In an effort to highlight the Arts in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM), the Flagstaff Festival of Science reached out to long-time collaborator Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival (FlagShakes), and author Melissa Sevigny to see if they could help bring to life one of the most intriguing tales of the pursuit of science. The event will feature an original staged reading inspired by the riveting book Brave the Wild River by science writer Melissa L. Sevigny. The performance explores the true story of two pioneering botanists, Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter, who, in 1938, became the first women to successfully boat the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon—while conducting groundbreaking plant research along the way.
The reading will feature three professional actors performing as the central characters, ,<interspersed with vivid stage directions and brief contextual narration>. Blending direct quotes from journals, scientific notes, and interviews with narrative elements and excerpts from Sevigny’s prose, the reading brings this extraordinary scientific journey to life through language, emotion, and action and reminds us of the unique challenges women have had to face as scientists.
Following the reading, there will be a discussion and Q&A with the book’s author Melissa Sevigny, the play’s author Dawn Tucker, and NAU professor Geetha Iyer who teaches about blending science with personal histories.
FlagShakes is known for their commitment to classical texts and actor-driven productions, but we also have a long-standing passion for bridging the gap between science and art. We’ve partnered with the Festival of Science, the Museum of Northern Arizona, Lowell Observatory, and Tinkertopia on past projects—and we see Brave the Wild River as a natural extension of that mission. This story isn’t just historical—it’s personal, regional, and deeply relevant to the future of water and wildness in the American West.
We hope that audiences walk away inspired by the bravery of these women, more aware of the complexity of the canyon’s ecology, and excited to learn more about the intersections of science, storytelling, and stewardship.The event will take place on September 25 at 7:30 at the Coconino Center for the Arts.
Board member, Adam Marsh, and lead paleontologist at Petrified National Forest, works with a team of scientists to uncover an approximately 300 million-year-old fossil skeleton discovered at Canyonlands National Park in Utah (June 2024)