1

Dramaturgy Packet
Table of Contents
I. Historical Context of the Play
II. The Math
III. Vocabulary
IV. Miscellaneous

I. Historical Context of the Play

● The show began as a commission from Toronto’s Sheridan College in 2012. It was written specifically
for college-age actors to perform. The script originated from interviews with young actors and their
stories about home, childhood, family, love, loss, and the profound sense of connection among
them.1
● It was first presented in 2014 as part of the Festival of New Musicals at Goodspeed Musicals in East
Haddam, Connecticut. 2
● In the Spring of 2015, the show was presented more fully in the Norma Terris Theatre at Goodspeed
Musicals.3
● In 2020 and 2021, The Theory of Relativity was the most produced high school musical in Music
Theatre International's catalog.4

II. The Math

● Newton’s Laws of Motion
○ Three statements describing the relations between the forces acting on a body and the
motion of the body, first formulated by English physicist and mathematician Isaac Newton,
which are the foundation of classical mechanics.5
○ Newton’s first law of motion pp1
■ The law of inertia: if a body is
at rest or moving in a constant
(unchanging) speed in a
straight line, it will remain at
rest or keep moving in a
straight line at constant speed
unless it is acted upon by a
force.
■ Example: if you unplug a fan
while it’s rotating, it will

1
Source: Theory of Relativity Libretto
2
Source: wikipedia
3
Source: wikipedia
4
Source: wikipedia
5
Source: britannica
updated 4/25/23 by F. Rose
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continue to rotate for an amount of time due to inertia
○ Newton’s second law of motion pp1
■ F = ma: the time rate of change of the momentum of a body is equal in both
magnitude and direction to the force imposed on it.
■ Riding your bicycle is a good example of this law of motion at work. Your bicycle is the
mass. Your leg muscles pushing on the pedals of your bicycle is the force. When you
push on the pedals, your bicycle accelerates. You are increasing the speed of the
bicycle by applying force to the pedals.6
○ Newton’s third law of motion pp2
■ Action and Reaction: Newton’s third law states that when two bodies interact, they
apply forces to one another that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.
■ Example: when you shoot a gun, the force of the bullet traveling in one direction
pushes the gun backwards (recoil) 7

● pp3
○ “I am energy, I am mass, I am light” refers to this formula
○ This famous formula was created by Albert Einstein. The E is energy, the m is mass and c is
the speed of light. At it’s most basic, it shows that all matter has inherent energy.

● Theory of Relativity pp1-3

○ Formulated by Albert Einstein beginning in
1905, the theory of relativity explains the
behavior of objects in space and time, and it
can be used to predict things such as the
existence of black holes, light bending due to
gravity and the behavior of planets in their
orbits. The theory has three very important
aspects:8
1. There is no "absolute" frame of
reference. Every time you measure an
object's velocity, its momentum or how
it experiences time, it's always in
relation to something else.
a. Example from the script: if you’re standing still on the earth - are you really
standing still if the earth is traveling through space super fast?
2. The speed of light is the same no matter who measures it or how fast the person
measuring it is going.
3. Nothing can go faster than light.

● Vectors p3
○ A vector is a mathematical object that has both
magnitude and direction. Geometrically, we can picture
a vector as a directed line segment, whose length is the
magnitude of the vector and with an arrow indicating
the direction. Velocity is an example of a direction (think
of traveling 40mph (magnitude) North (direction).

6
Source: the indianapolis public library
7
Source: britannica
8
source: livescience
updated 4/25/23 by F. Rose
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● Quantum techniques pp3

○ “Quantum” refers to the tiniest possible amount of a physical
entity. Think particles and atoms9

● Pi, circumference, diameter, circles, etc. pp9, 22

○ Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference (length around
outside) to its diameter (length of a line drawn across circle that
goes through the center).
■ In every single circle the ratio is always equal to pi
■ Pi is approximately
3.1415926535897932384626433832795…

● Archimedes, pp22
○ Italian mathematician and inventor. Born c. 287, died c. 212 BC
○ Anticipated modern calculus. First to use the concept of the
infinitely small to prove geometric areas, volumes, etc.

