This past Thursday, our own Dr. Anca Constantin joined a gut-busting troupe of comedians at the Court Square Theatre for “You’re the Expert,” with Chris Duffy.
Along with Duffy and Dr. Constantin, the comedy cocktail included Anna Drezen, the associate editor of Reductress, Maeve Higgins from Inside Amy Schumer, and Nick Vatterott of Comedy Central.
Throughout the night, the comedians had to guess at topics such as Dr. Constantin’s title, research focus, personal life, and various astronomy terms and acronyms. Laughter rang aloud throughout the night, with jokes including astronauts with space shotguns and space whiskey, the ethics of interplanetary affairs, and that the Bootes Void is right under Orion’s Belt.
Despite the ensemble of laughter, the night was dedicated to the integration of comedy with education. While there were educational aspects within much of the comedy, such as highlighting the difference between astronomy and astrology, proper time was dedicated to focus in on Dr. Constantin’s experience as an Astronomer and Professor. During this time, she touched on what inspired her, the current state of astronomy, and the potential of her research.
If the comedians on stage gave any indication of the audience (both of whom didn’t have any previous knowledge on the subject), then everyone was thoroughly intrigued by the vastness and wonder of astronomical research. We thank Chris, Nick, Maeve, and Anna for coming to Harrisonburg to make us laugh while we learn, and learn while we laugh.
