One Act Play

I have something special to offer---
One Act Play by Shri.V.Babusenan, who retired as Currency Officer ,RBI Chennai.
He has written five books in Malayalam.
His biography of Bertrand Russell won the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award for the best
biography.
The other four books deal with Science, Arts and Philosophy.
I am proud to present his One Act Play on Albert Einstein.

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Albert Einstein--A Play.


Here is One-act Play, consisting of three scenes,based on certain events in the last two decades of the life of Dr.Albert Einstein.

Persons in the play:

Dr.Albert Einstein...The great

Elsa Einstein...........2nd wife of

Dr.Einstein

Helen Dukas...........Secretary-cum-

Asst.of Dr.Einstein

Dr.Niels Bohr...........Eminent physicist

Dr.Leo Szilard.......... do

Dr.Dean....................Dr.Einstein's

personal physician


SCENE ONE

( A pleasant evening of August 1935.The barely furnished study of 'the most famous 'house of Dr.Albert Einstein on the Mercer Street in Princeton,New Jersey.The wall overlooking the lovely garden is mostly occupied by an enormous window.The walls on either side are covered from floor to ceiling by bookshelves wherein books are very neatly arranged .In utter contrast is a writing table on which books,pens and pencils are lying scattered.There are three framed portraits on the table.They are Faraday,Maxwell and Gandhi.Mrs.Elsa Einstein,a lady more graceful than beautiful,is sitting on the sofa,knitting a woollen sweater.Near the table sits Helen Dukas,Einstein's energetic Private Secretary,busy filing some papers .The Doctor is yet to return from the Institute.)

Mrs.E:"Helen,dear,you may think that I will suggest cleaning that dirty table.Not at all."

HelenSmiling)"I know the reason,Ma'am. I got it from the horse's mouth yesterday.I was trying to put the pens and pencils on a tray.The Doctor jumped at me roaring.'Takeoff your hand from the table.I know exactly where these things are. No meddling.I want to see my table in the same way I left it when I return from the Institute.' "

Mrs E: (Smiling)" The Professor has a method in his madness.Do you know,Helen,it was a stomach ache that changed my life?"

Helen:"No,Ma'am .When did you have that?"

Mrs.E:"Not I.Your Doctor.It was eighteen years ago.He had a severe bout of stomach pain and was not in good terms with Mileva,his first wife.I was his cousin and a widow.I nursed him back to health and paid a price for it."

Helen:"Ma'am,did you actually suffer a lot being a genius's wife?"

Mrs.E:"Not at all.I knew my role all along: to look after his outside affairs,take business matters off his shoulders,and take care that he is not interrupted in his work.I knew nothing of his science.In fact,he told a friend:'I am glad my wife does not know any science.My first wife did.'He is quite aware of what I have been doing for him.He is more grateful to me than loving.He loves my two daughters as his own.That is enough for me."

Helen:"May I ask you a very personal question?Did at any time his oddities embarrass you?"

Mrs.E:"No,no.I am used to it.In a way it gives me a secret pleasure.Do you know, in his circle,he is treated as a madcap who does not wear socks.He won't wear a coat and a necktie,will not iron his trousers,comb his hair.In his opinion,you are merely wasting time by adorning your God -given body.When Prof.Haldane decided to shift permanently to India,his response was:'sixty years in socks is enough.'

Among his early admirers were the King and Queen of Belgium.He was once invited to the palace.The Queen, who was particularly fond of him, sent her chauffeur to receive him at the railway station.How could the poor fellow know that the royal guest would alight from a third class compartment in shabby clothes with his violin case in one hand and walk away from the station! He reported that the guest failed to turn up.Meanwhile,the Professor entered a restaurant and requested the use of the telephone.He dialled the palace and asked for the Queen.The flabbergasted manager snatched the receiver from his hand and reported to the police who made enquiries and escorted him to the palace."

Helen :"What was the royal reaction?"

Mrs.E:" Oh,their esteem shot up.After all,he was a genius.(Looking at the clock)It is 5.30 already.The Professor is late.Helen,go downstairs and telephone to the Institute."

Helen:"Yes,Ma'am"(She goes down.The sound of a car door closing and a car starting are heard.A few moments later Helen appears along with the Professor.Einstein was yet to acquire the sage-like features familiar to us.The flowing hair and mustache were in place,no doubt.)

Mrs.E:"What happened to you,Professor?Did you engage in a debate with your favourite students?"

E:"No."

Mrs.E:"Feeling tired ,did you sit somewhere on the roadside?"

E:"No"

Mrs.E:"Please don't answer in monosyllables.Tell us what happened?"

E:"(embarrassed)Don't frown at me ,Elsa dear.To tell you the truth: I forgot the way home."

