Explore this Show

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

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
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

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

J. Robert Oppenheimer

Lead

Male

Lilith

Lead

Female

Kitty Oppenheimer

Lead

Female

Jean Tatlock

Supporting

Female

Isidor Rabi

Supporting

Male

Edward Teller

Supporting

Male

Young Scientist

Supporting

Male

General Groves

Supporting

Male

Lansdale

Supporting

Male

Strauss

Supporting

Male

Featured Ensemble Roles

Featured

Either Gender

Songs

Sorry, we currently do not have content for this section.

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

All monologues are the property and copyright of their owners.. Monologues are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this monologue, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

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: