World War II Overshadows Friendship in the Fascinating Copenhagen

In September 1941, German physicist Werner Heisenberg made a secretive visit to his former mentor and friend Niels Bohr and his wife Margrethe in occupied Denmark. In the St. Louis Actors’ Studio’s production of Copenhagen, by Michael Frayn, the three finally meet again in the afterlife in an attempt to understand what transpired that day. The well-acted play is a fascinating, scientifically tinged exploration of personality, purpose and motivation.

Both men were celebrated in the field of quantum physics. Together they developed the uncertainty principle, which lead to nuclear fission — a discovery made in 1939, during the early stages of World War II. As a result, both men were also working on the development of an atomic bomb, with Heisenberg on the German side and Bohr assisting the Allies as much as he could from Denmark.

Their tense conversation that September saw Heisenberg trying to determine what new discoveries the Allies had made while also reviewing his own work and theories with Bohr. An attempt to recruit Bohr to work with him in Germany is presumed. The play also suggests that Heisenberg was trying to alert and help Bohr, his wife and others to flee their homeland before it was too late. What’s known for certain is that the pair and more than 7,000 other Jews were able to escape the Nazi regime’s “final solution” in September 1943, just as Hitler’s troops were advancing to round them up.

Due to its subject matter, Copenhagen is a dense, intellectually driven play, but don’t let that scare you from attending the excellent production directed by Wayne Salomon and featuring Joel Moses as Heisenberg, Aaron Orion Baker as Bohr and Lizi Watt as Margrethe. As Bohr, Baker frequently pulls the theoretical discussion into layman’s terms, insisting that Moses’ Heisenberg explain things in terms Margrethe can understand. The device is effective in bridging knowledge gaps for the audience, and Watt’s portrayal ensures we understand that Margrethe is no intellectual slouch — her character frequently restates complex ideas in terms even scientifically challenged audience members like this reviewer can follow. Watt also provides direct commentary to the conversation with asides that fill in important missing context.

Baker embodies Bohr as a warm, fatherly figure who admires and is quite fond of a man he realizes he can no longer trust but, nonetheless, is compelled to engage with in spirited debates over scientific theory. There are several moments where Bohr leans into the conversation only to catch himself and pull back before revealing secrets to his friend-turned-enemy. Baker subtly and effectively personifies the intellectual and emotional conflict. Heisenberg is more troubling, and Moses embraces his character’s duplicity in a performance that’s unsettling but not unsympathetic, and marked by a frequent forced smile. The smile is almost distractingly creepy, but it tells much about Heisenberg in a way that suggests his own perilous circumstances. Though he was allowed to travel, his family did not accompany him and may, in fact, have been held to ensure his return.

Dense with detail and scientific reference, Copenhagen is a fascinating look at two brilliant scientists at a pivotal moment in history. Strong, engaging performances enhance a story that feels increasingly relevant in an era of conflict when every major military has access to nuclear weapons. The intensely drawn drama is engrossing theater for history lovers and anyone who appreciates principled characters dealing with unprincipled demands.


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