.)
After all our hard work preparing: the show finally begins…
How does the mind work?
Biblical scene.
Harvard Kennedy School of Govt. alumna Sunny Schwartz at a table promoting local Humanistic Jewish Congregation Kahal B’raira, during intermission. Several Humanist-related local organizations and Unitarian Universalist Churches helped spread the word about the show.
A standing–no, jumping– ovation.
Humanist Chaplains Greg Epstein and Tom Ferrick greet Julia as the applause continues.
A fascinating Q & A with the audience followed the show.
Humanist Chaplain Greg Epstein, congratulating Julia and thinking: “I love my job.”
Wasn’t that great?! Epstein, Ferrick, and Shapiro gathering onstage after the show, along with Peter Blake HGSE, Sean Bala ’09, Matt Valente ’08, and Will Nygard ’08.
Some members of the Harvard Secular Society, the Humanistgrads, and the Humanist Association of Massachusetts got together afterwards for photos.
This great shot of us by graduate student Andy Connor. Thanks, Andy!
You can purchase the CD now at www.juliasweeney.com…
But you can only get the autograph & “hi mom!” cameraphone shot right here.
Julia with Amanda as Greg explains, “this show might not even have happened if it wasn’t for her…”
Julia and Julie Duncan ’09 making the “Pat face.”
A longing parting glance at the famous Sanders Theater chandelier. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have our own beautiful space in which to hold Humanist events?
The Heart of Humanism » Harvard Humanist Year in Review 06-07
May 10, 2007 @ 10:14 pm
[…] Julia Sweeney: Renowned Actress, Comedienne, Playwright and Humanist Julia Sweeney visits Harvard to perform her inspiring new play, Letting Go of God, for a huge crowd– 750 paid attendees – at Harvard’s prestigious Sanders Theatre. The audience, which marked the largest crowd Sweeney had ever performed the entire play for, was wowed. See the Harvard Gazette article. Undergraduate Julie Duncan’s review was distributed nationally and internationally in leading Humanist e-newsletters. For a photo essay of the almost supernaturally magical night: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/humanism/2006/11/03/julia-sweeney-photos/ […]