Mrs.E:"(amazed) What? Forgot the way home?You could have telephoned from the nearest booth.Helen would have picked you up."

E:"Our telephone number didn't occur to me."

Helen:"Then you could have contacted the office,Doctor."

E:"How could I tell them that I don't remember the way home.But somehow I recollected the telephone number of Dean Eisenhart. Mrs.Eisenhart took the phone.I hid my identity.She refused to give our phone number assuming that someone wanted to disturb me.At last I had to tell her my situation.She asked her son to pick me up in their car and leave me here.The whole thing was shameful.Wasn't it?"

Mrs.E:"In a way,yes;in a way,you can't be other than yourself,dear."

E:"(beaming)But today is one of the happiest days in my life.I could break some ground in unified field theory."

Mrs.Emoving forward to embrace him)Mein Shatz! My wonderful ,silly creature!

(The curtain falls)


SCENE TWO


( The same setting four years later on an evening in early August .The only visible change is that Mrs.Elsa Einstein has become another portrait on the table having died in December 1936.The same sofa is now occupied by two persons - the older one fat,avuncular and the younger slim and grim.The former is the internationally known Danish physicist Dr.Niels Bohr who looked into the structure of the atom and the latter Dr.Leo Szilard,a great name in the phenomenon of nuclear chain reaction.Opposite to them sits, in a comfortable arm chair,Dr.Einstein. They are engaged in animated talk.)

Dr.Einstein:"I know very well,Dr.Bohr,that those in the Institute consider me as a museum piece though all of them show me great respect.To them I am a Rip Van Winkle who is blissfully unaware of the passage of time.I have no complaint,but I cannot agree with your new ideology.You say that it is not possible to determine, at the same time,with equal accuracy, the momentum and location of a particle that rotates at very high speed inside an atom.I don't think it is correct-this so-called

Heisenberg's 'Uncertainty Principle'.

According to you,one can correctly say either one or the other only.This is absurd Dr.Bohr.Please understand,probability has no place in physics.I know you people take this wrong position because the quantum theory is incomplete.I am trying hard to complete it.I hope I will succeed and then you folk can be put on the right track.Please take it from me:God does not play dice."

Dr.Bohr :"I am not a believer in God and so I don't know what God thinks about it.Dr.Einstein,you are dealing with the macrocosmic universe and no one can equal you in that matter.The cause -effect principle that works in the macrocosmic universe does not work in the microcosmic world of the atom.What works there is 'chance.'There what is relevant is the Heisenberg principle.However,I wish you success in perfecting the quantum theory!"

Dr.Einstein:" Thank you,Dr.Bohr."

Dr.Bohr :"We came to tell you about a very important matter.Now,Dr.Szilard will talk."

Dr.Szilard :" Thank you Dr.Bohr.If I may tell you, Dr.Einstein,until recently,most scientists thought that your famous equation E=mc²never belonged to the practical domain.Now, it has been found possible that ,by means of a chain reaction caused by splitting the nucleus of uranium,the heaviest element known to the world,with a neutron,enormous quantities of energy can be released."

Dr.Einstein:"I am glad to hear that.Such energy can be used for the benefit of mankind."

Dr.Szilard Smiles) I expected this response from you.Dr.Einstein.Do you know Dr.Lise Meitner?"

Dr.Einstein:"Yes,I know her very well.The cleverest scientist at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin."

Dr.Szilard"Exactly.That lady played a key role in it.Being an Austrian Jew,in fear of Hitler,she had to flee Berlin and take asylum in Sweden.The same fear drove Teller and me from Hungary.You too are here more or less for the same reason. Most of those ,who participated in this phenomenal success of atom splitting ,happen to be Jews persecuted by Hitler.The only way to counter this horrendous evil is to direct this fierce energy of the atom against it.In other words,an atomic bomb is the answer.Kindly pardon us for thinking in this manner."

Dr.Einstein:"(After some quiet moments)

What do you want me to do?"

Dr.Bohr :" Now,I shall speak.You know,to make a bomb, large quantities of uranium ore are needed. The bulk of uranium ore in the world is in Belgian Congo and ,if that falls into the hands of Hitler,our hope will be shattered."

Dr.Einstein :"That means,I must tell Queen Elizabeth of Belgium that the uranium deposits in their colony should not fall into the hands of Hitler.I am not used to exploit friendship.Yet , I shall do that.Will that be enough?"

Dr.Bohr :"No.We want something more important.You explain,Dr.Szilard."

