The Drama Of Chemistry - C&EN Global Enterprise (ACS Publications)

---

F ROM THE EDITOR

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20036 (202) 872-4600 or (800) 227-5558 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Rudy M. Baum DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: A. Maureen Rouhi MANAGING EDITOR: Robin M. Giroux SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER: Marvel A. Wills NEWS William G. Schulz, Editor BUSINESS Michael McCoy, Assistant Managing Editor NORTHEAST: (732) 906-8300 Lisa M. Jarvis (Senior Editor), Rick Mullin (Senior Editor), Marc S. Reisch (Senior Correspondent), Alexander H. Tullo (Senior Editor), Melody M. Bomgardner (Senior Editor), Rachel Eskenazi (Administrative Assistant). HONG KONG: 852 9093 8445 Jean‑François Tremblay (Senior Correspondent). HOUSTON: (281) 4863900 Ann M. Thayer (Senior Correspondent). GOVERNMENT & POLICY Susan R. Morrissey, Assistant Managing Editor Britt E. Erickson (Senior Editor), Glenn Hess (Senior Editor), Cheryl Hogue (Senior Correspondent), Jeff Johnson (Senior Correspondent), Andrea L. Widener (Associate Editor) SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY/EDUCATION BOSTON: (617) 395-4163 Amanda Yarnell, Assistant Managing Editor. WASHINGTON: Stuart A. Borman (Deputy Assistant Managing Editor), Celia Henry Arnaud (Senior Editor), Carmen Drahl (Associate Editor), Stephen K. Ritter (Senior Correspondent), Lauren K. Wolf (Associate Editor). BERLIN: 49 30 2123 3740 Sarah Everts (Senior Editor). CHICAGO: (847) 679-1156 Mitch Jacoby (Senior Editor). NORTHEAST: (732) 906-8302 Bethany Halford (Senior Editor). WEST COAST: (925) 485-1034 Jyllian Kemsley (Senior Editor), (510) 870-1617 Elizabeth K. Wilson (Senior Editor). BEIJING: 150 1138 8372 Jessie Jiang (Contributing Editor). JOURNAL NEWS & COMMUNITY: (202) 872-6039 Lila Guterman (Senior Editor), (626) 765-6767 Michael Torrice (Associate Editor) ACS NEWS & SPECIAL FEATURES Sophie L. Rovner, Assistant Managing Editor Linda Wang (Senior Editor). DALLAS: (972) 529-4351 Susan J. Ainsworth (Senior Editor) EDITING & PRODUCTION Kimberly R. Twambly, Assistant Managing Editor Craig Bettenhausen (Assistant Editor), Emily Bones (Assistant Editor), Sophia L. Cai (Assistant Editor), Nader Heidari (Assistant Editor), Arlene Goldberg-Gist, Senior Editor Jeff A. Huber (Assistant Editor), Gail M. Mortenson (Associate Editor) ART & DESIGN Robert Bryson, Design Director Robin L. Braverman (Senior Art Director) Yang H. Ku (Associate Designer) C&EN ONLINE Rachel Sheremeta Pepling, Editor Tchad K. Blair (Visual Designer), Luis A. Carrillo (Production Manager), Ty A. Finocchiaro (Web Associate), Pamela Rigden Snead (Web Products Manager) PRODUCTION & IMAGING Renee L. Zerby, Lead Digital Production Specialist Tim Bauer, Shelly E. Savage, Richard C. Smith, and Steven J. Lovasz (Digital Production Associates) SALES & MARKETING Elise Swinehart, Assistant Director Elaine Facciolli Jarrett (Marketing Manager) Wendy Wise (Marketing Manager) Angela Yeo (Associate Marketing Manager) ADVISORY BOARD Gary D. Allred, Paul T. Anastas, Sherwood L. Boehlert, Paul J. Bracher, Jean-Claude Bradley, Yves J. Chabal, Seth M. Cohen, Kendrew H. Colton, Brian D. Coppola, Christopher C. Cummins, Joseph M. DeSimone, Michelle M. Francl, Donald Hilvert, Malika Jeffries-El, Rohit Khanna, John LaMattina, Abraham M. Lenhoff, Derek Lowe, Michael W. Major, Michael A. Marletta, Cheryl A. Martin, Harold Meckler, Stephen A. Munk, Michael O. Okoroafor, Nick Roelofs, Melanie Sanford, John M. Schwab, Francis X. Sherman, Michael Strem, Linette M. Watkins, Christopher Welch, Frank D. Wicks, Vicki Wysocki, David Zimmermann, Dorothy Zolandz Published by the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY Madeleine Jacobs, Executive Director & CEO Brian Crawford, President, Publications Division EDITORIAL BOARD: Ned D. Heindel (Chair); ACS Board of Directors Chair: William F. Carroll Jr.; ACS President: Bassam Z. Shakhashiri; Stephanie L. Brock, John N. Russell Jr., Leah Solla, Peter J. Stang Copyright 2012, American Chemical Society Canadian GST Reg. No. R127571347 Volume 90, Number 19

