Science on Stage : From Doctor Faustus to Copenhagen / Kirsten Shepherd-Barr.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shepherd-Barr, Kirsten, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Drama--20th century--History and criticism.

Drama.

Science in literature.

Scientists in literature.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (viii, 271 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2018]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

Science on Stage is the first full-length study of the phenomenon of "science plays"--theatrical events that weave scientific content into the plot lines of the drama. The book investigates the tradition of science on the stage from the Renaissance to the present, focusing in particular on the current wave of science playwriting. Drawing on extensive interviews with playwrights and directors, Kirsten Shepherd-Barr discusses such works as Michael Frayn's Copenhagen and Tom Stoppard's Arcadia. She asks questions such as, What accounts for the surge of interest in putting science on the stage? What areas of science seem most popular with playwrights, and why? How has the tradition evolved throughout the centuries? What currents are defining it now? And what are some of the debates and controversies surrounding the use of science on stage? Organized by scientific themes, the book examines selected contemporary plays that represent a merging of theatrical form and scientific content--plays in which the science is literally enacted through the structure and performance of the play. Beginning with a discussion of Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, the book traces the history of how scientific ideas (quantum mechanics and fractals, for example) are dealt with in theatrical presentations. It discusses the relationship of science to society, the role of science in our lives, the complicated ethical considerations of science, and the accuracy of the portrayal of science in the dramatic context. The final chapter looks at some of the most recent and exciting developments in science playwriting that are taking the genre in innovative directions and challenging the audience's expectations of a science play. The book includes a comprehensive annotated list of four centuries of science plays, which will be useful for teachers, students, and general readers alike.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. The Tradition of Science Plays

2.Why Theater? The Appeal of Science Plays Now

3. "Living Newspapers" and Other Plays about Physics and Physicists

4. Copenhagen Interpretations: The Epistemology of Intention

5. Evolution in Performance: The Natural Sciences on Stage

6. Mathematics and Thermodynamics in the Theater

7. Doctors' Dilemmas: Medicine under the Scalpel

8. Just a Fiction": Staging History and Truth

Conclusion Alternating Currents: New Trends in Science and Theater

Appendix Four Centuries of Science Plays:An Annotated List

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [253]-262) and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Mai 2019)

ISBN:

9780691188232

0691188238

OCLC:

1076475212