Five Things to Know… ‘Copenhagen,’ a quantum play

5.27.25
Lisa Prevost for Yale News

Illustration by Michael S. Helfenbein

Copenhagen, which imagines the conversation between two leading physicists at the height of World War II, will be performed at Yale on May 29 — and its producers hope it will inspire interest in the mysteries of quantum science.

Before becoming a scientist, Florian Carle worked in the arts. For 12 years he was a theater actor in France before shifting to quantum science; he is now managing director at the Yale Quantum Institute. 

Conversely, Vince Tycer worked in the sciences before switching to the arts. He was a computer programmer, and dabbled in physics, but then decided to pursue acting, directing and writing; he is currently an assistant professor in residence in the University of Connecticut’s Drama Department for the Performance/Acting Area.

About a year ago, the two men met and discovered their similar, if flipped, journeys. That commonality led to them to pursue a project that explores quantum theory through art — a production of the play Copenhagen.

READ more about this fascinating fusion of art and science in Yale News