Renowned astronauts and stars of stage and screen participated in this soaring Times event commemorating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and humankind’s first steps on the moon.



The evening featured the reading of a short play by Tony Award-winning author J. T. Rogers. Commissioned specifically for this event, the play wove together transcripts of the Apollo 11 mission, Times coverage from the period and excerpts from interviews with the men and women who made it happen.



The performers who brought these historic moments to life included: Lauren Ambrose, Jeff Daniels, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Dakin Matthews, Arian Moayed, Kristine Nielsen and JoAnna Rhinehart, with special guests Rosdely Ciprian and Thursday Williams. Directed by Tony winner (and nine-time nominee) Bartlett Sher and produced by Cambra Overend.



Following the reading, Michael Barbaro of “The Daily” hosted an onstage conversation with Michael Collins, command module pilot on Apollo 11; Peggy Whitson, the first female commander of the International Space Station; and Poppy Northcutt, the first female engineer to work in NASA’s Mission Control, starting with Apollo 8.