The First Oral Contraceptive

The Birth of the Pill

TimeLine Theatre Company, now comfortably ensconced in their stylish new home, is following up their spectacular opening production, ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, with a historical story that’s more contemporary than the Ibsen classic. Based upon Jonathan Eig’s 2014 nonfiction work, The Birth of the Pill, subtitled “How Four Crusaders Reinvented Sex and Launched a Revolution,” this new play is enjoying its World Premiere in Chicago. Both the book and playwright Jessica Huang’s interesting one-act play, reveals the rocky road toward the creation and controversial impact of the first oral contraceptive for women.

Making her auspicious TimeLine debut, talented actress Maria Victoria Martinez opens the production by breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience. As the narrator, she introduces both Eig’s book (which she reminds us is for sale in the lobby) and Huang’s play, with plenty of lighthearted humor. Ms. Martinez’s folksy monologue informs us that, 1.) the fourth wall will probably often disappear throughout this production, and 2.) this will be less serious and more comical than theatergoers will probably expect.

Ms. Huang’s play is, indeed, liberally laced with humor. It’s also unsparingly and unexpectedly peppered with four-letter words and one quite surprising scene of full-frontal nudity. I’m not sure how necessary that shocking, yet amusing, episode fits into this particular story, but…whatever. Despite all the comedy, the story of the creation of “The Pill” is a serious matter for the four quirkly main characters, and there is, understandably, a lot of medical and biological terminology thrown around throughout the hour-and-forty-five minute production. By the final scene, which felt somewhat longer than it needed to be, the audience might feel a little scientifically overloaded. 

The play focuses on four primary characters, along with a few other individuals, who triumphed over all of the lawful, moralistic and religious antagonism toward creating a safe, effective oral contraceptive medication, “that could be taken like an aspirin.” We meet the fiery feminist, Margaret Sanger, who campaigned tirelessly for women’s rights. She was a pioneer for reproductive freedom for females, but she needed a large sum of money to fund the research. Luckily, Ms. Sanger reunited with an old friend, wealthy women’s advocate Katharine McCormick. With money being no object, Margaret Sanger convinced the bighearted philanthropist to fund the expensive research that would make this advance in science a reality. Together they worked with one of the most brilliant biologists of his time, Dr. Gregory “Goody” Pincus. Together with his lab assistant, Min Chueh Chong, he would lead the scientific development of a hormone-based drug that would be safe. Dr. Pincus also enlisted the help of Dr. John Rock, a pious Catholic obstetrician, who was eager to promote the drug. Dr. Rock would use his fame and influence to help win over medical and pious acceptance. The quartet of supporters fervently believed in a Pill that would stop ovulation and put an end to many often dangerous childbirths and unsafe abortions.

Directed with spirit and a special talent for staging comedy, Sandra Marquez brings the same talent to THE BIRTH OF THE PILL, as she did with Steppenwolf’s A DOLL’S HOUSE, 

PART 2 and I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER. Her talented cast is uniformly superb, beginning with lovely Maria Victoria Martinez. She not only jumps back and forth as our guide, taking the audience through the story from start to finish, but she also plays several other characters. Ms. Martinez portrays both a helpful, new secretary and assistant to Dr. Pincus, as well as Ramona Delgado, one of the many Puerto Rican “volunteers” duped into trying the pill to prove it worked on human beings. Maria interacts continually with all the other characters.

Two of Chicago’s finest actresses play the extraordinary women who set their sights on the goal of creating The Pill. A TimeLine Company Member, and a Jeff Award-winning actress, the always magnificent Janet Ulrich Brooks is delightful as Margaret Sanger. Ms. Brooks is remembered for so many brilliant performances, among them Maria Callas in MASTER CLASS, more recently PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC at Northlight, as well as Queen Elizabeth II in THE AUDIENCE at Drury Lane. As always, Janet brings pure honesty and layers of realism to her often comic portrayal of Margaret Sanger. She’s joined by one Chicago’s most gifted actresses, Mary Beth Fisher, as Katharine McCormick. Sweeping around the stage in designer suits and a vintage fur stole, Ms. Fisher is the epitome of a smart woman on a mission, and for whom money is no object. Mary Beth (THE NORMAL HEART, TimeLine; GOD OF CARNAGE, Goodman) brings so much humor to the role, whether sparring with her friend, Margaret Sanger, or writing enormous checks to fund the scientists so they can continue their  research.

The men in the cast are equally funny. Mitchell J. Fain (Jeff Award-winner for THE LEHMAN TRILOGY, TimeLine) is often hilarious as Dr. Pincus, the visionary biologist primarily responsible for the development of The Pill. Mitchell also portrays Jonathan Eig, the author of the book that inspired this play, and he even resembles the writer. He’s ably assisted in the lab scenes by Rammel Chan (KING OF THE YEES, Goodman; LUCY & CHARLIE’S HONEYMOON, Lookingglass) as the wise and principled scientist and laboratory supervisor, Min Chueh Chang. And proud TimeLine Company Member, David Parkes (AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE; A WALK IN THE WOODS, TimeLine), is especially wonderful and hilarious as the glib and self-assured Dr. John Rock. This character fought with his own religious beliefs to help bring public approval of the new drug. Faithful audiences of past TimeLine productions will definitely see a new side of Mr. Parkes in this play.

Jonathan Eig’s fascinating story of The Birth of the Pill, adapted by Jessica Huang, depicts one the most important scientific and cultural discoveries of the twentieth century. As always at TimeLine Theatre, History comes alive in Sandra Marquez’s excellent production. The story’s told by six talented actors who truly know their craft and how to play comedy. The production’s enhanced by Regina Garcia’s versatile scenic design, made more theatrical by Conchita Avitia’s lighting, Matthew Chapman’s sound design and Mike Tutaj’s fine projections. And the period costume design by Christine Pascual’s provides yet another element to each character. 

The play, although briskly paced, tends to feel a little long, especially in the final scene. And there’s an abundance of scientific and medical terminology continually being spouted by all of the characters that might overwhelm some audiences. But this is an important story, an untold moment in history, that reminds us that the genesis of The Pill, the first oral contraceptive for women, was anything but simple.      

Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas 

Presented September 2-October 4 by TimeLine Theatre Company, at their new home at 5035 N. Broadway, Chicago.

Tickets are available at the box office, by calling 773-281-8463 or by going to www.timelinetheatre.com.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.

Photos by Brett Beiner