QED

QED is a one-act play by Peter Parnell that dramatizes a day in the life of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman. The action takes place at Caltech in 1986, near the end of Feynman's life, as he prepares for a lecture while reflecting on his career and personal history. The play features Feynman as the sole speaking character, addressing both the audience and unseen figures as he moves between his office, classroom, and home. Throughout the performance, he demonstrates physics concepts, plays the bongos, and shares stories from his work on the Manhattan Project and the Space Shuttle Challenger investigation. Through interactions with students and colleagues, Feynman grapples with questions of science, mortality, and his legacy in physics. The narrative shifts between his professional achievements and intimate personal revelations. The play explores themes of genius and ordinary humanity, examining how one person can embody both the heights of scientific achievement and raw human vulnerability. It raises questions about the relationship between science and art, logic and emotion.

Readers appreciate the play's accessibility in explaining complex physics concepts through the character of Richard Feynman. Many note the script captures Feynman's personality and teaching style, with one reviewer calling it "as close as we'll get to experiencing his lectures firsthand." Common praise focuses on the balance of human elements with scientific content. Multiple readers highlight how the play helps visualize quantum electrodynamics for non-scientists. Some readers found the pacing uneven and wished for more depth on certain physics concepts. A few noted the play works better performed than read. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (244 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (31 ratings) Sample review quotes: "Brings Feynman to life while actually teaching real physics" - Goodreads "Too shallow on the science, too heavy on biography" - Amazon "Makes QED understandable without losing its wonder" - Goodreads

Copenhagen by Michael Frayn A play exploring the 1941 meeting between physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg brings quantum mechanics and moral responsibility into stark relief.

Arcadia by Tom Stoppard Mathematics, chaos theory, and romance interweave across centuries as characters in different time periods grapple with scientific discoveries.

Proof by David Auburn The daughter of a brilliant mathematician confronts her father's legacy and her own potential mental illness while dealing with a mathematical discovery.

The Life of Galileo by Bertolt Brecht The conflict between scientific truth and institutional power unfolds through Galileo's struggle with the Catholic Church regarding his astronomical discoveries.

Breaking the Code by Hugh Whitemore The life story of mathematician Alan Turing encompasses his code-breaking work during World War II, his theoretical breakthroughs, and his persecution for homosexuality.

🎭 "QED" was commissioned by the Mark Taper Forum and premiered there in 2001, starring Alan Alda as physicist Richard Feynman 🔬 The play takes place during one day in 1986, near the end of Feynman's life, as he works on a lecture about quantum electrodynamics while battling cancer 🏆 Peter Parnell wrote the play in close collaboration with Alan Alda, who had previously portrayed Feynman in a PBS special and was deeply fascinated by the scientist's life ⚛️ The title "QED" refers both to the Latin phrase "quod erat demonstrandum" (which is what was to be demonstrated) and to quantum electrodynamics, the theory for which Feynman won the Nobel Prize 🎨 The play weaves together Feynman's scientific work, his love of playing bongo drums, his experiences working on the Manhattan Project, and his role in the investigation of the Challenger disaster