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Thursday, September 06, 2018
The queen, the assassin, the playwright, and the spy: History meets comedy in City Theatre’s all-female production of The Revolutionists
Theater Reviews + Features | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: The latest production from City Theatre presents a fresh, woman-centric spin on the tumult of the French Revolution. But there’s an amazing true story behind the big costumes, comedy, and music of The Revolutionists.
6 comments:
Sidney R.
said...
“The Revolutionists” tells the story of the infamous French Revolution, but from a fresh perspective: a woman’s. Lauren Gunderson features three key women, and one fictional, to comment on the lesser-known aspects of the war. Last night, I had the pleasure of attending this production at the City Theatre, where I was able to experience Gunderson’s sharp wit, along with wonderful design aspects. This article captures the essence of the show, but the best way to appreciate this work is to see it live. I appreciated the line in the article by Gunderson who said that “it’s not just a play for women,” because this feminist piece should strike a chord with all audiences. The themes in this story are not isolated to the 1790s—they are ever present today. The idea of challenging authority through theatrical works is essential in a world that continues to be filled with tyranny and injustice. Artists, and all individuals, should constantly be reflecting on the society in which they live.
I will be seeing this piece this next week and am absolutely thrilled to do so. Not just because I love a good feminist piece, but because this seems thoughtful and poignant to everything we face as a society today. I also love the idea that the story line is in the 1790s with parallels that feel relevant. The reviews from people I know who have seen it have been stellar. I look forward to seeing it and taking part in its commentary. I agree with the previous comment that theatre pieces that challenge society are important and one of the reasons in which I love new work. Theatre should always evoke thought and what better way to do that than with a piece about incredible women!
When “It’s not just a play for women” the playwright feels like she needs to emphasize. A similar thing happened with wonder woman when it hit the movie theatres last year. Higher ups believed it was not going to be a success because it was directed by a female, and it was a female character. They are measuring success by the way males accept our product. In a mind-set of “Its good enough to be competing with a males project” When female led projects are not “good for a female director”, they are good. No conditions. I have never seen a male centered drama or an action movie having their male directed team say “It’s not a movie/ play just for men” it is a given that it was intended for all audiences. Female produced projects, or female centered stories feel like they need to express they are not meant for an exclusive audience, but at the same time, want to showcase their genre diversity and empower other female artists. I think it is an act of balance for a project to have the right marketing strategies, and at the same time promote female representation in the work field.
I had the opportunity to attend the invited dress rehearsal of The Revolutionists and all I can say is WOW this play was amazing. It retells the story of four women working towards change during the French revolution. Three of the four characters are based on Olympe De Gouges, Marie Antoinette, and Charlotte Corday - and the fourth is a fictional character (Marianne Angelle) created from "an amalgam of Black revolutionary women either forgotten or underrepresented by history." I think it is extremely important that Lauren Gunderson created Marianne Angelle, as half of the show discusses the importance of writing down their stories, because they will otherwise be forgotten, and she was. This show was a fantastic representation of the forgotten (female) side of the Reign of Terror. From the sound and lighting, to the set and costumes - the design team really brought this show to life. The way the portrayed the guillotine in the live performance was really amazing - I won't spoil it - but it was a very thoughtful way of portraying something terrible in a beautiful way, without desensitizing it. Overall, the show was golden, I have nothing bad to say about it. Everyone should go see it, because as Lauren Gunderson said "it’s not just a play for women."
I am so proud of all the people that I know that have worked on this. I think the more stories we tell about complicated women, written by complicated women and created by complicated women the better we will be in the world. I think a lot about where our place is in shifting the culture around us and how we successfully do that without having the power to directly change policy or stand in court and fight for people who have never been fought for, and I think it is through stories like this. It is by making people who have never been visible before visible and shouting with them and for them so people get to for the first time hear their stories. The more that we understand the struggles of others the more that our prejudices fall away. I can not wait to see this show and I am proud to be a CMU woman standing beside and amplifying the voices of my peers and professors.
"The Revolutionists" by Lauren Gunderson is a story of four women in the time of the French Revolution. Even though they are all vastly different, their lives intertwine and they learn to care for each other. I had the opportunity to see the show on Friday and it was amazing. Although the first act was a little slow, the second act made me cry a lot. The show was comedy and drama, the perfect mix of laughter and tears. I think it is most interesting because it is a story of women, and not men, during a time period where men were in charge. They go against the social norms of the time, and although they are punished, they believe in what they are fighting for. The four women in the cast were phenomenal in their parts, and I would definitely recommend this play to anyone who is remotely interested.
