Copenhagen
Copenhagen, written by Michael Frayn, premiered at the Seattle Repertory Theater, marking the beginning of its 40th season. Frayn accomplishes a perfect mix of science and theater in this intellectual play which won a Tony award in 2000. Frayn explores the scientific ethics in the nuclear age and ambiguity of motives with the help of an elusive 1941 meeting between two of the world's top nuclear physicists of the time, Neils Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. The role that Heisenberg played at this meeting is under heated debate throughout the scientific community. Undoubtedly, these two men invented the 20th century field of quantum physics; Bohr being referring to as the Pope with Einstein being God leaving Heisenberg to play the role of either Jesus or the Devil which is the core story of the play. The play looks at a verity of answers to the perplexing question: "Why did Heisenberg come to Copenhagen"? In 1941, Heisenberg, the head of Nazi Germany's nuclear research, left Germany to visit his mentor, the eminent Danish physicist Bohr, and his wife Margreth
Bohr's outfit, the dress and sweater coat looked as if she just got back from shopping in the 80's. This hidden fact served well since the play is based on an after death meeting. Upon entering the theater you are presented with a practically bare stage with only three chairs to offset the emptiness. Ballard and Birk execute many powerful conversations on the various principles of physics yet for the typical theatergoer it is tough to imagine an actual physicist getting so worked up over the subject. Bohr's clothing was the only costume that seemed to fit the time frame of the play, wearing a grey three piece suit including the pocket watch on a chain reminiscent of the late 40's. This is the environment that the three actors argue their cases and search for the real reason why Heisenberg came to Copenhagen, offering many different permutations. By leaving the actors on a bare stage, Director Richard E. During these heated battles between the two, Bohr's wife Margrethe, fabulously played by Marianne Owen, becomes a referee in the debates and a proxy for the viewing audience. White leaves the audience to concentrate on the actor's speech and movements. It then dawned on me that the costumes that they were wearing fit the same time periods that they all died in. The three chairs are set on a circular area with a curved ramp along the back. Was Heisenberg using Bohr to acquire information about the Allied nuclear program to aid Germany in the race for an atomic bomb or was he trying to enlist Bohr to help slow the process for both the Axis and Allies? The three characters reflect on what happened at that 1941 meeting when they all come together one more time after their death. What went on during the meeting is anybody's guess.
Common topics in this essay:
Worst Bohr's,
Marianne Owen,
Repertory Theater,
Copenhagen Besides,
Rose Pederson,
ET White,
Ballard Birk,
Werner Heisenberg,
Axis Allies,
Heisenberg Copenhagen,
heisenberg copenhagen,
bare stage,
question heisenberg,
wife margrethe,
1941 meeting,
question heisenberg copenhagen,
|
Acceptance Essays
