# The Humanities play misses campus culture wars

> Play 'The Humanities' avoids real campus debates despite focusing on them.
- Title: The Humanities play misses campus culture wars | Shortify
- Summary: Play 'The Humanities' avoids real campus debates despite focusing on them. Zayd Ayers Dohrn's play 'The Humanities' fails to address campus culture wars it…
- Keywords: the humanities, victory gardens theater, zayd ayers doh rn, campus culture wars, charlie kirk, milo yiannopoulos, college speech, university protest, democracy, white supremacist, western supremacist, charlie kirk death
- Source: Chicago Sun-Times — https://chicago.suntimes.com/theater/2026/09/23/review-the-humanities-victory-gardens-zayd-ayers-dorhn-chicago-theater-campus-free-speech
- Published: 2026-09-23T20:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: the humanities, victory gardens theater, zayd ayers doh rn, campus culture wars, charlie kirk, milo yiannopoulos, college speech, university protest, democracy, white supremacist, western supremacist, charlie kirk death
## Play 'The Humanities' misses campus culture wars
Zayd Ayers Dohrn's new play 'The Humanities' premieres at Victory Gardens Theater but avoids examining campus culture wars it claims to explore.
## Play premieres after Charlie Kirk's death
The play opens days after Charlie Kirk's one-year death anniversary and weeks after Milo Yiannopoulos was deported.
## Problematic speaker Luka invited
Luka, a former student of professor Martin, is invited to speak at fictional Lincoln University despite being a problematic speaker.
## Luka's ideology unclear
The play does not explicitly state Luka's ideology or explain why he became a provocateur.
## University faces backlash
The university conducts damage control as Luka's speech lands days before its $2.5 billion capital campaign.
## Students protest
Students prepare for mass protests that lead to violence and arrests.
## Luka's speech weak
Luka argues he's 'not a white supremacist' but a 'western supremacist' who believes in democracy, yet his speech is too tepid to cause protests.
## Campus culture war themes
The play addresses accusations that colleges indoctrinate students, contribute to culture wars, and no longer serve as public squares for debate.
## Theater Wit's approach
Theater Wit staged 'The Ally' where a problematic speaker argues for Israel, countered by a Palestinian student from Gaza.
## Steve Pickering's role
Steve Pickering, a Chicago theater veteran, plays the professor who invites Luka to speak, displaying strong character work.
## Jonas and Margot's relationship
Jonas, an Ivy League student, and Margot, an art professor, engage in a love triangle with Martin, the professor.
## Director Edward Torres
Director Edward Torres excels in scenes involving Jonas, Martin, and Margot, creating compelling dynamics.
## Play misses the mark
Dohrn's play fails to address real campus culture wars despite being written in 2019 and premiering in 2026.
## What happens next
The play's failure to engage with real campus culture wars leaves it feeling hollow for audiences experiencing these issues.
## Key takeaway

Zayd Ayers Dohrn's play 'The Humanities' fails to address campus culture wars it claims to explore, instead focusing on the backlash of inviting a problematic speaker.