“Who are we without a story?” is the question at the heart of “The Revolutionists.” 

This A-State Theatre production is both hilarious and impactful, sure to have everyone in the audience laughing and more than a few holding back tears before the final curtain. 

Set in Paris during the Reign of Terror, the show opens in the home of famous playwright Olympe De Gouges, who is struggling to find her voice. 

De Gouges is visited by an old friend, Marianne Angelle, who looks to help her find it. 

Angelle is a fictionalized character who represents the people of Haiti who were going through their own revolution against the French monarchy during this period.

De Gouges, played by Skyla Conger, and Angelle, played by Kylah Hood, play off of each other exceptionally well and represent the ever-present question of the show. They discuss the importance of the stories that people tell and how just because stories are fictional, that does not make them not real. 

Charlotte Corday, played by Emily Provence, enters the stage next. Corday is a French aristocrat who is dead set on assassinating a journalist named Marat and needs some last words from De Gouges. 

Provence portrays Corday’s desperate desire for change incredibly well and is a real stand out of the first act. Provence embodies a woman who is tired of being powerless and will go to drastic measures to create the change she believes needs to take place. 

The show never loses its comedic tone, even as the stakes continue to rise. 

The main cast is rounded out by Marie Antoinette, played by Abby Orr, the former queen of France, who wants a chance to tell her own story rather than leave it in the hands of those who despise her. 

Orr’s performance served to humanize a well-known historical figure and made me sympathize with her and others in her position centuries after her death, showing the power of a great performance. 

The interactions between these four distinct women set the stage for some truly moving and meaningful conversations about sisterhood, legacy and the stories we leave behind. 

Once the characters are introduced and fully involved in the narrative, the story becomes a frantic race to the finish line filled with high stakes drama. 

Hood’s performance as Angelle was a marvel and a true standout of the entire show, capturing the complex reality of being a woman of color in such a tumultuous time.

Angelle functions as a grounding force and an emotional anchor for the rest of the characters and Hood’s performance highlights that fact to the fullest. 

Seeing De Gouges struggle with writing a story that will mean something, Corday struggling to find the words to express her feelings and Antoinette so desperate to have her own voice heard really drove home the heart of the story; the legacies we leave behind. 

The entire cast was phenomenal, with Orr and Hood bringing particularly fantastic performances to two drastically different characters. 

This show will make you laugh throughout and then blindside you with incredibly beautiful sentiments when you least expect it, making it all the more impactful. 

I highly recommend this show to anyone who loves comedy, drama and strong female characters, because there are plenty of each to be found. 

There will be three more performances, April 19-20 at 7:30 p.m. and April 21 at 2:30 p.m. in the Simpson Theatre. A-State students can get in free with their student ID.

Official Score: 10/10

Categories: Arts & Entertainment