This afternoon Kati Mitchell, our Director of Press and Public Relations, received a wonderful email from Jochen Heisenberg, Werner Heisenberg’s son, a professor of physics at the University of New Hampshire. Mr. Heisenberg attended Wednesday night’s performance of Copenhagen.
-Nicholas Peterson
Dear Kati,
If i may call you that?
Thank you indeed for the wonderful experience of seeing this different “Copenhagen” performance. As you know, we have been guests at a number of performances since the NY opening in 2000, and I have had the burdensome opportunity to become a participant in those symposia that dealt with the controversy arising out of this play.
What was so refreshing this time was the fact that the play was allowed to be a drama on many levels and that the one- dimensional, contentious aspects did not dominate the many-layered personal story. In fact, none of the other performances took the license to speak in heated terms about hot topics at all. While it is probably more accurate that Bohr and my father would not have raised their voices, in accusation or self-defense, the powerful message was coming through more clearly in your passionate performance. Previously, the wise Bohr stood unchallenged; here he is kindly but yet subject to scrutiny the same way Heisenberg is.
Political events over the last five years have altered the audience’s appreciation of concepts of personal responsibility in times of war, of patriotism, of distortion for political ends, and this receptivithas madey allowed a sympathetic connection to Heisenberg’s motivation for all kinds of decisions he . Not only did the actor himself, John Kuntz , admirably convey vulnerability, deference, kindness and resolve, (more than brash arrogance borne out of ambition which tends to be one of the stereotypes out there), but Scott Zigler capitalized on the Zeitgeist most appropriately. We were very gratified by this fresh interpretation.
We both also enjoyed reading John Kuntz’s revealing blogs plus the links to the good press feedback. Theater is indeed one of those healing, eye-opening arts we need, and actors have particularly impressed us with their craft and humanity!
With very best wishes to you and the great ART enterprise,
Jochen and Irene
American Repertory Theater 