Associate theater professor Jane Cox might as well begin teaching music courses, considering the time she has put into researching the topic.

Cox is the co-instructor for Theater 106 — an Introduction to Performing Arts — which spends a month focusing on music.

A few years ago year she took a chunk of her time to research and write a play about musician Clara Schumann and was back at it last spring, researching the well-known composer Johannes Brahms.

Cox has been preparing for the upcoming ISU Department of Music Faculty Recital “Johannes Brahms: The Unforgettable One,” a musical drama in which she recently wrote.

The play is a follow-up to Cox’s drama on the life and music of Schumann, which was performed at Iowa State in the spring of 1996 and continues to be performed throughout the state.

The “Brahms” drama opens with none other than Schumann remembering the day in 1853 in which the young Brahms first knocked on her door.

After meeting the young composer and hearing him play a piano sonatas, Marie’s husband wrote in his diary “a visit from Johannes Brahms, a genius.”

The script continues with the sudden illness and death of Robert shortly after his meeting with Brahms. The young composer then develops a strong devotion to the Schumann family.

Cox tells the story of Brahms as seen through the eyes of Marie Schumann, the oldest daughter of Robert and Clara.

Brahms was born in 1833 and died in 1897, so Cox’s production celebrates the 100th anniversary of his death. The play is set soon after Brahms’ death.

Clara, the great concert pianist who championed Brahms’ works, is played by Sue Haug.

“The play gives a sympathetic portrait of Brahms,” Haug said. “It gives his life as a composer.”

The drama is “very true to life and not invented,” Haug said. It features Brahms’ “progression of himself as a composer and his life struggles.”

This weekend’s production will feature about half drama and half music, Haug said. The music portion will include two of Brahms’ piano intermezzi from Op. 118 and a movement from the second piano sonata.

“The violin speaks like a human voice throughout the play,” Haug said.

Mahlon Darlington will play the violin and tenor Raymond Tymas-Jones will provide vocals. Jones is a faculty member and Director of the School of Music at the University of Northern Iowa.

The set for the play will consist of a minimal effect room, although Cox did enlarge photos of Brahms in different stages of his life.

Cox also designed the costumes for the play which Haug describes as “beautiful period costumes.”

“Johannes Brahms: The Unforgettable One” will be performed Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the Music Hall Recital Hall. Admission is $5. Parking is available in the Memorial Union parking ramp.