Dr Stephen Abbott (Middlebury College)
Mathematics as Art in Contemporary Theater
I propose to write a book that explores the rich and evolving
intersection of mathematics and contemporary theater. While there are
notable plays written about science throughout the previous century, a
qualitative shift in the relationship between science and theater
occurred sometime in the past decade, following the success of Arcadia
(Tom Stoppard, 1993) and Copenhagen (Michael Frayn, 1999). Although
very different in structure and subject matter, these two plays manage
to fully synthesize explicit scientific ideas into both the theme and
mechanics of the performance, and the result is a new kind of
theatrical experience that has captivated audiences and scholars.
In the decade since Arcadia and Copenhagen, theater has seen a
proliferation of successful plays employing scientific characters and
metaphors. An attempt at sustained critical analysis has followed in
the wake of this phenomenon, and my desire is to build on this
foundation, focusing my efforts more specifically on mathematics, an
area within science theater that has received scant scholarly attention
thus far.
How has theater engaged mathematics and what are the particular
implications of this engagement on our understanding of the human
experience? My work to this point has produced a series of distinct
responses, but they are united under the general theme that mathematics
is an aesthetic discipline, fully equipped with its own standards for
beauty and driven by a search for truth not grounded in utility or
application. This poetic quality of mathematics, so well hidden in our
educational system, is the basis for a surprising collaboration with
playwrights.
To be clear, this is not a case of theater simply mining science for
interesting characters, or mathematics exploiting theater for valuable
exposure. What happens in the best mathematical plays is that the
metaphors work in both directions as does the sense of illumination.
This cross-pollination is most easily experienced in plays with
explicit mathematical content or characters (A Disappearing Number,
Proof) but it can also be analyzed in relation to form. In fact, a
defining trait of modern science plays is the successful way in which
they exploit the merging of form and content. What is significant is
that 20th century mathematics—and in particular mathematical logic—is
also characterized in part by investigations into the consequences of
merging form and content. These structural similarities extend the
discussion far beyond the interesting but limited list of “math plays”
and reveal a kinship between drama and mathematics that exceeds every
expectation.
A course I have developed with a colleague in Middlebury’s Department
of Theater has been a component of a major multi-institutional project
called “The Forum for Excellence and Innovation in Higher Education,”
and feedback from several recent conference presentations on my
research is encouraging. This positive response stems from a
recognition that theater has provided a medium where the theoretical
benefits of an interdisciplinary approach can be fully realized,
largely because both sides of the intellectual culture gap recognize
that they have much to gain from the collaboration. The majority of the
activity in science theater is happening in the UK, and it would be a
sincere privilege to spend part of my 2010—2011 sabbatical year at
CRASSH engaged in this ongoing work.
