Science Through Theatre: The Square Root of a Sonnet

On March 27, 2024 (which happens to be World Theatre Day), we launched one of our most ambitious public engagement programmes with the first homegrown science theatre production: ‘The Square Root of a Sonnet’.

This play is written by Nilanjan P Choudhury who is an author, science communicator and a theatre professional. The play is based on the intricate dynamic between the mentor-mentee duo Subramanyam Chandrashekhar and Sir Arthur Eddington. The story is perfectly weaved at the interface of science and the human stories behind science of these two remarkable astrophysicists.

The TIFR Hyderabad (TIFRH) iteration of the play was directed by Srushti Chipde and the characters brought to life by students of TIFRH: Piyush Daga, Aravind H, Aaheli Shee Burman and Akta Singh.

After the heartwarming responses from the in-house performance, the team is now gearing up to take this play to public spaces. Here are some glimpses from the first show on campus.