The Revolutionists at NC Stage Co.
In this writer’s first experience with the Immediate Theatre Project, I’ve got to say: The Revolutionists is possibly the most timely bit of theater I’ve seen this year.
Set in 1793 France during the Reign of Terror, Lauren Gunderson’s comedy appropriately opens with Olympe de Gouges (Lauren Kriel) considering — what else? — the best way to start a play, and decides that a guillotine isn’t the greatest opening for a comedy, despite that very instrument of death being the highlight of the stage once the house lights go down, literally taking the spotlight. After Olympe debates the most fitting approach for her next piece, enter Marianne Angell (Parris Sarter), a revolutionary from the French colonies in the Caribbean. She wants to hire Olympe to write pamphlets to remind citizens that the Revolution should be for all of the French citizens, not just the ones in Europe.
While the two bicker over whether to write said pamphlets as a musical or a puppet show, in walks Charlotte Corday (Kirby Gibson), demanding some last words as she intends to commit a murder and needs something punchy to say to the crowd from the platform before her head is removed from her body. Marie Antoinette (Glenna Grant) soon joins the trio, requesting much the same — minus the murdery bit. The four play off of each other extraordinarily well, quips flying between back and forth as they discuss what fate awaits them.
Every performance is wonderful, particularly Kriel, who plays Olympe as (understandably) overwhelmed by the demands made by these three women, but also terrified that her head could be the next on the chopping block. Her whole goal is to write a Declaration of Independence specifically for women — which, honestly, even now, in the year of our nonsense 2023, is almost a revolutionary idea. And Gibson’s Charlotte is incredibly headstrong, while still a little afraid. I mean, who wouldn’t be somewhat terrified of committing an assassination, even knowing what comes next?
Elsewhere, Grant’s Marie is the perfect mix of the childish, petulant queen we know from history, but also with plenty of heart thrown in, conveying the complexities of someone who truly did love her husband and her children at one point. Sarter, however, has the most interesting role, as Marianne isn’t an actual historical figure but instead an amalgamation of several revolutionaries in the Caribbean, fighting for freedom from enslavement and equal rights for women at the same time. The actor plays her as the epitome of a strong-willed woman, possessing a heart bigger than the Atlantic and with equal love and concern for her husband as for the rest of the people in Saint-Domingue. She takes this role and fully runs with it, imbuing it with considerable doses of passion and empathy.
(My only “complaint” with The Revolutionists, that isn’t so much of a complaint as a “but why this choice?” concerns Marie Antionette being written as a sympathetic character. She was such a complicated real life figure, and numerous podcasts have been dedicated to explaining her real life struggles. But within the imaginary world of the play, it helps to have a foil for the French citizens, highlighting how so many of the general public’s problems stem from the royal family’s greed.)
The set by director/scenic designer Willie Repoley spreads across the stage, with the doorway to Olympe’s apartment doubling as the guillotine, and a low bookcase holding a scattering of papers and books also serving as the court platform. The dual purposes for these key set pieces is a fascinating touch, as one could interpret the guillotine as a doorway, of sorts, to the great beyond. Complementing the scenery, the costuming by Sandy McDaniel is likewise lovely, particularly the touch of each character having fabric with script somewhere on them, varying from the cuffs on jackets to dress bodices. Each of the actors also wear intricate paper wigs crafted from pages of old books.
The play earnestly explores the theme of how important words are, as well as who gets to tell the story of the people who become the footnotes in history. Also, be sure to arrive early and take in the femme French punk/pop soundtrack that serves as house music before the play begins. My compliments to the DJ.
The Revolutionists runs through Sunday, June 4, at NC Stage Co. For details and tickets, visit ncstage.org.
(Photo courtesy of NC Stage Co.)
