Photograph 51 March 14, 2009

Who really discovered the secret of life? Rosalind Franklin was a brilliant and passionate young scientist whose groundbreaking study led to the historic discovery of DNA. But did her male colleagues steal her data and claim credit for themselves? "Photograph 51" is a moving and compelling drama about scientific intrigue and competition - and a woman's life in a man's world.
Based on a true story, "Photograph 51" recounts how X-ray diffraction images created by English biophysicist Rosalind Franklin provided the critical breakthrough that James Watson and Francis Crick needed to develop their Nobel-prize-winning model of the DNA molecule in 1953. How much credit Franklin deserves for this discovery, and how the work of women scientists was treated, has roiled scientific circles ever since. Playwright Anna Ziegler introduces us to a combustible mix of characters: Franklin, Watson, Crick, and their colleagues Maurice Wilkins, Raymond Gosling and Don Caspar, to recreate the events leading up to one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century. In the process, she raises provocative questions about sexism, scientific collaboration and ethical behavior - and wraps it all in a tale of romance and intrigue.

"Photograph 51" runs March 14 through May 3. The Fountain Theatre is located at 5060 Fountain Avenue (at Normandie) in Los Angeles. For reservations and information, call (323) 663-1525 or go to www.FountainTheatre.com.

Official Website: http://www.FountainTheatre.com