By Adam Hetrick
13 Nov 2009

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater will present a free staged reading of Anna Ziegler's Photograph 51, a dramatic look at the discovery of the DNA molecule, Nov. 15 in Manhattan.

Offered as part of the Evening Reading Series, the 7 PM reading will feature Ovation Award-winning actress Aria Alpert, reprising her performance as biophysicist Rosalind Franklin. Alpert originated the role in the West Coast premiere of Photograph 51.

The cast will also include Brennan Brown as Maurice Wilkins, Ben Pelteson as Don Caspar, Christopher Abbott as James Watson, Matt Stadelmann as Ray Gosling and Kerby Joe Grubb as Francis Crick. Daniella Topol will direct.

According to press notes, "Photograph 51 recounts the controversial story of how the X-ray diffraction images created by English biophysicist Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958) provided the critical breakthrough 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."

Photograph 51 was also presented last summer as part of the Cape Cod Theatre Project.

For a reservation to the reading e-mail Literary@rattlestick.org. Rattlestick Playwrights Theater is located at 224 Waverly Place in New York City.