6 comments:
“The Revolutionists” tells the story of the infamous French Revolution, but from a fresh perspective: a woman’s. Lauren Gunderson features three key women, and one fictional, to comment on the lesser-known aspects of the war. Last night, I had the pleasure of attending this production at the City Theatre, where I was able to experience Gunderson’s sharp wit, along with wonderful design aspects. This article captures the essence of the show, but the best way to appreciate this work is to see it live. I appreciated the line in the article by Gunderson who said that “it’s not just a play for women,” because this feminist piece should strike a chord with all audiences. The themes in this story are not isolated to the 1790s—they are ever present today. The idea of challenging authority through theatrical works is essential in a world that continues to be filled with tyranny and injustice. Artists, and all individuals, should constantly be reflecting on the society in which they live.
I will be seeing this piece this next week and am absolutely thrilled to do so. Not just because I love a good feminist piece, but because this seems thoughtful and poignant to everything we face as a society today. I also love the idea that the story line is in the 1790s with parallels that feel relevant. The reviews from people I know who have seen it have been stellar. I look forward to seeing it and taking part in its commentary. I agree with the previous comment that theatre pieces that challenge society are important and one of the reasons in which I love new work. Theatre should always evoke thought and what better way to do that than with a piece about incredible women!
When “It’s not just a play for women” the playwright feels like she needs to emphasize. A similar thing happened with wonder woman when it hit the movie theatres last year. Higher ups believed it was not going to be a success because it was directed by a female, and it was a female character. They are measuring success by the way males accept our product. In a mind-set of “Its good enough to be competing with a males project” When female led projects are not “good for a female director”, they are good. No conditions. I have never seen a male centered drama or an action movie having their male directed team say “It’s not a movie/ play just for men” it is a given that it was intended for all audiences. Female produced projects, or female centered stories feel like they need to express they are not meant for an exclusive audience, but at the same time, want to showcase their genre diversity and empower other female artists. I think it is an act of balance for a project to have the right marketing strategies, and at the same time promote female representation in the work field.
I had the opportunity to attend the invited dress rehearsal of The Revolutionists and all I can say is WOW this play was amazing. It retells the story of four women working towards change during the French revolution. Three of the four characters are based on Olympe De Gouges, Marie Antoinette, and Charlotte Corday - and the fourth is a fictional character (Marianne Angelle) created from "an amalgam of Black revolutionary women either forgotten or underrepresented by history." I think it is extremely important that Lauren Gunderson created Marianne Angelle, as half of the show discusses the importance of writing down their stories, because they will otherwise be forgotten, and she was. This show was a fantastic representation of the forgotten (female) side of the Reign of Terror. From the sound and lighting, to the set and costumes - the design team really brought this show to life. The way the portrayed the guillotine in the live performance was really amazing - I won't spoil it - but it was a very thoughtful way of portraying something terrible in a beautiful way, without desensitizing it. Overall, the show was golden, I have nothing bad to say about it. Everyone should go see it, because as Lauren Gunderson said "it’s not just a play for women."
I am so proud of all the people that I know that have worked on this. I think the more stories we tell about complicated women, written by complicated women and created by complicated women the better we will be in the world. I think a lot about where our place is in shifting the culture around us and how we successfully do that without having the power to directly change policy or stand in court and fight for people who have never been fought for, and I think it is through stories like this. It is by making people who have never been visible before visible and shouting with them and for them so people get to for the first time hear their stories. The more that we understand the struggles of others the more that our prejudices fall away. I can not wait to see this show and I am proud to be a CMU woman standing beside and amplifying the voices of my peers and professors.
"The Revolutionists" by Lauren Gunderson is a story of four women in the time of the French Revolution. Even though they are all vastly different, their lives intertwine and they learn to care for each other. I had the opportunity to see the show on Friday and it was amazing. Although the first act was a little slow, the second act made me cry a lot. The show was comedy and drama, the perfect mix of laughter and tears. I think it is most interesting because it is a story of women, and not men, during a time period where men were in charge. They go against the social norms of the time, and although they are punished, they believe in what they are fighting for. The four women in the cast were phenomenal in their parts, and I would definitely recommend this play to anyone who is remotely interested.
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