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Play Unearths Hidden Stories of Birth Control Pill Trials
7 Sep
Summary
- Play 'The Birth of the Pill' highlights overlooked Puerto Rican women.
- Author Jonathan Eig acknowledges historical narrative omissions.
- The play explores suffering and its role in driving progress.
A new play, "The Birth of the Pill," adapted from Jonathan Eig's 2014 book, is set to premiere this week, featuring the author as a character. Playwright Jessica Huang's adaptation focuses on what Eig left out, particularly the experiences of Puerto Rican women who participated in early clinical trials.
The play's central character, Ramona Delgado, a fictional young Puerto Rican woman, voices dissatisfaction with Eig's book, arguing it should have centered on the women tested. These trials occurred in the 1950s, when doses were high, leading to severe side effects, and participants were not always informed.
Eig acknowledges that history is a conversation and that writers inevitably leave things out. He reflects on similar omissions in his other works, noting his failure to fully convey the suffering of the Puerto Rican women in the pill trials, which included nausea, dizziness, vomiting, blood clots, and three deaths.
Premiering at Chicago's TimeLine Theatre Company, the play, as Ramona confronts a character representing Eig, highlights how suffering, not just success, drives progress. Eig expresses nervousness but also admiration for the play's ability to make these historical experiences more vivid and emotional.
