ARTicles vol. 6 i.2a: Welcome

Dear Friends,

I first saw No Child …in 2006.

I knew nothing about the show, and when I arrived at the tiny theatre on Sheridan Square in New York City where it had been playing for several months, I had no idea what to expect. Ninety minutes later I left in awe at the virtuosity of Nilaja Sun’s performance and the emotional impact it worked on her audience.

In this remarkable production, Nilaja Sun draws from her nine years’ experience as a teaching artist in the New York public school system to create a performance that is as provocative, virtuosic, and compassionate as any I can remember. It reminds me of Anna Deavere Smith’s transformational performances, or of Pamela Gien’s chameleon role-play in The Syringa Tree, but in some ways I found it even more powerful because its subject matter is of such urgent importance – the crisis at the heart of our education system – and because Nilaja unpacks it for us with such warmth, good humor, knowledge, and skill. Read more about this production, as well as my interview with Nilaja, in the following pages.

I was fortunate to see Copenhagenin its premiere production at the National Theatre in London. I must admit I went somewhat reluctantly; the descriptions I’d read of the play made it sound like rather dry pseudo-biography. I was therefore amazed at the strength of my emotional reaction to the production. Michael Frayn’s play is not only beautifully crafted and intellectually provocative, it’s also deeply and surprisingly moving.

We included Copenhagenin our 07/08 season for several reasons. First and foremost, it’s a great play, one that deserves a fresh look almost ten years after its Broadway run. It’s also perfect for the A.R.T.’s resident company; Will LeBow will play the Danish scientist Niels Bohr, Karen MacDonald his wife Margrethe, and John Kuntz (in his A.R.T. debut) the German Werner Heisenberg. And third, it provides us with a starting place for a conversation about the arts and sciences that I hope will last many years.

Our colleagues in the History of Science department at Harvard, notably the distinguished historians Gerald Holton (who has written extensively about the play) and Peter Galison, have shared with us that much more is now known about Heisenberg’s famous visit to Bohr in Copenhagen – which makes the play even more interesting to produce. We’ve included some historical context and insight into Bohr, Heisenberg, and playwright Michael Frayn in this newsletter.

Read on to learn more about No Child …and Copenhagen. These two shows straddle the New Year, so let me take this opportunity to wish you a very happy and healthy 2008.

Gideon Lester
Acting Artistic Director

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