Dr.Szilard :"Dr.Einstein,the phenomenon known as' nuclear fission' was performed successfully by the combined effort of Enrico Fermi and myself.You know Fermi.In nuclear physics there is only one Fermi,the Italian ,who has taken asylum in the US in fear of Mussolini.There is a problem,quite formidable indeed.Natural uranium ,which is uranium-238,will not yield to fission,but it's isotope ,uranium-235 ,will.It is possible to do the conversion but it is a Herculean task needing enormous funds.In our opinion,only the US government can accomplish it."

Dr .Einstein:"Where do I come in the picture,gentlemen?"

Dr.Bohr :"A lot of persuading is needed and the person to be persuaded is none other than the President himself.Roosevelt has very great regard for you and,in such matters,he will believe only you."

(Helen Dukas,Einstein's Private Secretary -cum-Assistant, enters with tea and serves to the three some.Dr.Einstein sits engrossed in thought.He does not touch his tea.After some time,he opens his eyes and addresses Helen in a very soft tone)Helen,my child, bring your writing pad and pencil and take this dictation.The letter is to the President of the United States in his personal name.",(She obeys)

Dr.Einstein:"( Clearing his throat)Sir:Some recent work by E.Fermi and L.Szilard, which has been communicated to me in manuscript,leads me to expect that the element uranium may be turned into a new and important source of energy.....

(Curtain falls)


SCENE THREE

(The same room.One evening in April1955.Shorn of the pens,pencils and notebooks lying pell-mell on the table,the whole room bears a dismal look of tidiness.Dr.Einstein lies on the sofa,propped up by pillows.He is exactly the familiar figure with flowing silvery hair and sweater minus the pipe.He is pale and exhausted.Dr.Dean,his personal physician,gives him an injection.Helen Dukas,his factotum,stands watching with a worried look.)

Dr.Dean:"Professor,if I may tell you the truth,the situation is quite grave.One artery wall is swollen and is bleeding.Immediate surgery is the only answer."

Dr.Einstein:"(in a weak voice) And the chances are"

Dr.Dean :"Fifty fifty.I shall contact Dr.Frank Glenn,the cardiac surgeon, and ask him to come from New York immediately."

Dr.Einstein :"No need,Dr.Dean.My job is,perhaps,finished.I welcome a natural end.How long will it take?"

Dr.Dean:"Can't say.It may come in a moment,May take hours,May take days."

Dr.Einstein:"In that case,please see to it,if you can,that the pain is endurable ."

Dr.DeanSadly)If you insist,what can I do?Helen,dear,I shall remain downstairs in the drawing room.If the pain recurs,contact me.(He goes)

Dr.Einstein:"What is that long envelope you hold in your hand,honey?"

Helen:It's a letter from Lord Russell."

Dr.Einstein:"(Anxiously) From Bertrand Russell?It must be that Russell-Einstein Declaration which,according to him,should carry my signature first.Thank God! it has come at the right moment.Helen,open it and read out to me the resolution part of it."

Helen :"(Reads)In view of the fact that in any future world war, nuclear weapons will certainly be employed,and that such weapons threaten the continued existence of mankind,we urge the governments of the world to realise,and to acknowledge publicly ,that their purposes cannot be furthered by a world war,and we urge them consequently, to find peaceful means for the settlement of all matters of dispute between them."

Dr.Einstein:"Excellent! This is exactly what was in my mind.You have met Russell,haven't you?He never misses me whenever he visits the States.What a man!Even at 83,he untiringly works for the well-being of mankind.Many persons do not like him for his agnostic stand in the matter of belief in God.But, I strongly feel that he is nearer God than many of them.Do you know he has interpreted my abstruse ideas in such a simple language that evoked even my jealousy ?I still remember the concluding sentence of that book.:'The final conclusion is that we know very little,and yet it is astonishing that we know so much,and still more astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power.' How profound!I wish him well!.Helen,give me that paper and your pen.Let me sign it.(After signing the document)Most likely,this is the last public document I sign.(Heaving a sigh) I feel as if a great weight is off my mind.Send this to Lord Russell as quickly as possible.He must be waiting for it".(Helen goes to the table and places it carefully under a paper weight.Einstein is

watching) "Helen,my dear child,come and sit by my side.Let me hold your hand" (She obeys)

Dr.Einstein Pointing his finger at his late wife's portrait)Look,my poor Elsa is watching. She is happy with the way you take care of me.

Helen,do you remember what I said when you saw me first?"

Helen:"You were lying in bed and you said amusingly:'Here lies an old corpse.'(The hand that held hers,loses its grip and falls.She looks at his closed eyes and runs to the staircase calling aloud"Dr,Dean,Dr.Dean".The doctor comes running and examines his pulse.He gently lowers the hand murmuring

"F-i-n-i-s-h-e-d."

(The curtain falls)
Jayasala 42