TEHRAN-A play by the Swiss writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt titled “The Physicists” and directed by Mehdi Komeili is on stage at Arghavan Theater in Tehran. 

A satiric drama/tragic comedy, it was written in 1961, a result of the Second World War and many advances in science and nuclear technology. It is often recognized as Dürrenmatt’s most impressive yet most easily understood work.

In the play, the world’s greatest physicist, Johann Wilhelm Möbius, is in a madhouse, haunted by recurring visions of King Solomon. He is kept company by two other equally deluded scientists: one who thinks he is Einstein, the other who believes he is Newton. It soon becomes evident, however, that these three are not as harmlessly lunatic as they appear. 

The play deals with questions of scientific ethics and humanity's general ability to manage its intellectual responsibility. With wry, penetrating humor, “The Physicists” probes beneath the surface of modern existence and, like Marat/Sade, questions whether it is the mad who are the truly insane.

Mohsen Sadeqi, Hossein Aqaei, Shirin Kashefi, Hamed Pirasteh, Sara Fathi, Mohammad Shakouri, Ayda Qahreman, Parsa Qorbani, Afshin Zaim, and Shahrzad Komeili are in the cast.

Dürrenmatt (1921–1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant-garde dramas, philosophical crime novels, and macabre satire. 

“The Physicists” will run through December 10 at the Arghavan Theater located at Ziba Dead-end, Neauphle-le-Château St., Hafez Ave.

SS/SAB