Chemistry in Theatre – Carl Djerassi’s Swansong

Carl Djerassi (1923–2015) has contributed a canon of literary works that attempt to bridge the gap between the ‘two cultures’, viz. literature and science. This article focuses on his last work of fiction titled ‘Chemistry in Theatre: Insufficiency, Phallacy or Both’. The preface of this book details his vision of ‘chemistry-in-theatre’, his three-stage method of writing a science play, and the concept of ‘plays on the page rather than plays on stage’. This is followed by two plays representative of Djerassi’s vision and method, titled ‘Insufficiency’ and ‘Phallacy’, which the present article seeks to explore.