The Hard Way

Anyone familiar with Tom Stoppard's work should not be surprised to find that his latest is called "The Hard Problem." If there's one thing Stoppard seems to love, it's a hard problem. His plays have often engaged with the biggest philosophical and scientific debates known to humankind, though always with generous helpings of humor. The specific hard problem referred to in the title of this new work, now being produced by Lincoln Center Theater, is about how to explain human consciousness.

Stoppard's plays have variously (and often simultaneously) taken on art, poetry, physics, music, politics, and other big topics. Whether fixated on Shakespeare or Russian history in a particular play, there are some pet themes that he comes back to again and again. Two of them – the existence of goodness and the limitations of science in addressing the human experience – return here.

In "The Hard Problem," Hilary (Adelaide Clemens) is a psychology student at a no-name university who is somewhat surprised to find herself granted an interview with the prestigious Krohl Institute for Brain Science. As her tutor, Spike (Chris O'Shea), attempts to prepare her, it comes out that Hilary does not share his certainty that everything to do with the human mind – most notably, goodness – can be explained by evolutionary biology. She is certain there is more to being than hard science alone can account for. Also, to Spike's horror, she prays.

In Stoppard's 1972 play "Jumpers," philosophy and religion are treated as if they have become an embarrassment in academia. There is a similar dynamic at Stoppard's fictional Krohl Institute, where most of the money and attention goes to the hard neurological sciences. But one modest little department gives some space to psychology, and that is where the concept of "the mind" as something separate from the hard wiring of the brain still exists. With her not-so-orthodox thinking, Hilary manages to impress the man who runs that department and snags a position.

With the help of Bo (Karoline Xu), a math whiz at the department, Hilary is able to publish the results of a psychological study that appears to prove that greater self-interest comes with age. In other words, people are more good by nature, but are nurtured into selfishness. However, just as she's celebrating what finally feels like a win for her side of the argument, Bo reveals a bombshell of a secret.

At 100 intermission-less minutes, "The Hard Problem" is one of Stoppard's most intimate, straightforward, and accessible plays. No time-jumping, no long-dead artists or literary figures as characters, no sprawling historical pageant. There are still some of his signature fast-paced philosophical debates, which demand complete focus from the viewer, but on the whole it is a very compact and human story. The reason why Hilary prays, which I won't spoil, is at the center of it.

Clemens is wonderful as Hilary, imbuing her with both intellectual confidence and emotional vulnerability. Also notable among the terrific ensemble are Jon Tenney as Jerry, the Krohl of Krohl Institute; Eshan Bajpay as Amal, who interviews for the same position as Hilary at the institute; and Katie Beth Hall as Jerry Krohl's daughter, Cathy. The whole cast performs effortlessly under Jack O'Brien's assured direction.

While "The Hard Problem" might not offer the same thrill as some of Stoppard's more ambitious works, it is a fine play – gentle, thought-provoking, and contemporary. Through Hilary and the people who orbit around her, Stoppard explores familial bonds, altruism, coincidence, and relationships (not to mention vampire bats and hedge funds). No solution to the hard problem is found, but it's interesting spending some time with people driven to solve it.

"The Hard Problem" runs through January 6 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, 150 West 65th Street, NYC. For information or tickets, call 212-239-6200 or visit www.lct.org