Mach 33: "Somber Science"

by Mathilde Marcolli, Caltech faculty

Aurora Apolito is a theoretical physicist and mathematician working at a research institute in Germany. Her graduate assistant, Hamid al-Nashi, is a graduate student from Baghdad who escapes bombings at his university to travel to Germany to work with Dr. Apolito. The head of Aurora's department, however, is a swaggering, self-aggrandizing know-it-all who ultimately taunts and torments her until she escapes to California, leaving the fate of al-Nashi in jeopardy. Somber Science is a timely play about the difficult alchemy of scientific collaboration and mentoring, the pitfalls of narcissism, and the beauty of science.

Tickets at the door. Suggested $5 donation to Theater Arts at Caltech.

For additional information please see the TACIT website.

About the Series:

MACH 33: The Festival of New Science-Driven Plays at Caltech

MACH 33 fosters compelling conversations about scientific, mathematical, and technological questions by staging readings of new, unpublished plays by Los Angeles-area and Caltech/JPL playwrights. The plays in the festival offer stories that capture our imagination and ignite our curiosity about science.

The readings—by casts including Caltech students, faculty, staff, and other members of the Caltech/JPL/Huntington Library community—are open to the public and include post-show discussions with the playwrights.