JOHN ADAMS Doctor Atomic A Guide for Educators ken howard / met opera Doctor Atomic THE WORK An opera in two acts, sung in English Stories of creation and destruction have long enjoyed a central place Music by John Adams in the human imagination. Yet for much of our history, the power to create and destroy was the stuff of legend—until, in 1945, scientific Libretto by Peter Sellars, adapted from original sources ingenuity put these powers very much in the hands of humankind. In the early morning hours of June 16, 1945, the United States tested an First performed on October 1, 2005, at San Francisco Opera atomic bomb in the remote New Mexico desert. The culmination of a massive, yearslong undertaking that involved more than 100,000 people across the United States, the test is often viewed as a triumph of science PRODUCTION and modern thought; for composer John Adams, it was a moment when Penny Woolcock the modern and the mythic came together with terrifying force. “The Production manipulation of the atom, the unleashing of that formerly inaccessible Julian Crouch Set Designer source of densely concentrated energy, was the great mythological tale Catherine Zuber of our time,” he observes. And in 2005, as the world celebrated the 60th Costume Designer anniversary of the end of World War II, Adams’s Doctor Atomic brought Brian MacDevitt this modern myth to the opera stage. Lighting Designer Andrew Dawson At the center of the story stands J. Robert Oppenheimer, the titular Choreographer doctor and a character as complex and conflicted as any mythological Leo Warner & Mark Grimmer hero. A brilliant physicist, Oppenheimer was tasked with overseeing for 59 Productions Ltd. Video Design the scientists of the Manhattan Project, the government initiative to Mark Grey develop atomic weaponry in the early 1940s. Yet Oppenheimer was also a Sound Designer supremely cultured man of literature, music, and art. He was conflicted about the creation of the bomb and exquisitely aware of its potential for PERFORMANCE devastation, and his story—like any good myth—invites us to examine age-old questions about our powers and our limitations as a species. The Met: Live in HD Broadcast: November 8, 2008 This guide thus introduces Doctor Atomic as a work of modern Gerald Finley mythology that draws on literary, musical, artistic, and dramatic techniques J. Robert Oppenheimer to bring an extremely complex moment to life. Adams’s collaborator and Sasha Cooke Kitty Oppenheimer librettist, Peter Sellars, crafted a collage of historical documents, poetry, and Richard Paul Fink spiritual texts to give voice to the historical figures that people the work; set Edward Teller designer Julian Crouch and the artists of 59 Productions created dynamic Thomas Glenn video projections for the production; and director Penny Woolcock used Robert Wilson small, intimate moments to balance this story of explosive power and Eric Owens General Leslie Groves might. As students apply the techniques of literary analysis, close listen- Alan Gilbert ing, and critical thinking to Doctor Atomic, they will be invited to consider Conductor how the dilemma faced by the Manhattan Project scientists continues to Doctor Atomic is a co-production with resonate today. If you could create something capable of both saving and English National Opera. destroying humanity, the opera seems to ask, would you? Production a gift of Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman HD Live in Schools is supported through a partnership with the New York City Department of Education. FINLEY COOKE FINK GLENN OWENS THE MET: HD LIVE IN SCHOOLS DOCTOR ATOMIC 2 Opera in the Classroom The Metropolitan Opera Educator Guides offer a creative, interdisci- plinary introduction to opera. Designed to complement existing class- room curricula in music, the humanities, STEM fields, and the arts, these guides will help young viewers confidently engage with opera whether or not they have prior experience with the art form. On the following pages, you’ll find an array of materials designed to encourage critical thinking, deepen background knowledge, and empower students to engage with Doctor Atomic’s story, music, and themes. These materials can be used in classrooms and/or via FUN FACT remote-learning platforms, and they can be mixed and matched to suit your students’ individual academic needs. If you visit the site of Above all, this guide is intended to help students explore Doctor the Trinity test today, Atomic through their own experiences and ideas. The diverse perspectives the circle of the bomb that your students bring to opera make the art form infinitely richer, and blast (about half a mile in we hope that your students will experience opera as a space where their diameter) is clearly visible. confidence can grow and their curiosity can flourish. The bomb test annihilated the existing vegetation, along with every other WHAT’S IN THIS GUIDE: living thing. When plant Philosophical Chairs: A series of questions that will