A student is directing a theatrical production about women in the French Revolution.
The School of Theatre will premiere their first Stage II production, “The Revolutionists” by Lauren Gunderson, at 8 p.m. March 5-6 in the Children’s Center for the Arts. The performance will be live-streamed via ShowTix4U.
Lisi Levy, acting senior, is the director of the production. She said Stage II productions are selected by the School of Theatre professors based on an application process, which she started a year ago.
“I was studying abroad last spring before COVID hit. I had started looking in early February for work to submit, reading play after play on public transportation,” Levy said “And I actually did not find ‘The Revolutionists’ until the week it was due, which is unfortunate. I had to rush, but as soon as I read the ending of the play, I knew it was the right one.”
Levy said she was looking specifically for plays amplifying the voices of people who were not white men.
“The playwrights I was looking at were not white males. That was generally the first qualifier,” Levy said “I was looking for a show that gave me an artistic fire. With ‘The Revolutionists’ I found myself laughing on the same pages that I wanted to cry. There were so many moments of great dramatic contrast that gave me this feeling that it was important.”
“The Revolutionists” is about four women in the late 18th century navigating the socio-political strife and gender conflict of the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Levy said the play acts as both a critique of the male gaze in fiction and of hyper-violent rhetoric.
“This play gives such beautiful, fully fleshed-out female characters that young women don’t always get,” Levy said. “I think some of the challenges about being in college as a young, female-identified person is the fact that often the roles with the most profound arcs are roles we would not play at our age.”
Levy said the play efficiently serves as both an analysis of a specific period of time and a commentary on problems that continue in western culture.
“It’s got a classic story with a modern gaze. The context is historical, while the themes and the way the themes are examined and brought to light is done in a contemporary fashion,” Levy said. “I think that all of those things combined just brings out a really important story with beautifully fleshed-out characters that give us something that really resonates with the world we’re living in.”
Levy said since she first submitted the show before the COVID-19 pandemic, directing the show amid COVID-19 regulations brought on interesting limitations and opened a path for discoveries.
“In terms of just the logistics, there are some details – some moments of connection – that have to be embellished so that they feel legitimate. At the same time, I also know the audience is so aware of the way in which we have to produce a show,” Levy said. “It has provided us some freedom to run with stuff that audiences pre-COVID may not have suspended their disbelief for.”
Levy said the cast and company are using the show as an opportunity to process the last year of duress and social justice, and she hopes the audiences feel similarly.
“The play might be about France, but it is certainly not about France,” Levy said.
Tierra Matthews, acting junior, is playing “Marianne Angelle,” the only character in the play not drawing from a single historical figure.
“She is a free Caribbean woman. She is described in the play as a badass and classy revolutionary. She is not so much a real historic person like the other figures in the show, but an embodiment of freedom itself in France and what that means in the French Revolution,” Matthews said. “She represents the true grit that it took to ‘succeed’ and get things done in that time period.”
Matthews said the complications brought on by COVID-19 have proven to be a challenge for the conception of the show, but she said she believes the production is succeeding nonetheless.
“What’s crazy is how all of the connections are still there, regardless of regulations. And these characters are powerful enough, my cast members are talented enough, to build and embody these radiant people, regardless of how close or how far we are from each other,” Matthews said.
Matthews said she believes “The Revolutionists” has the opportunity to leave a lasting impact on its audience.
“When the season was announced, after I auditioned, I remember writing a note to the creative team saying, ‘this show has the power to impact regardless of the laughs and the comedy.’” Matthews said “There’s real things in here. I want the audience to walk away and know history is in our hands.”
Matthews said she hopes “The Revolutionists” inspires students and faculty to take back history, like the characters in the play.
“Women are out and about, and we’re not afraid to yell and scream and do whatever we need to do to get the job done,” Matthews said, “We’ve got history in our hands, and we’re ready to take history back to where it needs to be.”
“The Revolutionists” by Lauren Gunderson will be streamed at 8 p.m. March 5-6. Readers can find ticket information on the School of Theatre website.
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