Learn Something Important at Timeline’s Birth of the Pill

There is this old movie: Donald Duck in Mathmagicland where the world's cutest waterfowl character sets out to teach the very serious subject of mathematics in an entertaining way. The world premiere of The Birth of the Pill is something of a self aware presentational theatrical lecture breaking the 4th wall in the same highly visual, fun, fast paced way, and it’s filled with information you probably didn’t know.  This play is deadly serious and highly entertaining. And while Mathmagicland does not call attention to systemic racism, we are grown ups now and Jessica Huang’s script illuminates an underbelly of a scientific research process that was not necessarily detailed in the Jonathan Eng book by the same name. (Eng collaborated with this adaptation and admits he left out material that should have been included) Because feminist íand Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger used eugenicist tenets to sell her case for a pill, and the research team did not get informed consent– or really any consent at all to participate in an experiment– the women of Puerto Rico were part of the human trials of the Pill without knowing they were participating. This is a common theme in 20th century medical research: use poor uneducated BIPOC people to advance medicine. This world changing discovery came at a profound human and moral cost. The book and the play pay much needed attention to the research fellow Min Chueh Chang’s ground breaking techniques were vital to the process. His contribution had been minimized in previous recountings because he was a Chinese immigrant. 

Director Sandra Marquez kept the pace up and has wisely rested the likeability of these complex characters in María Victoria MartÍnez’ chameleon-like portrayal of a multitude, as well as casting Janet Ulrich Brooks as the iconic Sanger. Even as the topic of women controlling their own bodies comes up again now in the US with our own new version of Comstock laws, this play is not heavy handed.  It lays out the story and you can feel and become enraged at the system as you will. 

This is a must see play for anyone who is an adult. It shows how life changing science is built on personalities being in the right time and place and connecting with each other, money, compromise and sheer dumb luck for it all to come together. Exploiting poor people or animals may also be a part of the package.  The Birth of the Pill is not a kind story or an easy one, but it's one for this time right now. 

The Birth of the Pill is playing at Timeline Theatre, 5035 N Broadway in Chicago Wednesdays through Sundays through October 4, 2026. They have some enlightening discussions with some shows– for tickets, a calendar and more information go to https://timelinetheatre.com/events/birth-pill/

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For  reviews go to https://www.theatreinchicago.com/