About
the Play:
The Revolutionists is a full-length comedy by Lauren
Gunderson. Set during the
French Revolution, four
beautiful, badass women have a distinctly modern (and hilarious)
sensibility when it comes to ousting political tyrants. These four
women lose their heads in this irreverent, girl-powered comedy about
violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism,
compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we actually go about changing
the world.
The Revolutionists is a
brutal comedic quartet about four very real women who lived boldly in
France during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror (1793-1794).
What began as a hopeful revolution for the people of France and her
colonies to address social and economic inequality is now sinking
into hyper-violent extremist insanity. Playwright
Olympe de Gouge attempts to write something politically meaningful
for which she will be remembered. Charlotte Corday plots to
assassinate one of the Revolution's most evil participants. Deposed
Queen Marie Antoinette grapples with her recent losses. Marianne
Angelle, free woman of colour
and Caribbean spy, fights to expand the nation's notion of liberty to
include women of colour.
When Lauren Gunderson
puts these four women in the same room, questions arise about art's
ability to make meaningful change, whether violence is ever the right
course of action and what on earth a woman's role can be in the midst
of the madness. It is a true story. Or total fiction. Or a play about
a play. Or a raucous resurrection… that ends in a song and a
scaffold.
The Revolutionists premiered in 2016 at Cincinnati Playhouse
in the Parkand. The play enjoyed
widespread acceptance among leading regional theatres, got critical
acclaim for its take on how history is made and people are
remembered, and become a popular choice for college and community
theatre productions.
Cast: 4 female
What people say:
"…a sassy,
hold-on-to-your-seats theatrical adventure…[Gunderson] has created
a play that is wonderfully wild and raucous…It's a wild ride,
filled with verbal gymnastics that come racing at you so quickly it's
occasionally hard to keep up. Listen closely, though, and hang on
tight. If you do, you'll be treated to an invigorating and
enlightening journey." — Cincinnati Enquirer
"It's simply a brilliant
script…." — CityBeat
(Cincinnati)
"…in this sparkling work,
politics is very, very funny. [Gunderson] knows it's tricky to
present entertaining, yet socially driven art, but she does so
without losing the rhythm and forward momentum of her
characters…These are hilarious and lovable women trapped in a
history with a somber final act." — Houston
Chronicle
"…an astoundingly
accomplished show…a cause for rejoice…Ingeniously conceived and
delivered." — Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"The Revolutionists
resembles a blindingly scintillating gem-like puzzle…By turns it
is drolly funny and affectingly poignant, then doubles back to
satirical farce, then ends by bringing into stark relief the social
commentary that it has been nurturing all night." —
FloridaTheaterOnStage.com
About the Playwright:
Lauren M. Gunderson is an American playwright,
screenwriter, and short story author originally from Atlanta,
Georgia. She received her BA in English/Creative Writing at Emory
University, and her MFA in Dramatic Writing at NYU Tisch, where she
was also a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship.