Theater: “The Hard Problem” by Tom Stoppard (from 2018)

Playwright Tom Stoppard writes the smartest lines in the world, which can make those of us self-proclaimed smartypants feel sorta dumb. But because he’s a genius he can take complex concepts like altruism vs. egotism, faith vs. science; nurture vs. nature, add the dry Stoppard wit, and fashion it into another cerebral winner. In “The Hard Problem,” he wraps this in the setting of a scientific foundation, funded by a London hedge fund zillionaire (Jon Tenney)where a young doctor of psychology (Adelaide Clemens, a veteran of Lonergan play)works in conducting studies of the brain while still believing in God. She is surrounded by an odd mix of atheist boyfriend (Chris O’Shea), hedgies, quants, and financial sharks. Put your Stephen Hawking on and give it a whirl. At Lincoln Center. (Friday)