The Drama Of Chemistry CARL DJERASSI, whom I have known for

nearly 30 years, recently had his publisher send me a copy of his latest book, “Chemistry in Theatre: Insufficiency, Phallacy or Both.” It is a slim volume that consists of a longish preface and two plays, “Insufficiency” and “Phallacy,” both of which involve chemists as major characters and chemistry as a source of the drama. In his e-mail to me letting me know that the volume was on its way and expressing hope that C&EN might feature it somehow, Djerassi wrote: “1) In the long foreword to the book, I raise questions about science (especially chemistry) in theater, which I believe have not been asked before. I hope they will stimulate debate. 2) Next year, I shall be 90 years old and this may be my last or penultimate book, so obviously I am anxious to see it discussed in public.” It is hard to believe that the dynamo who is Carl Djerassi will soon be 90 and is contemplating the end of his career. By the evidence of “Chemistry in Theatre,” his sharp intellect and creativity remain untouched by age. One topic Djerassi muses on in the preface to “Chemistry in Theatre” is the value of reading plays as books as opposed to seeing them performed. He writes: “It is generally agreed that a play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. … Yet as I, the former research chemist and pedagogue, became preoccupied with this literary genre, I gradually reached the conclusion that for certain plays and playwrights—especially those dealing with science—the terminal part of the above definition at times needs to be reversed: intended for reading rather than just theatrical performance.” (Both “Insufficiency” and “Phallacy” have been or will be staged in commercial theaters.) Though Djerassi acknowledges that most playwrights won’t share this conclusion, he argues that most plays are likely to reach a wider audience as books than as performances. He also maintains that some plays, especially those dealing with science, “have a didactic component even though many theater professionals refuse to recognize it.” These plays, he writes,

“aim to illustrate through the unique medium of theater … what science or scientists are all about.” Such plays are more likely to achieve this didactic component as books, he maintains, than as performances. As to plays that feature chemists, Djerassi writes, “I think that the fundamental problem with plays focusing on chemistry is that theater professionals—directors, dramaturges, reviewers—are threatened, if not actually terrified by the subject.” He points to a New York Times review of Alan Alda’s play “Radiance” that found the scientific work of Pierre and Marie Curie less interesting than Marie Curie’s adulterous affair (after Pierre’s death) with mathematician Paul Langevin. “In other words,” Djerassi writes, “give us adultery, but God forbid if the chemical protagonists of the play even dare to issue a sentence about chemistry.” Having seen a performance of “Radiance,” which I thought was quite good, and having read similar lukewarm reviews of it, I share Djerassi’s exasperation with reviewers who find the drama of scientific discovery less than satisfyingly dramatic. As to the plays “Insufficiency” and “Phallacy,” both are clever and enjoyable and illuminate aspects of the academic chemistry enterprise Djerassi knows so well. “Insufficiency” traces the travails of a brilliant and abrasive chemist in a mediocre chemistry department who specializes in the study of bubbles and whose inadequate publishing record results in him not receiving tenure. In “Phallacy,” Djerassi explores the clash between artistic and scientific sensibilities in a dispute over the provenance of an exquisite statue. Djerassi is both a highly successful chemist and a serious collector of art. He is well acquainted with these two worlds, and he deftly captures the idiosyncrasies of their inhabitants. “Chemistry in Theatre” is published by Imperial College Press in London and distributed worldwide by World Scientific Publishing. Thanks for reading.

Editor-in-chief

Views expressed on this page are those of the author and not necessarily those of ACS. WWW.CEN-ONLIN E .ORG

3

M AY 7, 20 1 2