The Birth of the Pill

Timeline Theatre starts its 2026-2027 season with a riveting World Premiere, The Birth of the Pill. A book written by Jonathan Eig, recounting the groundbreaking journey of four visionary Crusaders who fundamentally transformed the landscape of human sexuality and sparked a societal revolution. The narrative explores how the oral contraceptive Pill was developed through scientific discovery, innovative research, devoted activism, and medical practices during the 1950s. The narrative centers on a team that includes Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood and a birth control activist, who was instrumental in the development of the first birth control pill; heiress Katherine McCormick; Harvard scientist Goody Pincus; and John Rock, a highly respected Harvard obstetrician. With valuable assistance from reproductive biologist Min Chueh Chang, they worked together on Sanger's visionary ideal of developing a simple pill, defying medical skepticism, social outrage, and legal bans, to develop the first practical, effective oral contraceptive, illuminating the challenges and triumphs faced in empowering women with control over their reproductive choices.

Playwright Jessica Huang, along with the very talented Sandra Marquez as director, takes a deeper dive into the historical narrative of the birth of the Pill, bringing to life the large-scale human trials for the birth control pill that were conducted in Puerto Rico, Río Piedras and other areas in Puerto Rico, utilizing an existing network of local birth control clinics to avoid the legalities of working on the distribution of contraceptives within their state. With minimal regulatory oversight, this location allowed the researchers to operate with impunity. Their deceptive practices occurred under limited surveillance, and the residents lacked the political power to resist.

Through the excellent performance by Maria Victoria Martinez as the narrator, Ramona Delgado shares the stories of how Puerto Rican women were subjected to invasive medical exposure and bodily exploitation used during 1950s birth control pill trials. When they informed them of severe side effects such as nausea, dizziness, and headaches, researchers dismissed the complaints as psychosomatic or blamed the "emotional super-activity" of Puerto Rican women rather than adjusting the high hormone dosages.

As she breaks down the fourth wall, Martinez brilliantly brings the audience into the historical stories of how the women were involved in the trials, with several of them dying. Still, their deaths were never investigated or autopsied. The play is deeply connected to colonial, eugenicist, and class-based biases that viewed the island's low-income Hispanic population as a target for population reduction. The remarkable accomplishment of the innovation of the pill is flawed by the negative eugenics movement views of Margaret Sanger — a social and scientific ideology that aimed to improve the human species through selective breeding, to justify their decision to use poor and non-white populations as proponents of the pill, fearing overpopulation of impoverished, less-educated individuals as a threat.

The casting features the incredibly talented Janet Ulrich Brooks as Margaret Sanger. Ulrich's characterization ability is impeccable. She brings Sanger to life, allowing the audience to love her caring views on women controlling their own bodies when it comes to birth, while also despising her motives for viewing other women as vulnerable, unessential subjects. Rammel Chan delivers a persuasive portrayal of Min Chueh Chang, showcasing Chang's stability, trustworthiness, and truthfulness during the trials, as well as his concerns about the side effects women experienced.

Mitchell J. Fain as Goody Pincus, the unorthodox, rebellious scientist and co-inventor of the pill. Mary Beth Fisher plays heiress and philanthropist Katharine McCormick, who provides the financial backing needed to complete the trials. Fisher's comic wit and charisma, balanced with McCormick's wisdom as a biologist, were exceptional. David Parkes as John Rock was equally outstanding; however, he made a shockingly inappropriate nude entrance that added little to the play beyond shock and awe. But future audiences should be warned about the play's unanticipated nudity. The star of the production is Maria Victoria Martinez as Ramona Delgado. From start to end, Martinez's narration, a masterful combination of wit balanced with powerful and poignant dialogue, had the audience enthralled. The entire cast delivered an exceptional performance, captivating the audience with remarkable talent and creating a mesmerizing experience that left everyone spellbound.

We attended the performance on a day when the Chicago Public Media Theater Club was present. After the play, we joined an engaging Post-Show Discussion, which WBEZ theater reporter Mike Davis skillfully moderated with Dramaturg Maren Robinson and cast member Janet Ulrich Brooks, where he provided deeper insights into the performance, themes, and historical background of the play and book. One of Davis's comments was whether we, as people who attend theatrical performances at Timeline Theater, take the time to review the amazing historical facts Timeline is known for, or if we only glance at the information.

As a critic, I love approaching a play with a sense of wonder and innocence, as if I'm completely unacquainted with its storyline, looking to the actors on stage to spark my curiosity and imagination, much like a child captivated by a magical performance. For this reason, I prefer to avoid any preconceived notions or outside influences that might sway my perceptions, letting the unfolding drama speak for itself. I have the pleasure of speaking with Dramaturg Maren Robinson, who shares the stories behind the amazing historical fact displays she worked on outside the theatre walls. I urge you to take time to visit and explore the fascinating history of the Pill's journey, including the booklet, which has more valuable information and insight you can share with family and friends.

I love history; however, our historical facts have often been blurred by those who preferred their own versions of history over the truth, leaving out key factors and important individuals to distort the delicate fabric of our history. The beauty of the production is that Eig, whose book does provide genuine historical facts, is the first to acknowledge that his book should have gone further to interrogate and explore testimonials from Puerto Rican women negatively affected by the contraceptive trials and testing. With his blessing, Jessica casts Mitchell J. Fain as Jonathan Eig, who sits down with Ramona Delgado at the end of the play and apologizes for omitting the stories of the women affected by the trials.

The Birth of the Pill is that one Must-See play of the year that everyone should see.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Timeline Theatre Company

The Birth of the Pill

By Jessica Juang

Based on the book by Jonathan Eig

Directed by Sandra Marquez, SDC

September 10 - October 4, 2026

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