Scholar to portray physicist Oppenheimer at Waubonsee

Noted humanities scholar and author Clay Jenkinson will portray physicist and "father of the atomic bomb" J. Robert Oppenheimer at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 20, in the auditorium of Waubonsee Community College's Sugar Grove Campus, Route 47 at Waubonsee Drive.

Tickets for the performance are $39 and can be purchased at waubonseetickets.com. All tickets are subject to a transaction fee.

In the character of Oppenheimer, Jenkinson will present a monologue that explores quantum mechanics, America's race to build an atomic weapon before Hitler's Germany, the world of Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the balance of science and human values in the industrial world, followed by a question-and-answer session. At the end of the performance, Jenkinson steps out of character and answers questions as himself. WGN Radio personality John Williams will facilitate the discussion.

Jenkinson is one of the most sought-after humanities scholars and portrayers in the nation, best known for his award-winning historical impersonation of Thomas Jefferson. He has received five Charles Frankel Prizes, the highest award given by National Endowment for the Humanities (now called the National Humanities Medal).

For information, call Community Education at (630) 466-2360.