A Short History of Nearly Everything

Adapted from Bill Bryson’s award-winning science book, this 45-minute play depicts a funny, fast, bumbling race for knowledge. Einstein, Newton, Curie, and Darwin lead you through a little bit of everything to prove that science is really all about you.

Play title: A Short History of Nearly Everything

Author (s): Bill Bryson (Adapted for the stage by Lauren Gunderson)

Publisher:

Corinne Hayoun

Creative Arts Agency

162 Fifth Avenue, 6th Floor

New York, NY 10010

chayoun@caa.com

Publication Date: 2006

Genre: Comedy

Primary Discipline: Physics

Secondary Discipline: Biology

Scientist (s):

Sir Isaac Newton: English mathematician and natural philosopher, he enunciated the laws of motion and gravitation

Albert Einstein: a German-born physicist who developed the general theory of relativity. He is considered one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century.

Marie Curie: A Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity.

Charles Darwin: A naturalist and biologist best known for his theory in evolution and the process of natural selection

Source Texts: A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

Character Breakdown: 3 Men and 1 Woman

Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Charles Darwin

Setting: Varies

Time Period: Varies

Synopsis of Play: Adapted from Bill Bryson’s award-winning science book, this 45-minute play depicts a funny, fast, bumbling race for knowledge. Einstein, Newton, Curie, and Darwin lead you through a little bit of everything to prove that science—whether atomic or cosmic, flora or fauna, mineral or movie star—is really all about you. https://www.marintheatre.org/productions/miss-bennet-christmas-at-pemberly/lauren-gunderson-a-chronology-of-selected-works

First Performance Date: 2006

First Producer: Actor’s Express Theatre, Atlanta GA

Performance History: The world premiere of Lauren Gunderson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything was at Actor’s Express Theatre, Atlanta GA in 2006.

Links: http://laurengunderson.com/

Entered by: Meaghan Yesford

Photo/Visual Research with citations