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A Chat with “Einstein’s Girl” Gia Mora

“Einstein’s Girl” is a one-woman show conceived and performed by Gia Mora combining cabaret, stand-up comedy, love in a technological age and . . . science. Yep, science. Theoretical physics to be precise.  As Miz Mora says, the show is a “science of love … theoretically speaking.” She is in Los Angeles for one show only – March 15th at the Room 5 Lounge – and she sat down to chat with me about science and Einstein.

 EinsteinsGirl

KM: How did you get the idea for this show and how long did it take to create?

GM: About two years ago, I was listening to Science Friday where physicist Lawrence Krauss was being interviewed about his latest book, A Universe from Nothing: Why There is Something Rather than Nothing. And I realized that the beginning of a universe and the beginning of a love affair had some interesting parallels. They both hit you out of nowhere, they both change the course of history, and they both are defining events in our existences. Once I had the working metaphor, it took about a year of research to grasp the basics of theoretical physics and then to write the show and the music.

 

KM: Is it scripted, or is there an element of improv allowing the performance to change?

GM: The show works on a malleable outline–the arc is set, but what I say, which songs I sing, and whatever science is in the news cycle makes its way into the show. That means if you see the show three months apart, you’re likely to get 20-40 minutes of new material every time. And because it’s part stand-up comedy, it’s always open to improv depending on audience participation and reaction. That’s the best part–I never get bored!

 

KM: What is your science background? Why science and love?

GM: Aside from taking undergraduate physics, I have absolutely no science background which, in a strange way, enables me to talk about it the way I do. I want everyone to know that physics is a language we all can understand, and learning science from a non-scientist proves to my audience that they too can appreciate the universe in this new way. Science, like love, is a universal experience of reality. Taking two subjects that often defy explanation and using them to explore each other excites that part in my brain which won’t stop asking, “Why?”

Gia Headshot

KM: Why Einstein’s girl? Why not Newton’s Girl or Hawking’s Girl?

GM: I like the think that Einstein and I share some similarities. He was an avid lover of music, and he played violin when he was working out problems in his head. That’s how I use music as well–singing is how I suss out my place in the world. More than that, Einstein was a humanitarian who recognized the double edged sword of technological advancement and its complicated relationship to us little Earthlings. He is the perfect poet/philosopher/musician/scientist to tie together the many strings that make up EINSTEIN’S GIRL.

 

KM: What is your favorite part of the show?

GM: My favorite moment is when the audience realizes that this isn’t some serious concert or lecture series that requires them to be quiet and absorb. I ask a lot of my audience because I want them to go on this journey with me, and that journey includes everything from the latest advances in quantum mechanics to internet porn. I like to think the show is a bit of a rocket ride, and when I know my audience is hanging on tight ready for the next turn, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.

 

Tickets for the 8:00 pm show at Room 5 Lounge on March 15th are still available here, or you can find out more on the “Einstein’s Girl” website here!