2015 Public Event
Sponsored by Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI)
The Mathematics of Being Human
A play by Michele Osherow and Manil Suri
Directed by Alan Kreizenbeck
Presented by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Wednesday July 29, 2015, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
The Wright Theater
The University of Baltimore
Battle lines are drawn when an English professor and a mathematician are compelled to co-teach a course at a university bent on promoting interdisciplinarity. They tussle over everything: from the value of 'nothing' in King Lear, to the fractal nature of cauliflower. Will they be able give their students a glimpse of synthesis or will their insularity prove impossible to surmount? In their provocative new play The Mathematics of Being Human, professors Michele Osherow (English) and Manil Suri (Mathematics) explore how finding common ground between two very different ways of thinking can shape our understanding of what it means to be human.
Click here to see a review of the play from SIAM News Online.
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MICHELE OSHEROW (author, cast member) is an associate professor of English at UMBC, and the resident dramaturg at the Folger Theatre in Washington D.C. She received a 2012 best actress nomination from D.C. Theatre Scene for her work in Brian Friel's Afterplay, and was featured most recently in Quotidian Theatre Company’s U.S. Premiere of Conor McPherson's The Veil (July 2014). |
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MANIL SURI (author, cast member) is a distinguished university professor of mathematics at UMBC, and author of the three award-winning novels: The Death of Vishnu (2001), The Age of Shiva (2008) and The City of Devi (2013). His New York Times opinion piece "How to Fall in Love with Math" achieved "most-emailed" article status when published in September 2013. |
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ALAN KREIZENBECK (director) is an associate professor of theatre at UMBC. He has received fellowships from the Shubert organization and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Kreizenbeck has directed performances in university and professional theatres throughout the United States, winning multiple "best production" awards. |
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SAVANNAH JO CHAMBERLAIN (cast member) is a Junior in the theatre department at UMBC. She is pursuing a BFA in acting. Her credits at UMBC include "Gum" (servant), "Two Gentlemen of Verona" (flyrail), and "The Game of Love and Chance" (assistant director). |
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CHAZ ATKINSON (cast member) is a Junior in the theatre department at UMBC. He is pursuing a BFA in acting. His acting credits include "Criminals in Love" (Junior Dawson), "Kid Simple" (Mercenary), and "Romeo & Juliet" (Mercutio). |
Lighting and projections by ADAM MENDELSON.