● speed of light pp46

○ The speed of light is a constant 299,792,458 meters per second.
○ It’s constant despite speed of observer
○ Usually denoted by the letter c

III. Vocabulary (all definitions are from dictionary.com, listed in alphabetical order)
abyss [ uh-bis ]
noun
1. a deep, immeasurable space, gulf, or cavity; vast chasm.
2. anything that seems to be without end or is impossible to measure, define, or comprehend:
the abyss of their grief and sorrow.

anaphylaxis [ an-uh-fuh-lak-sis ]
noun
1. exaggerated allergic reaction to a foreign protein resulting from previous exposure to it
adjective - anaphylactic [ an-uh-fuh-lak-tik ]

ballast [ [ bal-uhst ]
noun
1. Nautical. any heavy material carried temporarily or permanently in a vessel to provide desired draft
and stability.

concession [ kuhn-sesh-uhn ]
noun
1. the act of conceding or yielding, as a right, a privilege, or a point or fact in an argument:
He made no concession to caution.
2. the thing or point yielded:
Management offered a shorter workweek as a concession.

9
Source: Wikipedia
updated 4/25/23 by F. Rose
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cosmos [ koz-mohs ]
noun
1. the world or universe regarded as an orderly, harmonious system.
2. a complete, orderly, harmonious system.
3. order; harmony.

elope [ ih-lohp ]
verb
1. to run off secretly to be married, usually without the consent or knowledge of one's parents.
to run away with a lover.
2. to leave without permission or notification; escape:
At age 21, the apprentice eloped from his master

esthetics [ es-thet-iks ]
noun
1. the branch of philosophy dealing with such notions as the beautiful, the ugly, the sublime, the
comic, etc., as applicable to the fine arts, with a view to establishing the meaning and validity of
critical judgments concerning works of art, and the principles underlying or justifying such
judgments.
2. the study of the mind and emotions in relation to the sense of beauty.

exhume [ ig-zoom ]
verb (used with object), ex-humed, ex-huming
1. to dig (something buried, especially a dead body) out of the earth; disinter.
2. to revive or restore after neglect or a period of forgetting; bring to light:
to exhume a literary reputation; to exhume old letters.

finite [ fahy-nahyt ]
adjective
1. having bounds or limits; not infinite; measurable.
2. Mathematics.
a. (of a set of elements) capable of being completely counted.
b. not infinite or infinitesimal.
c. not zero.
3. subject to limitations or conditions, as of space, time, circumstances, or the laws of nature:
our finite existence on earth.

flaunt [ flawnt ]
verb (used with object)
1. to parade or display ostentatiously:
to flaunt one's wealth.
2. to ignore or treat with disdain:
He was expelled for flaunting military regulations.

frivolous [ friv-uh-luhs ]
adjective
1. characterized by lack of seriousness or sense:
frivolous conduct.
2. self-indulgently carefree; unconcerned about or lacking any serious purpose.
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3. (of a person) given to trifling or undue levity:
a frivolous, empty-headed person.
4. of little or no weight, worth, or importance; not worthy of serious notice:
a frivolous suggestion.

gamely [ geym-lee ]
adverb
1. in a game or plucky manner:
They struggled gamely.

gregarious [ gri-gair-ee-uhs]
adjective
1. fond of the company of others; sociable.

hives [ hahyvs ]
noun (used with a singular or plural verb) Pathology
1. any of various eruptive conditions of the skin, as the wheals of the urticaria

hullabaloo [ huhl-uh-buh-loo ]
noun
1. a clamorous noise or disturbance; uproar

hubris [ hyoo-bris ]
noun
1. excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance

indelible [ in-del-uh-buhl ]
adjective
1. making marks that cannot be erased, removed, or washed out:
indelible ink.
2. impossible to eliminate, forget, or change:
the indelible memories of war;
the indelible influence of a great teacher.

ineffable [ in-ef-uh-buhl ]
adjective
1. incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible:
ineffable joy.
2. not to be spoken because of its sacredness; unutterable:
the ineffable name of the deity.

iridescent [ ir-i-des-uhnt ]
adjective
1. displaying a play of lustrous colors like those of the rainbow.

irreparable [ ih-rep-er-uh-buhl ]
adjective
1. not reparable; incapable of being rectified, remedied, or made good:
an irreparable mistake.
updated 4/25/23 by F. Rose
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jaded [ jey-did ]
adjective
1. dulled or satiated by overindulgence
a jaded appetite
2. worn out or wearied, as by overwork or overuse.
3. dissipated:
a jaded reprobate

mantel [ man-tl ]
noun
1. a construction framing the opening of a fireplace and usually covering part of the chimney breast in
a more or less decorative manner

marital [ mar-it-tl ]
adjective
1. of or relating to marriage; conjugal; matrimonial
marital vows; marital discord.

