STEAM on Stage

What is STEAM on Stage?

Since 2014, the Wisconsin Science Festival has incorporated unique events that feature timed flash talks about various science concepts/topics, informal presentation styles, audience interaction, and artistic components. These adult-facing art-science fusion events have been held in a variety of venues and formats over the last decade. What began as Big Ideas for Busy People has evolved into the WhySci Variety Show – a high-energy night filled with science and performance, produced in partnership with the UW-Madison Division of the Arts.

In 2024, the WiSciFest team took over the Majestic Theatre in Madison for Big Ideas for Busy People and brought together 4 scientists, 2 dance performers, 1 emcee, and 1 fiddler player to cover the topics of climate journalism, nuclear power, AI and agriculture, and parasites, as well as dazzle the audience with music and artistry. Each science presenter was given a short time to introduce their topic and captivate the audience before being cut off by the evening’s resident fiddle player, Daithi Wolfe. In between these bite-sized lectures, the festival’s partnership with the UW-Madison Division of the Arts brought two live dance performances related to the festival feature of agriculture.

In 2025, WiSciFest returned to the Majestic Theatre, amping up the performance element for the newly-imagined WhySci Variety Show. In a year celebrating Rock & Roll, this stage takeover featured a live house band, David Hecht and the Who Dat, emcee and improv whiz Ben Rush, live physics demos with Haddie McLean from the Wonders of Physics, dance performances, and digestible science flash talks to inspire curiosity and awe in all who attended.