introduce and animal life returned to students to the opera’s main themes while sparking their creativity the site many years later, it and encouraging debate was yucca plants—rather Who’s Who in Doctor Atomic: An introduction to the opera’s main than the surrounding characters and their roles in the plot creosote bushes—that Synopsis: A complete opera synopsis for young readers filled in the space. Above: An aerial photograph of The Source: Information about the literary sources and/or historical the Trinity crater shortly after events that inspired the opera the test. Timelines: One or more timelines connecting the opera to events in world history CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS Deep Dives: In-depth looks at various topics relating to the opera Active Exploration: Interdisciplinary activities connecting the opera to This guide invites students to explore topics in music, the humanities, STEM, and the arts the opera through: Language Arts World Literature Poetry THROUGHOUT THE GUIDE, YOU’LL ALSO FIND: Creative Writing Visual Arts Critical Inquiries: Questions and thought experiments designed to History of Science foster careful thinking Social History Native American and Indigenous Studies Fun Facts: Entertaining tidbits about Doctor Atomic Game Theory Law Ethics Debate Original Research THE MET: HD LIVE IN SCHOOLS DOCTOR ATOMIC 3 Philosophical Chairs Philosophical Chairs is an activity designed to foster critical thinking, active inquiry, and respectful dialogue among students. To play a game of Philosophical Chairs, participants agree or disagree with a series of state- ments, but the game doesn’t end there. The most crucial element of the game is what happens next: Participants discuss their points of view and can switch sides if their opinions change during the discussion. (For more tips on using Philosophical Chairs in a classroom or via a remote-learning platform, see the activity description in your Google Classroom.) Each topic statement is deliberately open-ended yet ties into a number of the themes present in Doctor Atomic—including the scientific progress that the bomb represented, the long-term impact of the atomic bomb on warfare and international relations, and the moral complexities of the bomb’s use. As you and your students explore and learn about Doctor Atomic, you can return to these statements: What do they have to do with the opera’s story? How might these questions help us explore the opera’s story, history, and themes? ETHICAL/MORAL ASPECTS OF THE ATOMIC BOMB • Science should only be used for good. • Every action has a consequence. Keep in mind that the • Humans have an innate desire to push boundaries. process of this activity is • Scientists alone should not determine the fate of others. just as important as the • Politicians alone should not determine the fate of others. statements themselves. • Peace comes at a cost. Imagine a world in which everyone actively listens • You cannot silence your conscience. to one another and • A country may keep secrets and withhold information for the safety of its citizens. engages in respectful dialogue, honoring others • Everyone is born knowing right from wrong. and showing respect for • Nuclear weapons make the world safer. / Nuclear weapons should the wide array of diverse be destroyed. ideas and opinions that • The use of nuclear weapons today poses an existential risk. others hold. Philosophical • The dropping of the atomic bomb was morally justifiable. Chairs fosters exactly this kind of space, encouraging students to take what they’ve learned and change the global landscape for generations to come. THE MET: HD LIVE IN SCHOOLS DOCTOR ATOMIC 4 Philosophical Chairs, continued POLITICAL / STRATEGIC ASPECTS OF THE ATOMIC BOMB • Terror is an acceptable form of negotiation. • It is our country’s responsibility to be the world’s police. • Rules of war do not exist. • Decisions of war ought to be based solely on military needs, as opposed to moral considerations. • The dropping of the atomic bomb was a crime, as opposed to an act of war. (What is the difference between a “crime” and an “act of war”?) • The atomic bomb made the world safer. Harry Truman • Taking the life of a noncombatant (civilian) in war is murder. • The dropping of the atomic bomb was an act of genocide. FUN FACT • The dropping of the atomic bomb was the only way to end World War II, which justifies its use. The laboratory at Los • The president should be the sole person deciding when to authorize Alamos was so secret a nuclear attack. when it was built that • A nuclear weapon will never be used again in war. even Vice President Harry Truman was unaware of its existence. THE MET: HD LIVE IN SCHOOLS DOCTOR ATOMIC 5 Who’s Who in Doctor Atomic VOICE CHARACTER THE LOWDOWN TYPE J. Robert Oppenheimer baritone Tasked with leading a major scientifi c undertaking that could be decisive in ending World War II, Oppenheimer must maintain a One of the lead physicists working on confi dent public persona.