Review: The Revolutionists

Review: The Revolutionists  | Coal Creek Theater | Louisville, CO | Curtain Up! | Gina Robertson

Assassinations and Executions! Chaos in the street! It’s the French revolution, zealots are taking over and people are losing their heads. Brought to you by your local Coal Creek Theater in Louisville, The Revolutionists appears through March 14. It is a comedic representation of four courageous women caught in the throes of a terrible time.

Written by Lauren Gunderson and co-directed by Janine Kehlenbach and Linda Button, the play uses modern language and attitudes combined with costumes and props mostly accurate to the period. Three of the women’s stories are true, and one fictional character rounds out the narrative with another important point of view.

The focus is on Olympe de Gouges (Margaret Amateis Casart), a playwright and political activist best known for challenging male authority and advocating for women’s and children’s rights. Casart’s passion conveys anxiety and frustration as she is called upon to put herself at risk for the sake of others in a very dangerous time. While the others know the danger they’re in and almost seem to welcome it, Casart’s de Gouges is afraid and full of doubt. What if her writing isn’t really changing the world, what if she’s making it worse? What if she’s getting people killed to change nothing?

Marianne Angelle (Rav’n Moon) is a fictional Haitian spy for whom de Gouges writes pamphlets advocating for the abolition of colonial slavery. Moon delivers a powerful performance as a strong, slightly menacing woman who has sacrificed much to fight for human rights in France. With calm authority, she gives strength and wisdom to the other women.

Rav’n Moon and Margaret Amateis Casart | Photo Credit: Lynn Fleming

An enigmatic assassin named Charlotte Corday (Beth Davis) comes to de Gouges for a line. She wants her to write a final line to be delivered at her execution that will define her crime as a blow to the extremist insanity that has taken over France. Davis’s expressive face and “scary eyes” show unwavering determination. She’s not only fearless, she’s also certain that violence is the only way to affect change.

Finally, the Queen, Marie Antionette (Danielle Bailey) has come to de Gouges for help as well. Bailey provides most of the laughs with her chirpy, out of touch remarks. Entitled and naïve, she may not be a deep thinker like the others, but she knows she is in trouble, and she wants to change her story. She wants de Gouges to re-write it to make the people stop hating her and to save her life. With a twinkle in her eye and a quick wit, Bailey charms us all into rooting for her.

Margaret Amateis Casart and Danielle Bailey | Photo Credit: Lynn Fleming

The four are beautifully costumed by Kathleen Rausch, who has made some interesting choices. Casart looks like a dapper Alexander Hamilton. Moon’s attire is suggestive of both espionage and the Caribbean, and Bailey’s hair and jewelry are appropriately excessive.

While delivered as a comedy, the real meat of this story is in the tragedy. The poignant moment when each woman is tried and executed is masterfully directed and beautifully lit by lighting designer Shane Forman. Bailey as the doomed Marie has a gut-wrenching moment on her way to execution when she offers to carry Angelle’s final letter to her dead husband. Her final speech on the platform is thoughtful and insightful, evidence that she is not as empty-headed as she appeared.

The contemporary attitude of this piece will inevitably invite comparisons to issues of today when faced with oppression of voice and power. We are meant to stay strong, support each other, and remember our sense of humor.