Canada鈥檚 famous space man, Chris Hadfield, is bringing his story to the stage.
Hadfield鈥檚 bestselling children鈥檚 book The Darkest Dark, an autographical story about a nine-year-old boy who dreams of becoming an astronaut during the summer of the Apollo 11 moon landing, has been adapted by Young People鈥檚 Theatre, a Canadian theatre company in Toronto that produces plays for children.
The performance features a younger version of Hadfield conquering his fear of the dark, an effort to 鈥渉elp kids understand that everybody鈥檚 afraid,鈥� the retired astronaut told CTV National News.
鈥淚t鈥檚 what you do with your fear that is going to determine your path of your whole life,鈥� he added.
Hadfield, who was also an engineer and fighter pilot, seems to live by his own advice, carrying out a career as a musician and writer. As the first Canadian to officially to conduct a spacewalk, Hadfield has been aboard Space Shuttle missions along with serving as the commander of the International Space Station.
To Hadfield, his children鈥檚 book stands as a metaphor for what led him to 鈥渁ctually put on a space suit, open up the hatch and pull myself into the universe alone.鈥�
Hadfield says the production by Young People Theatre has brought his ideas to life.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like if you made a sketch of a flower and suddenly it was a living flower in front of you,鈥� he said.
In a reaction video released by Young People Theatre, Hadfield said: 鈥淚t was wonderful. It was the ideas of the book brought way beyond life.鈥�
Hadfield hopes this story inspires kids to not let fear hold them back from reaching for what they aspire toward.
鈥淚t鈥檚 out there in that darkness,鈥� he said. 鈥淲aiting for us to discover and understand it. 鈥�
