Science, Drama, and the Power of the Inquisitive Mind
S07
Dina Janis
Measure what is measurable, and make measurable what is not so. —Galileo

To be or not to be, that is the question. —Shakespeare

How do the worlds of science and theater connect and what do they share? What is the role of the revolutionary thinker in society? We will study a variety of dramatic texts that look at these questions, exploring the nature of the inquisitive mind and its relationship to social, cultural, and political systems throughout history. Students in this class will develop scenes for presentation from a small canon of plays that includes Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, The Physicist by Friedrich Durrenmatt, Copenhagen by Michael Frayn, Galileo by Bertolt Brecht, Proof by David Aubern, and The Doctor’s Dilemma by George Bernard Shaw, among others. We will study in-depth the lives and discoveries depicted in these plays and the way in which society was impacted by these discoveries. Rehearsals of scenes outside of class, several research-based papers, as well as end-of-term performance can be expected. Students from varied disciplines are welcome.