(Credit: Playcrafters)
The Revolutionists sits on a turning point in history and showcases the past with its contradictions and in all of its bareness
Next up on Playcrafters’ stage is “The Revolutionists,” a smart, history-based comedy by award-winning playwright Lauren Gunderson, who was 2017’s most produced playwright in America — second to Shakespeare, of course.
The production showcases four female rebels in perilous political times during the French Revolutionary War’s “Reign of Terror” in 18th-century Paris.
“The play is a blend of mostly comedy,” said Director Aaron Gould of the two-hour production with intermission on an abstract stage. “It does have some meaningful moments and a bit of off-color language, and it’s using 18th century French feminists to shed light on 21st-century society.”
The story highlights themes of controversy, drama, and tragedy among the four female characters. They are: playwright Olympe de Gouges (played by Meghan Crook), Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle (played by Brynne Maddrey), former Queen Marie-Antoinette (played by Andrea Frassoni), and assassin Charlotte Corda (played by Ally Batot). Through their stories, these women boldly attempt to change the world in the face of violence, terror, and danger, where struggles in maintaining freedom and equality are losing ground.
In light of western culture’s male dominance, the story has relevance today. In the script’s dialogue, Gunderson points out the French hypocrisy as they fight for freedom while concurrently holding people in a Haitian slave colony and executing women who speak out against the government. The duplicity is exposed and all with comedic flair, while the story makes a powerful statement and enshrines the legacy of women in shaping society.
The Revolutionists sits on a turning point in history and showcases the past with its contradictions and in all of its bareness. However, in the midst of the plot, there is a surprise that is not revealed until the end. So, no spoilers here! Suffice it to say, the story takes a twist no one sees coming — the ultimate joy of a theater-goer. The question that lingers is: Does art imitate life or the other way around?
If you go:
Playcrafters presents ‘The Revolutionists’ at The Barn
2011 Store Road at Skippack Pike, Skippack
April 25, 26; May 2, 3, 8, 9, 10 at 8 PM and April 27; May 3, 4 @ 2 PM
Tickets: $24.00
610-584-4005
