Evolution and the Classroom with Next Act Theatre

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Courtesy of Next Act

Next Act Theatre closes its season next month with a world premiere. Playwright/screenwriter Stephen Massicotte had written The Clockmaker, which Next Act produced a couple of years ago. This year Massicotte bring Next Act Ten Questions to Ask Your Biology Teacher About Evolution. Deborah Staples plays a high school biology teacher who is challenged by a student about the fundamentals of evolution.

The play gets its name from a group of questions written by creationist Jonathan Wells to challenge the veracity of the theory of evolution. I like biology. Though I'm in no way an expert, I think evolution is a fascinating subject. I've read Wells' questions. They seem skewed and misleading. Thanks to continued efforts of Wells and other creationists, evolution isn’t universally accepted in classrooms. There’s a real drama playing out there that Massicotte has the opportunity to explore in some depth with Ten Questions to Ask Your Biology Teacher About Evolution.

In addition to Deborah Staples, Next Act’s world premiere production of the play features talented Milwaukee theater veterans Mary MacDonald Kerr, David Cecsarini and newcomer Kyle Curry. Honestly, as interesting as the script might turn out to be, I think anything with a cast that includes Staples and Kerr and Cecsarini is worth seeing. The biggest endorsement for the script may be that the three of them have decided to bring it to the stage. Don't mistake this play for some absurd list of questions. Judging from the talent involved, Massicotte's Ten Questions to Ask Your Biology Teacher About Evolution is likely MUCH more compelling than Wells' work by the same name.

Next Act’s production of Stephen Massicotte’s Ten Questions to Ask Your Biology Teacher About Evolution runs April 9 - May 3 on 255 S. Water St. For more information, visit nextact.org.