Actor, playwright and activist Wallace Shawn spoke at Northwestern on Sunday night about his plays and his beliefs about privilege.

Shawn, who is known for his acting roles in “The Princess Bride” and “Gossip Girl” and his voice-overs in “Toy Story,” spoke to a full audience at Cahn Auditorium about the political messages in his plays and his personal journey to understanding his own views.

“Reading and then traveling leads to thinking,” he said. “Thinking about some of the realities we face.”

American society is ignorant to the mistreatment of poorer people in the world, Shawn said. He included himself in the accusation that the “privileged” often enjoy things while overlooking the misery of others.

The Chicago Humanities Festival, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, hosted the speech as part of its fourth annual Morris and Dolores Kohl Kaplan Northwestern Day. This year’s theme “Journeys” centered on both the physical and personal experiences of the many speakers participating in the festival. CHF runs until Nov. 9.

Chicago resident Sarah Ballema, 40, said she attended the speech to hear Shawn talk about his writing process as a playwright. Shawn is able to force people to confront their privilege by making the issue relevant to all, despite socioeconomic differences, she said.

“He’s not just talking to the wealthy people in the audience,” she said. “When I first read (Shawn’s play “The Fever”) as a grad student taking out loans, I felt as responsible for the problems of the play as anyone else was.”

Shawn asked the audience for ideas on taking action against the problems associated with privilege. He said he personally did not have an answer besides to react to events as they happen.

Chicago resident Justin Storer, 32, said he appreciated Shawn’s multidimensional personality.

“He admits that he sort of is a hypocrite in his day-to-day life, working for Hollywood, but believing in what it is he believes,” he said.

Weinberg sophomore Elizabeth Meehan, a member of the undergraduate Kaplan Humanities program, said it’s important for society to study the humanities and its importance in society.

“The interdisciplinary nature of the humanities is what makes it so great,” she said. “Everyone is so open, willing to share and bring ideas together in ways you’ve never seen before.”

Anna Marie Wilharm, Chicago Humanities Festival marketing and PR manager, said the event was not about Shawn identifying a problem and finding a solution, but instead focused on Shawn recognizing an issue and letting the audience think critically about it.

“Ultimately, after awareness, the next step lies within individuals or communities to take action,” she said.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @jackiemontt