Last night I went to the theater. Actor and satirist Marco Paolini was performing his favorite monologue about Galileo Galilei. Not an easy task, when you consider the man and his place in history. Paolini was juggling religion, the Inquisition, mathematics, astronomy, astrology—and Galileo’s personality.

I was with my wife and her friend, who had been told by an acquaintance that the performance would be boring, so she should be prepared to fall asleep. Instead she laughed to tears, from beginning to end. She enjoyed herself more than she had in a long time.

Of course, not all of the two-hour monologue made us laugh, but it was a good, enjoyable mix, a blend of amusement and seriousness. Paolini had his work cut out for him, standing up in front of a family audience with teens, elders, and educated people in the mix. It wasn’t easy at all, but by the end of the evening, our hands were red from clapping.

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