Caltech Playreaders 66th Season: "Pierre and Marie" Adapted by Ron Clark from "Les Palmes de Monsieur Schultz" by Jean Noel Fenwick

Directed by Joanne Doyle, Assistant Director Ashley Stroupe
Produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

In a freezing laboratory in Paris in the late 1800s, Pierre and Marie Curie discover uranium, radium, and their love. The play fancifully fleshes out these iconic figures, yet there is the ring of truth as it reveals how research gets done: the tentative steps, the long hours, the blind alleys, the pressure to produce, the battle for funding, the lure of patent opportunities, the scholarly disdain of peers, and the politics that prevent everyone from seeing the obvious. A comedic, sometimes bumbling, romp brimming with love and chemistry.

Jean-Noel Fenwick is a French reporter, publicist, and comedian. Les Palmes de Monsieur Schultz was written in 1987, later adapted by Ron Clark, and entitled, Pierre and Marie. Monsieur Fenwick was presented the 1990 Moliere Award for Best Playwright, which is the highest Live Theatre honor, equivalent to the American Tony Award. He is not a scientist, but is very passionate about science and has written Du Big Bang a L'alphabet and also L'Histoire de l'Univers en 200 Pages.

Admission is $3.00 for members of the Caltech Women's Club; $4.00 for all others. Light refreshments will be served after the reading.

To dine at the Athenaeum beforehand, call (626) 395-8204 for reservations. Plan to be seated by 5:30. You are welcome to join the Playreaders table.