Section 8 Course Description
Course Name: Science on Stage: Monsters and Heroes
Instructor: Bob Rosenberg
Many of today’s issues are scientific/medical/technological: global warming, the search for renewable energy sources, nuclear proliferation, GMOs, computer viruses. Unfortunately, the issues involved can be technical and often are not easily understood without training.
Theatre has a long history of capturing the essential elements of complex issues without including technical details. The issues raised can be quite moving, while the intellectual investment in watching (or reading) a play can be quite modest.
This course will look at the depiction of scientists in the theatre. We will discuss plays that are based on real scientists, such as Galileo and Copenhagen as well as plays that are not, such as Frankenstein. We will watch some plays that have been adapted for film. Student papers can be on any topic that depicts a scientist interacting with society at large.