Overview
Synopsis
Haunted by spectres of devastation from the east and west, in the midst of World War II the American government commissioned a group of scientists to create a weapon unlike any ever seen before-- the atomic bomb. A group of the highest ranking scientists in the world were recruited to live in isolation in the desert of New Mexico, at a base named Trinity, perfecting the tool to end a war already churning out an overwhelming human cost. J. Robert Oppenheimer, a Jewish American physicist, was the leader, orchestrator, and architect behind the Manhattan Project, the codename for the building of the atomic bomb. Culpable for all the authority he and his secret team took over the possibility for unknowable consequences of ruin, in this play, we see his story, as told both in fact and in conjecture. He is guided through his life story by Lillith, a reptilian otherworldy creature, the mythical first wife of Adam, banished to become a demon, plundering humanity’s shadows for all eternity, who has joined Oppie in his subconscious to interrogate his regrets and force him to confront his fallible nature. A deeply and exquisitely layered work, with a mythos unlike any other, The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer finds a perfect balance between fiction and biography while telling a story that should be forever remembered as a cautionary tale in the subject of military science.
Show Information
- Book
- Carson Kreitzer
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 2002
- Genres
- Drama, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Period, Fantasy/Imaginary, Multiple Settings, Simple/No Set, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- A liminal space representing Oppenheimer’s inner consciousness, a laboratory in the Los Alamos Desert, 1940s, a House of Representatives Hearing Chamber, 1950s
- Cast Size
- medium
- Licensor
- Dramatic Publishing Co.
- Ideal For
- College/University, Ensemble Cast, Mature Audiences, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Star Vehicle Male, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Young Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer grapples with the use of science in war, the liability of great intelligence when guided to destructive paths, the American government’s questionable and morally grey choices in military engagement, and the country’s escalating response to the looming threat of communism, the very threat that wound up leaving Oppenheimer an outsider in his own field of study, unable to work because he spoke out against the reality of an atomic future. It weaves all these
to read the context for The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
The play opens in a neutral space, with shining light resembling a Los Alamos desert dawn, as scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer addresses the audience as if they were the listeners at his senate security hearing. He outlines his life, the pursuit of knowledge that drives him, and the desire to do good for humanity that has compelled his progress in the field of nuclear physics. Trying to evade the microscope of the communist witch-hunt, he denies any political affiliation to the party and
to read the plot for The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
|
|
|
Lead |
Female |
|
|
|
Lead |
Female |
|
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
|
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
|
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
|
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
|
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
|
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
|
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
|
|
|
Featured |
Either Gender |
|
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
Sorry! We do not currently have terms for this guide.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.
Quote Analysis
Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.
Guide Written By:
