10/31/2022
Performances and Artists
In the coming year, Smith Center guests can step into history, explore African wildlife and venture into space.
Southern Nevadans will experience all these eye-opening perspectives with the acclaimed National Geographic Live touring North America speaker series, which presents leading scientists, journalists, explorers and adventurers who share their mesmerizing experiences firsthand.
Read below about three highly respected speakers and the transformative journeys they will share on The Smith Center’s stage in upcoming months.
Alicia Odewale: African Diaspora Archaeologist – Feb. 22, 2023
A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, archaeologist Alicia Odewale first learned from her father — a teacher — about the 1921 attack on Black Wall Street in the city’s historic Greenwood District.
Considered one of the worst episodes of racial violence committed against Black people in American history, the massacre left a devastating toll on generations of survivors and their descendants, even impacting the footprint of the district itself.
When Odewale later learned that she was a descendent of a survivor, “that changed the game for me,” she says.
Since then, Odewale has devoted herself as an archaeologist to uncovering inspiring stories in the century since the attack. She’s discovered not only stunning truths of this event, but also revelations of how the Greenwood District persevered to evolve into the thriving community it is today.
“Within this beautiful community, there’s been over 100 years of resilience,” she says. “It’s (a community) that is still standing, despite all odds.”
Audiences will hear all about this in Odewale’s presentation about using archaeology and radical mapping as tools for recovering lost stories, reclaiming a narrative and pursuing restorative justice.
“This is telling a story about Greenwood as it exists today, and all the twists and turns that history has taken,” she says.
Those who haven’t heard of the Tulsa Race Massacre are not alone, adds Odewale, who teaches at the University of Tulsa.
“Every year, I have students coming into the classroom who have never heard of it,” she says.
Not only does she feel compelled to raise awareness of the 1921 attack, but she also strives to better understand her family ties to the event.
“There’s a journey I have to work through, both as an archaeologist, as a descendent and as an educator,” she says. “Part of that journey, you’ll see live on stage.”
Bob Poole, Wildlife Filmmaker – April 14, 2023
Growing up in East Africa, Emmy-winning cinematographer Bob Poole learned all about the splendor of Africa’s wildlife.
Working on assignment with National Geographic, Poole experienced Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park, which had been a jewel of Africa’s parks system, until it was destroyed by a 16-year long war.
“The war in Mozambique was devastating. Over a million people were killed. Wildlife suffered greatly, but in Gorongosa National Park, it was particularly bad,” Poole says. “Ninety-five percent of all the animals were killed.”
But the park’s story didn’t end there.
Poole joined forces with a leading team of rangers and scientists — including his sister, renowned elephant researcher Dr. Joyce Poole — to restore the park in one of the biggest conservation projects on the planet.
“Gorongosa is a vast wilderness with great wildlife habitat, especially for elephants, and is one of the most biodiverse national parks in the world,” Poole says.
In a six-part PBS-National Geographic series, Poole filmed this rebirth of the vibrant national park.
“The wildlife (population) has exploded. It was one of Africa’s most magnificent parks, and today it is again,” he says.
In his presentation, Poole will discuss the elaborate process of reviving Gorongosa National Park. He will also share secrets of filming African wildlife, such as lions, crocodiles and the park’s elephants.
During his filming, Poole definitely experienced some close calls, he admits, including with elephants.
“Any one of those war-traumatized elephants can flip the car in a second,” he says. “I’ve been hit and driven hard.”
Poole’s presentation will include stunning images and stories of Gorongosa’s majestic animals – as well as how the wild places humans have broken can be put back together.
Terry Virts, NASA Astronaut – June 16, 2023
Astronaut Terry Virts will never forget preparing for his first launch into space.
“I remember walking out to the space shuttle and looking up and seeing this giant rocket, with smoke billowing out of it,” he says. “I’ve got to say, there’s nothing like the ride on a rocket going into space.”
If that sounds intriguing, Virts can offer many more thrilling stories of venturing 220 miles from the surface of the Earth, when he served as commander of the International Space Station.
His experiences include conducting roughly 19 hours of space walks.
“There’s something about being outside in outer space that is kind of crazy,” Virts says, though he admits that “about 1 percent of the spacewalks were ‘wow this is really neat,’ and 99 percent was ‘we’ve got work to do, what’s the next task?’”
Virts also took more photographs from the International Space Station than any astronaut who came before him. He accumulated hours of video and hundreds of thousands of still images, later used in the National Geographic book “View From Above” and the IMAX film “A Beautiful Planet.”
In his presentation, Virts will describe his space adventures and showcase his breathtaking photos and videos, all taken from a perspective that many rarely see.
Some of his favorite images from the space station include sunrises, auroras, typhoons and hurricanes.
“I could just never get enough (photos),” he says with a laugh. But, he adds, “photos never could capture what it’s like to be there in person.”
ABOUT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE
Odewale, Poole and Virts’ events are part of National Geographic Live’s programming throughout the United States and abroad. National Geographic’s broad roster of talent shares their behind-the-scenes stories from the front lines of exploration alongside stunning imagery and gripping footage. For more information on National Geographic Live and other National Geographic events, please visit nationalgeographic.com/events.
SEE THE SPEAKERS
Season subscriptions to the three-show series are currently available at thesmithcenter.com.