Quirky genius

The 1988 film Young Einstein was poorly received in America not only because of its stupid humor, but also because of how unlike Albert Einstein Yahoo Serious' character actually was. And it's a shame because the real Einstein was a fascinating person and didn't need any embellishment. Showing all of Einstein's real sides was the motivation behind actor-writer Ed Metzger's one-man play Einstein: The Practical Bohemian, which opened in 1978. The play has gone on to do wonderfully in the subsequent decades, and even got an endorsement from the Einstein family (Einstein's first cousin even said that it felt like sitting down with his cousin). The play touches on Einstein's insatiable desire to understand the mysteries of the universe, but also demonstrates the man behind the scientist—the guy who dreamed of being a violinist, who needed directions to his own house, who wore mismatched thrift-store clothes, and who was genuinely a funny, charming human being. Einstein: The Practical Bohemian; 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 6; $21-$29. Harris Center for the Arts, 10 College Parkway in Folsom; www.harriscenter.net.