PicksInSix Review: The Humanities - Victory Gardens Theater
Culture War Erupts In “The Humanities”
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Ronald Keaton
One of the most difficult things, I believe, for any dramatist to do is to look at an event in history and, in telling the story, put their own spin on its reality and its results. In watching “The Humanities,” the first production of Victory Gardens Theater in quite a while, it becomes even more apparent that they want to leave a mark, to mark a special moment—indeed, to make even a small difference in today's cultural heritage.
In this world premiere that runs through October 4, the playwright/historian Zayd Ayers Dohrn comes by his historical choices honestly, being the offspring of Weather Underground icons Bill Ayers and Bernadette Dohrn. His "on-the-run" history with his parents becomes potentially fascinating. Now in his own middle-aged place in life, Mr. Dohrn has chosen for this piece a college campus that experiences vast upheaval and dichotomy from a faculty choice of a speaker whose reputation is, to put it mildly, controversial. If we look at recent headlines in the United States, this story could have used the Berkeley disruption of far-right influencer Milo Yiannopoulos nearly a decade ago as a model in being guided through sociological touchstones. Whether there are solutions proposed as a result depends, it would seem, on one's own sense of social history and regard for protest culture.
The eclectic plot has a departmental debate brewing between the dean of cultural studies Carole (Sabine Wan deftly opens the play with a difficult and challenging lecture on sexual mores in America), the departmental chair Martin (Steve Pickering in an expert, sensitive underplaying of a recovering alcoholic), and Milta, the sole faculty member (Isa Arciniegas compellingly represents the protesting side on campus) who has signed a petition that objects to the booking of a radical right-wing speaker at Lincoln University, the name of the institution. Martin and Milta hotly debate the speaker's right to speak vs. his subject matter and representation. Carole, on the other hand, wants no part of controversy to sideline the new work she's begun, a capital campaign to raise $2B—yes, you read that correctly—for various and sundry projects and improvements that the university fathers have in mind. It's a quandary of epic proportions.
Meanwhile, Jonas, a new assistant professor (a fascinating role given strong, articulate shrift by Ernest Bentley) has just arrived on campus, trying to simply fit in. In short order, he is asked by an anxious student representative Hampton (smooth work by Derrick Sanders III) to sign the aforementioned petition; propositioned by Martin's wife Margot (an alluring and articulate Naomi Evans) to be a part of an intimate threesome; and asked almost immediately by the dean Carole to introduce the speaker Luka (Danill Krimer, both intellectually and physically imposing) at his appointed speech date, because he's the 'right person' to do so. This is all while Jonas has been on campus for only a short time, hardly having time to unpack his things in his office.
To give more challenge to the story, Milta sits in a bar one evening and finds herself being 'hit on' by Xander (Piper Murphy, appropriately and abruptly aggressive), a former student of hers whose obvious motivation is more than sexual as one of the leaders of the protest against Luka. Then there is Anthony (an impressive portrait by Devaughn Asante Loman), a young man caught in the clash between poverty and ambition who ends up being the fall guy for the entire protest movement—all when he simply wanted to learn at a university that was beyond his financial capability. Finally, with Anthony's burgeoning friendship with Hampton yet another layer to absorb in this conundrum, the entire world onstage explodes during Luka's speech.
As one might gather, there are many intricate layers to this play. It is a real triumph that Artistic Director Edward Torres has been able, in part, to help reignite the creative fires that Victory Gardens founded in original plays with this creative stew he has prepared. The play has scope and range that is tricky and demanding to portray onstage. There are scenes that occur simultaneously. For instance, some partial nudity in an intimate moment between two women is coupled with a lecture about sexual attitudes over the years. That technique could have used more separation to establish visual and verbal clarity. There is a large projection screen located upstage center that helps guide us, which has its own unique influence—almost a Big Brother perspective. Every character seems ultimately to have some kind of ulterior motive, whether or not it was intended. And that becomes the final puzzle for the audience to solve.
CONTENT ADVISORY: The Humanities explores complex and challenging subject matter and contains strong language, sexual content, and partial nudity. Recommended for adult audiences.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | RONALD KEATON received an Equity Jeff Award for the performance of his one-man show CHURCHILL. Coming soon, his new solo play about Ben Franklin, THE FIRST EMBASSY. www.solochicagotheatre.com.
PHOTO|Michael Brosilow
Victory Gardens Theater
presents
World Premiere
The Humanities
2433 N Lincoln Ave
through October 4, 2026
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