“The Revolutionists,” written by Lauren Gunderson, is hitting the stage in Mago Hunt Theater as the newest production from UP’s theater department. Each performance will begin at 7:30 p.m., with the Sunday matinee beginning at 2 p.m.
Set during the French Revolution, the play follows four women as they navigate the violence of their time and their calling to stand against it. Through quick dialogue and fast-paced scenes, they try to decipher what it means to make meaningful change.
Guest Director Josie Seid says that audience members can expect to see many similarities between the play’s violent setting and their own realities.
"The fact that this play is so relevant to the times that we're in now says that we have not fixed the core issue of our problem,” Seid said. “And until we do that, we're gonna keep walking around this mountain.”
Three of the central characters are based on real historical figures: playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday and Queen Marie Antoinette. The last main character, Marianne Angelle, is meant to represent the Haitian rebels who joined in the fight for freedom from French rule.
Tickets can be purchased at full price for $20 at the box office or online with discount codes for more affordable prices. Audience members with a valid student ID can get free rush tickets starting 10 minutes before the show starts, while supplies last.
Laya Duguid and Symone Fiedler in "The Revolutionists."
Media Credit: Rowan Lowery / The Beacon
Despite its historic setting, the play has a strong contemporary feel, according to senior Laya Duguid, who plays Olympe in the production. The play’s modern language, and the use of English instead of French for the dialogue, makes it accessible to audiences, even if it’s not historically accurate.
For Duguid, the play has many parallels to being a young actor in modern America. Throughout the play, Olympe questions how she can use her skills to create meaningful change, something Duguid has wrestled with as well.
“Being someone who loves theater, I’ve been thinking about how we can use any kind of medium of art to connect with people during this time where it's literally life or death, which is a lot of what Olympe is wrestling with,” Duguid said. “When I read the script before the audition, it hurt. [The story] is painful, but that's why I love it.”
While the plot deals with heavy topics, Charlotte Smith, the actor playing Marie Antoinette, assures viewers that the play is a comedy. Although not light-hearted, the stand out humor and compelling characters make the production worth the watch.
For Smith, the play’s central message is to rely on each other and the importance of community.
“[The play is about] how crucial community is to success,” Smith said. “It’s about a lot of individuals' journeys, but without the other women in the play, they never would have gotten to the final point of self-actualization or however they develop.”
Jewel DeVyldere in "The Revolutionists."
Media Credit: Rowan Lowery / The Beacon
Jewel DeVyldere, the actor playing Charlotte Corday, said the community created by the characters has translated into the relationships between cast and crew.
“It has just been lovely to connect with this primarily female cast,” DeVyldere said. “It's been really lovely to make those connections and to make something really beautiful out of that and to connect with these women from so long ago.”
Lily Wride, a sophomore actor in the ensemble, admires the uniqueness of the production process, saying that the collaborative environment is unlike other productions she’s participated in.
“Josie, our director, has shown us her vision, and then put it in our hands to execute that,” Wride said. “She would tell us, ‘Just go with your gut, walk around, see what feels right. I'll stop you if I want to.’ And I think that has really given us the space to open our own characters.”
Seid encourages audience members to come in with an open mind, noting that the fiction on stage is not that different from the increasing political violence offstage.
“You're definitely going to be entertained,” Seid said. “But come ready to look in a mirror. The image is not as distorted as you think.”
Samantha Zavala is the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at zavala27@up.edu.