meek [ meek ]
adjective
1. humbly patient or quiet in nature, as under provocation from others
2. overly submissive or compliant; tame

morose [ muh-rohs ]
adjective
1. gloomily or sullenly ill-humored, as a person or mood.
2. characterized by or expressing gloom.

murky [ mur-kee ]
adjective
4. not clearly expressed; vague; unclear; confused:
a murky statement.

muse [ myooz ]
noun
1. a goddess that inspires a creative artist, esp a poet

obscure [ uhb-skyoor ]
adjective
1. (of meaning) not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain:
an obscure sentence in the contract.
2. not clear to the understanding; hard to perceive:
obscure motivations.
3. (of language, style, a speaker, etc.) not expressing the meaning clearly or plainly.

orbit [ awr-bit ]
noun

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1. the curved path, usually elliptical, described by a planet, satellite, spaceship, etc., around a celestial
body, as the sun
2. the usual course of one's life or range of one's activities
3. the sphere of power or influence, as of a nation or person:
a small nation in the Russian orbit.

ordained [ awr-deynd ]
adjective
2. having been decreed, appointed, or formally established by some authority:
If questioned, I will invoke my constitutionally ordained right to avoid incriminating myself.
3. having been destined or predestined:
Cortez believed himself the ordained conqueror of the Aztec Empire.

paradox [ par-uh-doks ]
noun
1. a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible
truth
2. a self-contradictory and false proposition

parasite [ par-uh-sahyt ]
noun
1. an organism that lives on or in an organism of another species, known as the host, from the body of
which it obtains nutriment.
2. a person who receives support, advantage, or the like, from another or others without giving any
useful or proper return, as one who lives on the hospitality of others:
They are greedy politicians, parasites with their snouts in the public trough.

precipice [ pres-uh-pis ]
noun
1. a cliff with a vertical, nearly vertical, or overhanging face.
2. a situation of great peril:
on the precipice of war.

protégé [ proh-tuh-zhey, proh-tuh-zhey ]

noun
1. a person under the patronage, protection, or care of someone interested in his or her career or
welfare.

quench [ kwench ]
verb (used with object)
1. to slake, satisfy, or allay (thirst, desires, passion, etc.).
2. to put out or extinguish (fire, flames, etc.).
3. to cool suddenly by plunging into a liquid, as in tempering steel by immersion in water.
4. to subdue or destroy; overcome; quell:
to quench an uprising.

relativity [ rel-uh-tiv-i-tee ]
noun
1. the state or fact of being relative
updated 4/25/23 by F. Rose
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2. Physics. a theory, formulated essentially by Albert Einstein, that all motion must be defined relative
to a frame of reference and that space and time are relative rather than absolute concepts: it consists
of two principal parts. The theory dealing with uniform motion (special theory of relativity, or
special relativity) is based on the two postulates that physical laws have the same mathematical
form when expressed in any inertial system, and the velocity of light is independent of the motion of
its source and will have the same value when measured by observers moving with constant velocity
with respect to each other. Derivable from these postulates are the conclusions that there can be no
motion at a speed greater than that of light in a vacuum, mass increases as velocity increases, mass
and energy are equivalent, and time is dependent on the relative motion of an observer measuring
the time. The theory dealing with gravity (general theory of relativity, or general relativity) is based
on the postulate that the local effects of a gravitational field and of acceleration of an inertial system
are identical.
3. dependence of a mental state or process upon the nature of the human mind:
relativity of values; relativity of knowledge.

repression [ ri-presh-uhn ]
noun
1. the act of repressing; state of being repressed.
2. Psychology, Psychoanalysis. the rejection from consciousness of painful or disagreeable ideas,
memories, feelings, or impulses:
Freud's approach to interpreting early memories emphasizes what is forgotten through the
mechanism of repression.

reverberate [ ri-vur-buh-reyt ]
verb (used without object)
1. to re-echo or resound
Her singing reverberated through the house
2. Physics. to be reflected many times, as sound waves from the walls of a confined space.
3. to rebound or recoil.

scoff [ skawf ]
verb (used without object)
1. to speak derisively; mock; jeer (often followed by at):
If you can't do any better, don't scoff. Their efforts toward a peaceful settlement are not to be
scoffed at.
verb (used with object)
1. to mock at; deride.

succumb [ suh-kuhm ]
verb (used without object)
1. to give way to superior force; yield:
to succumb to despair.
2. to yield to disease, wounds, old age, etc.; die.

