DocMiami International Film Festival

Is it worth millions of dollars to fund a program that encourages people to like science? Are audiences hungry for stories about scientists, mathematicians and technology? Ten years ago, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation posted very clearly on their website, 'Sloan does not make grants in the arts.' In present day, Sloan gives millions of dollars to theater, film, festivals, playwrights, and choreographers to encourage them to create works of art that embrace science, technology, and the study of economics. This documentary traces the history of this program, starting with the very first grant given by this science funding giant to Ensemble Studio Theatre, a scruffy New York City workshop oriented theater. The piece includes interviews with physicist Brian Greene, Sloan program director Doron Weber, television writer Jackie Reingold (Law & Order, In Treatment), and playwright Cassandra Medley, and looks at the origins of 'The Science Play.'