Matt Chait is that rare theatrical animal, a playwright of ideas. The veteran actor/writer—and overseer of The Complex, a cluster of small theaters in Hollywood—takes on the controversy over the origins of life on earth in his new play, A Misunderstanding, now in a world premiere run at The Complex’s Ruby Theater. Darwinism and Intelligent Design duke it out in this drama, with both sides expressing themselves in lucid, impassioned fashion. On one side is Prof. Joshua Brownstein (Bruce Katzman), head of a college Biology Department, who believes firmly in Darwin’s evolutionary principles. On the other side is Prof. Betram Cates (Chait), who thinks Darwinism is theory, not fact—a pseudo-religion, really. In its place he espouses a mystical theory of intelligent design. Consciousness, not God, is the key to this theory: “we are all connected, part of a bigger picture.” Since this is a drama, not merely a debate, Chait has been obliged to come up with something of a story line. He opens A Misunderstanding with Prof. Cates having been suspended from his job, on orders from his boss (and old friend), Prof. Brownstein, for having violated department policy by teaching creationism. The latter offers Cates a deal, though: if he will agree to keep his “unscientific” views to himself and not air them in class, he will be reinstated. Cates, though, is unable to compromise his deeply felt beliefs, which he defends eloquently and fiercely during the course of his mock trial. Chait has also weaved a sub-plot into his text: the love story between Prof. Brownstein’s daughter Melinda (Amy-Helene Carlson) and her fellow-student, Howard Blair (Dennis Renard). They get caught up in the internecine battle, with Melinda sticking up for her father and Howard for Cates, his mentor. Their conflict gives A Misunderstanding some badly needed visceral moments. The battle over the teaching of evolution in public schools dates back to the 1925 trial of John T. Scopes, which became the basis of the drama Inherit the Wind.. It’s revelatory that Chait’s last play was called “Disinherit the Wind.” He sincerely believes that we must go beyond Darwin to build a new theory of evolution. As a longtime student of Yoga with the Swami Satchidanda,, Chait has used the stage as a mouthpiece for his controversial ideas. His four-person cast is to be commended for the way it has handled his complex but basically static play; with the help of director Elina de Santos, A Midsundersanding’s many long speeches are delivered effortlessly and impressively, making for a thought-provoking experience.
