Djerassi set out to write plays so that he could reach a broader field than he had been. He calls his output "science in theater." Teaching science in dialogue form makes it more accessible, easier to understand—and more entertaining.

And there are fascinating scientific issues to explore—the social and ethical implications raised by in vitro fertilization, say. In vitro is the subject of his first play, Immaculate Misconception. In vitro will be used more and more in the next 10 years, he predicts, and not just by infertile couples.

Women who want to postpone pregnancy until they are in their 40s, for instance, will have their young eggs frozen so that when they are ready to reproduce their chances of producing healthy babies will be greater.

His second play was Oxygen, co-written, about the three claimants to the discovery of oxygen. One man discovered it; one (Joseph Priestley) first published its discovery; and one understood it. All three were necessary: a mother, a father, a midwife—but who should be credited?

His third play was Calculus, about the scandal that attended the origin and attribution. Did Newton pull a few unscientific strings, massage the truth of his studies? Djerassi's fourth play, The Ego, will be presented at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh this summer.

People in his "tribe," as he calls it, don't usually go to the theater or read books other than scientific texts. They're only interested in their peers' opinion. Indeed, he paints the scientific field as so single-focused, so driven by competition, that it becomes Nobel lust, another potential for drama.

Djerassi has also written dialogues strictly for teaching. Students read the dialogues aloud, rather than the professor, thus minimizing the distance between the learned and the learner. Djerassi is the author of several novels, poems and short stories.

TREE HUGGING PAYS: In one of the severe storms this winter, a tree fell on the Campbell house of Saratoga High teacher Judith Sutton and her husband, John Swartz. But this wasn't just any tree. It was a tree commemorated in Sutton's new book, Prism, in a poem titled "My Eucalyptus."

The tree, she felt, had helped her in the healing process after breast cancer surgery. It stood barely two feet outside her bedroom window, shading the room, and she drew solace from it throughout her long recuperation. But during the storm the couple realized it had become uprooted.

So they wisely decided to move to another bedroom for the night. Sure enough, the tree lost its bearings and came down on the house. But, once again, it proved to be a friend. The way in which its branches lit on the roof caused minimal damage.

And backyard damage was nil: a glass-topped table emerged unscathed, as did various fountains. The uprooting simply strengthened Sutton's affection for trees. "They seem very wise to me. I think they have a soul." A very poetic reaction to a tree's demise.

JOB SEARCH: After the Career Action Center (CAC) closed, one member of the staff continued to work on a volunteer basis. She's Saratogan Mimi Bross, and she has counseling credits up the kazoo, including 20-plus years at the CAC.

She holds a master's in psychology and counseling from San Jose State University. Bross runs a support group for people looking for work who are middle-aged—past 40, say. Considerably past, in some cases. Current statistics say Silicon Valley has the highest unemployment rate in the country.

When CAC closed, Bross' group continued to meet at St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church in Cupertino. The group numbers between six and 12 members. The numbers and faces fluctuate because most take on survival jobs by going into retail, say, or becoming nannies.

Some seek schooling to find work in an entirely new field. Since 63 percent of people find jobs through networking, as opposed to ads, keeping in touch ultimately pays off. Bross' email address is sbross1252@aol.com.

SHAZAM: The De Anza Kiwanis Club stepped into the breach when the senior center recently lost a fundraising dinner sponsor. The Kiwanis Club put on a sold-out dinner that netted $1,600 with but two weeks notice. Center director Sean O'Leary is a member of De Anza Kiwanis.

Other Saratoga Kiwanis members who performed stellar service that night were Dick Angus, Ken Bowersox, Tad Curtis and Pete Joachin. De Anza Kiwanis has also paid for an audio system in the Fireside Room at the center and laid out the vegetable gardens for the Saratoga Adult Care Center.

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