by VICTORIA ELIZABETH
Starring award-winning actor, solo performance artist and playwright Jack Fry, “Einstein: A Genius in Tumultuous Times” chronicles the life, times, and remarkable career of the theoretical physicist Albert Einstein.
This dynamic, 90-minute show transports audiences back to the tumultuous, war-torn landscape of Germany in the early 1900s as Einstein navigated rampant prejudice, skepticism, and seemingly insurmountable pushback he faced during his journey toward proving his Theory of General Relativity to be factual.
Performed one day only, for an exclusive sold out show at the Townsend Center for the Performing Arts in Carrolton, Ga., this show was attended by a vast array of people, ranging from an 8 year old fan who hung on every single word to senior citizens , illustrating the lasting power of Einstein’s legacy.
The show opens upon a screen projection of an archaic, ill-maintained cemetery, after which Fry emerges as the titular character, carrying kitschy “Einstein Collectibles,” such as bobble heads & t-shirts.
Infusing his opening monologue with a rare blend of ethos and wry humor, Einstein contemplates, “is this-some characterized cartoon of a man with crazy hair-all I have been reduced to.”
Reclusive, brilliant, eccentric, and more than just a bit tenacious, Einstein relentlessly researched and modified the General Theory of Relativity, transforming our knowledge of gravity from a Newton-style force into the curvature of spacetime. The physicist was largely dismissed, ignored, and even ridiculed, much due to blatant prejudice against Jewish people during that time period.
Whip-smart, fast paced, and highly intellectual, this one man show also focuses on Einstein’s personal struggles, including his rocky marriage to his first wife who he met at university. Mileva Marić, a Serbian physicist and mathematician, was noted as one of the few women in their Zurich Polytechnic class. Maric, a casualty of the prejudices against women at the time, married Einstein and became envious of his successes and freedom to research, while she was forced to stay home and care for the children they shared together.
What Fry describes as the “heartbeat” of the show, is his troubled relationship with his kind and sensitive young son, Hans, a young man who Einstein loved deeply but unwittingly disenfranchised due to his obsessive work research.
Mentally stimulating, beautifully performed and infused with humor and heartwarming moments, “Einstein: A Genius in Tumultuous Times” provides an in depth look at the very raw, real, human and flawed side of the legend.
Special thanks to Jack Fry and the Townsend Center for the Performing Arts for facilitating our visit for this spotlight feature.
WEBSITE: https://www.einsteintheplay.com/Einstein/Einstein_Home.html
INSTAGRAM @jackfry16