teeter [ tee-ter ]
verb (used without object)
1. to move unsteadily
2. to ride a seesaw; teetertotter

updated 4/25/23 by F. Rose

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tenacious [ tuh-ney-shuhs ]
adjective
1. holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold (often followed by of):
a tenacious grip on my arm; tenacious of old habits.
2. highly retentive:
a tenacious memory.
3. persistent, stubborn, or obstinate.
4. adhesive or sticky; viscous or glutinous.
5. holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough.

threadbare [ thred-bair ]
adjective
1. having the nap worn off so as to lay bare the threads of the warp and woof, as a fabric, garment, etc.
2. wearing threadbare clothes; shabby or poor:
a threadbare old man.
3. meager, scanty, or poor:
a threadbare emotional life.

trajectory [ truh-jek-tuh-ree ]
noun
1. the curve described by a projectile, rocket, or the like in its flight.

untethered
adjective
1. not tied or limited with or as if with a tether

vicarious [ vahy-kair-ee-uhs]
adjective
1. performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another:
vicarious punishment
2. taking the place of another person or thing; acting or serving as a substitute
3. felt or enjoyed through imagined participation in the experience of others:
a vicarious thrill

vulgar [ vuhl-ger ]
adjective
1. characterized by ignorance of or lack of good breeding or taste:
vulgar ostentation.
2. indecent; obscene; lewd:
a vulgar work; a vulgar gesture.
3. crude; coarse; unrefined:
a vulgar peasant.

woefully [ woh-fuh-lee ]
1. in a sad or miserable way:
More often than I care to remember, I’ve been stumped for suitable small talk and have ended up
staring woefully into my drink.
2. to a particularly regrettable or unfortunate degree:

updated 4/25/23 by F. Rose

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The treatments prescribed by this psychiatrist are at best woefully inadequate, and at worst, make
the patients more disabled than when they started out.

yearning [ yur-ning ]
noun
1. deep longing, especially when accompanied by tenderness or sadness:
a widower’s yearning for his wife
2. an instance of such longing

IV. Miscellaneous
● Isaac Newton pp1
○ English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist,
theologian, and author - widely recognized as one of the greatest
mathematicians of all time. Basically established classical
mathematics.
○ Formulated laws of motion and universal gravitation that formed

● Albert Einstein (see right photo) pp1-2

○ German physicist. Born 1879, died 1955.
○ One of the greatest and best-known physicists of all time. Famous
mostly for developing his theory of relativity (see above).10
○ “When you are courting a nice girl…” (page 1) is a real Einstein quote11
○ “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” is a real Einstein
quote12

● “Uptown N R” pp5
○ The “N” train is a subway line in NYC.13

● “Midtown” pp5
○ Refers to the neighborhood Midtown Manhattan in NYC - home to iconic attractions like
Times Square and the Museum of Modern art14

10
Source: wikipedia
11
Source: brainyquotes
12
Source: quotespedia
13
Source: Metropolitan Transportation Authority. It is not immediately clear what the “R” is referring to
14
Source: google facts
updated 4/25/23 by F. Rose
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● “Claritin D’s”pp6
○ non-drowsy allergy medication, relieves symptoms
such as sneezing, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes and
itchy nose or throat15

● “Buried the headline” pp7

○ common idiom/phrase meaning to forget to emphasize or
make the point16

● OCD - pp8 (Catherine?)

○ Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) features a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears
(obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions). These obsessions and
compulsions interfere with daily activities and cause significant distress. 17
● “First string” “spare” pp11
○ sports reference. “first string” usually refers to your best players, who start the game. “Spares”
are players who sit on sidelines and wait.

●
“Vintage Chevrolet Bel Air” p20

● “Spokane” pp28
○ Pronounced “Spo-CAN” not “Spo-cane”. Click here to hear it
○ City in Washington State. Home to Northwest Museum of Arts and
Culture. Lots of apple orchards.
○ Spokane was Washington’s first commercial apple growing region18

● “NYU” pp29
○ Stands for “New York University”
■ Best known for Accounting, finance, math, law, and visual
arts programs19

● “french tips” pp45

○ a type of manicure - usually white-tipped nails20 (see photo)

15
Source: claritin website
16
Source: Mr. Rose’s brain
17
Source: Mayo Clinic website
18
Source: Spokane Historical Website
19
Source: topuniversities.com
20
Source: nailsmag
updated 4/25/23 by F. Rose
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● “lemmings” pp47
○ small rodents (see photos below) that live in large tunnel systems beneath the snow in winter

updated 4/25/23 by F. Rose