Copenhagen

"Elsinore...the darkness inside the human soul."

There are very few flaws with Mary Job's production of "Copenhagen," and much to be said for the massive  undertaking in directing it for the Riverwalk Black Box Theatre.

The set is simple; a smattering of purples, greens, blues and yellows swirl around the stage and stand out like a vast universe as the play begins and a black light is lit. The galaxy seems to jump out then slowly fade back into the background as the actors take the stage. Once their feet hit the circling patterns of atmosphere, molecules, and even the dots of humanity's existence itself, "Copenhagen" starts off strongly and doesn't stop.

Initially, I was a little overwhelmed by the density of the language and how fast this cast of three - Jeff Magnuson, Rick Dethlefsen and LeAnn Dethlefsen - sprinted into the heart of the heat of the race between Germany and the United States to create the atomic bomb during World War II. Their beginning pace felt a bit forced, and the actual tone of the show was intense and slightly dry - however, once these veteran actors hit their pace they were certainly a force to be watched and admired. I use the word "force" because of the intensity and the acumen of the cast as they circled deftly around each other, using the mostly blank set to their advantage. All three actors hit their stride at about the same time, making for compelling theatre.

Jeff Magnuson portrayed Werner Heisenberg, an extremely ambitious physicist who spent years studying under the fatherly tutelage of Niels Bohr, played by Rick Dethlefsen. A disagreement arises between the men regarding fission and atomic theory, and the question of Germany pursuing the advancement of nuclear science with the ultimate goal of building an atomic bomb before the rest of the world. LeAnn Dethlefsen, as Bohr's wife, Margarethe, is the glue that holds these men, and the show, together. She is the voice of reason, explaining what these brilliant minds discussed, argued about, agreed upon and facilitating the highly technical scientific narrative for the audience.  "The past becomes the present inside your head," she remarks at one point - nobody can outrun their choices and all should be accountable for the part they play in life. She propels the play forward and is the voice of reason between these two scientists who lost a part of their ability to be objective and reason clearly about fission and it's implications should the Germans build the atomic bomb before any other country.

I was impressed with the way the actors used the space to circle each other the way that photons and electrons would encircle a nucleus, and their use of the chairs to circle on a smaller level. The use of circling and facing out to an audience on three sides also worked extremely well - the actors played to all parts of the theatre in fairly equal measure and were easy to hear and understand.

 The show was chock full of wonderful touches of the actors used clever blocking to punctuate the quintessence of the show - the supreme importance of discovering the atom and using it for destructive purposes. LeAnn Dethlefsen's subtle and lovely choice to step outside of the circle sprayed onto the floor as Rick and Jeff argued, joked, reminisced and confronted one another. Jeff's facial expressions, because he was so close to the audience, were especially delightful and although all three actors were able to bring some humor to a fairly dense script, he seemed to most visually expressive. At one point Werner states, "How much harder it is to get a glimpse behind one's eyes." I loved this short but potent tribute to the blindness that we all have within ourselves. We only see the other people in the room, and not ourselves. Rick Dethlefsen deftly played Niels Bohr with the compassion of an older man who loved his protege, as a father figure, but first of all a scientist. He is believable as a man who is horrified at the implications of his much younger colleague, and at the atrocities that he survived. I'd like to point out that Rick and Jeff share a wonderful stage chemistry, which is enhanced when LeAnn joins their conversations.

Werner Heisenberg actually did say, "What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning." The way we perceive the world depends on the questions we ask, and how we interpret what we want to believe are the answers. Werner didn't ask enough questions, and fell short of Hitler's prize - atomic energy to unleash at his whims upon his enemies. Nihls Bohr understood that sometimes not taking action is an action in and of itself, and withheld information that could have given Hitler what he wanted. As a country who ran a great many of their best and brightest scientists beyond their borders, they quite literally doomed themselves as a result of their own racism, greed and hatred.

What a beautifully put together show that exemplifies the best of what theatre can offer - an extremely well-acted play that is meaningful beyond the level of entertainment. I was fascinated by the material and would like to congratulate Ms. Job on her fine work. This isn't a light show for some nighttime fun; it's intense, well-rounded, visceral and deep. You have to pay attention and really listen, because the actors aren't going to stop until the lights go dark and come up again for the curtain call - it's a fast paced, energetic repertoire of two of the most brilliant minds in recent scientific history, their relationship, and how it affected the world.