Prime Stage production explores private side of Albert Einstein
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The personal, private side of Albert Einstein, the genius who developed the theory of relativity, is the subject of an upcoming Prime Stage Theatre online production.
Matt Henderson will portray Einstein in the award-winning dramalogue, “Einstein, A Stage Portrait,” streaming at 8 p.m. Nov. 13.
The one-man play first developed a following in Los Angeles and eventually went on a national tour.
“On that tour I met several of Einstein’s former colleagues (and) Einstein’s daughter-in-law, who was so impressed that she invited me to her home,” said playwright Willard Simms. “From these two sources I got several of the personal anecdotes (like his wife Elsa eating an orchid at a fancy dinner) that appear in the script.”
Simms specializes in biographical drama for theater and television. Recently, his play “Wright From America,” about the writer Richard Wright, was a winner in the Juneteenth National Playwriting Competition in Louisville, Ky.
“With the goal of continuing to meet our mission as we pivot to this new approach of doing theater, we searched for one-actor or small cast scripts that can be produced in a way to sustain the experience of live theater that goes beyond doing Zoom presentations,” said director Wayne Brinda. “The one-act script fits the criteria, as well as being timely as people are beginning to look at science in new ways.”
‘Human and real’
The play presents a series of anecdotes throughout Einstein’s life, from bored high school dropout whose teachers considered him a slow learner to winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.
“As I’ve worked on this role, I’ve done a lot of research on how Einstein looked and sounded, and I’ve incorporated his physical presence into my approach, while also finding ways to bring myself to the character in order to make him human and real,” Henderson said.
In addition to his social media work with Prime Stage, Henderson has appeared in several of its productions and readings and with other Pittsburgh theater groups. He is a playwright and literary manager and marketing director of 12 Peers Theater.
“Prime Stage has become known for bringing literature to life,” said operations director Tina Marie Cerny. “These historical figures have so many wonderful books written about them and, if we can get you interested in the person, we can get you interested in reading the books about them. We want to show you that Prime Stage Theatre and literature both are more than just the classics.”
“Einstein” will be livestreamed at 8 p.m. Nov. 13, with options for audio description, American Sign Language and captions. A recorded link will be available to purchase through Nov. 20. Cost is $20 per household.
Details: primestage.com