According to Merriam-Webster, the first known use of the word “equivocate” was in 1590. The dictionary further states the word has a couple of meanings: To use language especially with intent to deceive, and to avoid committing oneself in what one says.
Playwright Bill Cain says there is a further meaning, that equivocation can be a way to get to the deeper truth. How we use what appears to be the language of lies to tell a more profound truth is at the core of his 2009 play of the same name.
Equivocation opened at Next Act Theatre last week. The play asks us to think about the nature of truth.
"They’re struggling to get ahold of what’s true. And what they find out is true is not just a series of facts, but a sense of community, a sense of people committed to one another and committed to one another telling the truth And I think that’s what we’re looking for in the world," says Cain.
Equivocation will be at Next Act Theatre through February 25th.
