Overview

Man of the People dramatizes the rise and fall of Dr. John R. Brinkley, a notorious 1920s medical charlatan who claimed to cure impotence with goat gland transplants — and the Chicago doctor who tried to stop him. Set against a backdrop of early American radio and unregulated medicine, the play explores America’s deep-rooted relationship with quacks, populists, and the power of broadcast media to shape public perception.

My Role

As playwright, I developed Man of the People through extensive historical research, creating a bold, satirical, and haunting meditation on populism, virility, and the American obsession with reinvention. The play centers a high-stakes rivalry between Brinkley and Dr. Morris Fishbein of the AMA — a man with no power but the truth, trying to take down someone who’s mastered the tools of misinformation.

Creative Strategy

The storytelling blurs political farce and emotional realism. I used mirrored opening and closing scenes, interwoven motifs of silence and static, and radio as both literal and symbolic backdrop. The characters wrestle with truth, spectacle, and credibility in an America where optics often win over facts. Designed for contemporary resonance, the piece draws clear parallels to the rise of misinformation, media manipulation, and the cult of personality in public life.

Outcome

Man of the People was recognized as one of the Chicago Tribune’s “Top 10 Things to Do in Chicago”, featured alongside Arcade Fire and a Harry Potter exhibit. Its commentary on charlatanism and spectacle proved especially resonant in post-2016 America. The script has received continued attention from producers interested in its cultural and political relevance.