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Burst: A Radio Play – Online Premiere

Friday, August 21, 2020
12:00pm to 1:30pm
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CaltechLive! is excited to premiere the science-based Burst on Friday, August 21, at 12:00 PM PDT. The one-act play will be available at no cost for on-demand listening at events.caltech.edu.

Recorded as a live radio play, this compelling three-woman drama centers on Silicon Valley wunderkind Sarah Boyd. Her start-up, Tactix, is ready to announce a revolutionary new polymer that will drastically reduce plastic waste across the globe.

But at the eleventh hour, Sarah faces a bevy of unexpected problems: a missing assistant, an unwelcome reporter, and unrelenting ethical concerns from her cautious CTO (and longtime friend), Jennifer Weaver.

Tenacious and charismatic, Sarah is unfazed by the mounting complications¬—but will her passionate determination be enough to silence the doubters, especially when her relationships, her company, and the health of the planet itself are at stake?

Unfolding in real time, this fast-paced, character-oriented drama deftly explores gender politics and issues of environmentalism, industry, and ambition through a nuanced portrait of a woman determined to save the world.

This one-act play runs approximately 80 minutes and features explicit language. It is recommended for listeners 18 years and older.

Burst was written by Rachel Bublitz. It stars Kimberly Alexander as Sarah Boyd, Lea Madda as Jennifer Weaver, and Sawyer Fuller as Alexis Lyons, and is directed by Caltech alumna Miranda Stewart. Aidan Fenwick served as science advisor to the production. Burst was produced by Brian Brophy, Director of Caltech Theater, and is the latest script to be developed through the MACH-33 Festival of New Science-Driven Plays.