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The Physicists  By  cover art

The Physicists

By: Friedrich Durrenmatt
Narrated by: Bruce Davison, John de Lancie, Harry Groener, Gregory Itzin, Matt Gaydos, Christopher Guilmet, Missy Yager
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Editorial reviews

The dramatization of experimental and often cryptic Swiss author Frederich Durrenmatt’s play The Physicists is a satirical morality tale concerning science and ethics and is set in a mental asylum.

Legendary physicist, Johanne Mobius, is locked in a sanatorium and convinced he is being haunted by the ghost of King Solomon, while the two fellow patients he is locked away with believe they are Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton.

Performed in front of a live audience by an all-star cast that includes veteran film actor Bruce Davison, John De Lancie (a.k.a. “Q” from Star Trek: The Next Generation), and Harry Groener, perhaps best known for playing Mayor Wilkins in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Publisher's summary

Johann Mobius, the world’s greatest physicist, is locked away in a madhouse along with two other scientists. Why? Because he is haunted by recurring visions of King Solomon, and the other two are convinced they are Einstein and Newton. But are these three actually mad? Or are they playing a murdererous game with the world at stake? This darkly comic satire probes the cost of sanity among men of science and whether it is the mad who are the truly sane.

An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring Anne Gee Byrd, Matthew Patrick Davis, Bruce Davison, John de Lancie, Matt Gaydos, Harry Groener, Christopher Guilmet, Melinda Page Hamilton, Gregory Itzin, Roma Maffia and Missy Yager.

The Physicists is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series featuring science-themed plays. Major funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to enhance public understanding of science and technology in the modern world.

©2010 L.A. Theatre Works (P)2010 L.A. Theatre Works

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Excellently performed play that makes you think

Physics, psychology, religion and politics come together beautifully in this play -- I was always eager to hear what would come next. That said, I had a few problems with the ending, which required a pretty heavy suspension of disbelief. But that quibble aside, this is a play that sucks you into its characters and makes you think about the ethics of science in modern society. And the performances make it a pleasure for listening.

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disappointed

disappointing. only started getting interesting near end and then it was abruptly over. word twenty

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