Can colleagues within a single department be living in parallel universes? Do they genuinely recognize each other’s absolute value, or do non-equilibrium states persist? Is effective communication possible between different operating systems, or are syntax errors inevitable?

Playwright Jennifer Barclay of the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies explores the topic of intrinsic bias in An Experiment, a short fictional comedy based on interviews with men and women across the country who are active faculty in science.

While this play draws upon examples from the discipline of physics, its themes can be translated to other fields throughout the world of academia and beyond. The play will debut on Wednesday, February 18 with a staged reading by UMD faculty and students.