The Consequences of Scientific Discovery

It’s not often that scientific research is the focus of a theater production. But a new play by Professor of Theater Arts Alan Brody, Operation Epsilon, asks the question: What's more important, the pursuit of scientific discovery or the devastating consequences that those discoveries can create?

Operation Epsilon is based on the true story of 10 nuclear scientists in Nazi Germany who were captured by the Allies near the end of World War II. The German scientists—who included Nobel laureates Otto Hahn and Werner Heisenberg and were known as Adolph Hitler’s "Uranium Club"—were sequestered to the English countryside, where they were under surveillance and their conversations were secretly recorded. Portions of their actual transcribed conversations are included in the play.

From Joyce Kulhawik (www.joyceschoices.com):

"The production features a who's who of local actors, who convincingly take us to a literal time and place I didn't know existed, but wrestle with questions that are all too familiar and even more relevant now. It's a simple play, really, that very clearly delineates some of the key issues of conscience that trouble us today—scientific inquiry versus its potential catastrophic results."

Brody, who served as an associate provost at MIT from 2000 to 2006, teaches courses in playwriting and theater history. His works include the plays Invention for Fathers and Sons, The Company of Angels, and Greytop in Love, and the novels Coming To and Hey Lenny, Hey Jack.

The play, produced by the Nora Theatre Company and developed in part by the Council for the Arts at MIT, can be seen at the Central Square Theater through April 28 and received a positive review from The Boston Globe.

From The Boston Globe:

"What makes Alan Brody's Operation Epsilon so engrossing is the fact that even (the scientists) can't agree on the real truth of their motives. Were they merely disinterested scientists, conducting research for a 'uranium machine' that would produce energy, or did they know all along that their work was aimed at developing an atomic bomb for Adolf Hitler?"

Many remaining shows include a post-performance talkback session between audience members and faculty from MIT and Harvard, including Institute professors Robert Jaffe, Jerome Friedman, Robert Redwine, Janet Conrad, and Brody. A discount offer (use code MITID) is available for the MIT community.