A new production of British playwright Tom Stoppard’s play “The Hard Problem” will be staged at New House Theatre of Lincoln Center Theater, New York. The dates for the same are yet to be announced.Directed by Jack O’Brien, “The Hard Problem” traces the life of Hilary, a young psychology researcher working at the Krohl Institute for Brain Science, a place where psychology and biology meet each other. So, it is imperative that Hilary is faced with a pertinent question that “If there is nothing but matter, what is consciousness? This is “the hard problem” that science is facing. For Hilary the possibility of genuine human goodness, void of a hidden Darwinian self-interest means everything. She is nursing a private sorrow and probably knows that science and intellect don’t have all the answers to her questions, a miracle has to happen and Hilary is more than willing to pray for one.The “Hard Problem” was first produced in 2015. The title refers to the hard problem of human consciousness, which Stoppard defines as having "subjective First Person experiences"; he notes the dichotomous nature of consciousness in which, clearly, one needs to be conscious to experience.The play opens with Hilary and Spike, her teaching assistant, arguing over the contradictory obstacles one has to deal with while trying to explain the tenets of human consciousness, moral sense, altruism, and parental sacrifice.Is human behavior always predictable, do they know the answer of every question like computing machines? Do they calculate the risks and benefits before every task, or do they act instinctively, based on each person's innate sense of what is right or wrong. Is all human behavior actually a product of Darwinian struggle, that sometimes takes the disguise of compassion or altruism, or does it come from the soul in a relation with a Higher Power or God? Hilary is certainly a believer in God; and Spike is surprised when she tells him that she prays each night before going to sleep.The fact that Hilary got pregnant as a teenager and has a child, whom she had to give up for adoption is seen as the primary reason of her praying regularly and being a firm believer in human compassion. She wants God to keep her child happy and safe. She has come to believe that by leading a morally righteous life may erase her past bad deeds and ensure her child’s wellness.The play is coming soon to Lincoln Center Theater, 150 West 65th Street, New York, NY 10023For details, visit https://www.lct.org/Click on the slideshow for a sneak peek at an earlier production.http://www.blouinartinfo.com Founder: Louise Blouin
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