Four Women, One Revolution, A Timeless Story—The Revolutionists at South Camden Theatre Shows Heads Will Roll as Well as Laughs

by Amber Kusching

“Sometimes a revolution needs a woman’s touch.”

Four bold women—playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, ribbon-loving Marie Antoinette, and the Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle—team up in a wild, feminist comedy set amid the Reign of Terror. As they plot, spar, and even murder Marat, they battle the rising madness of 1793 Paris. Blending history and fantasy, this sharp, irreverent play explores violence, legacy, activism, and sisterhood—part true story, part fiction, part theatrical fever dream—ending in a rousing song and a scaffold. 

Centered on the plucky Parisian playwright Olympe de Gouges (played by Neena Boyle), three women seek her assistance. The first, Marianne Angelle (played by Tasha Holmes), a Caribbean freedom fighter, looks to Gouges for help writing a pamphlet that will tell the truth about Haitian slavery and the revolution. The second, assassin Charlotte Corday (played by Emma Friend) wants Gouges to write a story that will show her as a hero after she murders the Jacobin mastermind Jean-Paul Marat. And finally, the ribbon-obsessed Marie Antoinette (played by Rachel Demasi), a vilified queen, wants Olympe to write a new narrative—a rebrand—to fix her reputation. 

Set in a beautifully nuanced and notable Neoclassical-style scenic design, four fearless actresses tackle this fiercely feminist play, using comedy as a coping mechanism during the Parisian Reign of Terror in 1793. The stunning period set was designed by Robert Bingaman and shows an incremental transformation as the play progresses. With help from Props Manager Pam Staley, the set progressively clutters with strewn books, papers, and ribbons, echoing the chaos and fear unfolding in the minds of these four women. By the end of the play, the stage is littered with memories and mementos- traces of what was and could have been. There is beauty in the chaos. The set also features a guillotine sitting high, center stage during the entire production, looming over the women, such as the fear of execution lingers on their minds, and is inevitably used like Chekov’s gun. 

Lauren Gunderson’s play is both comedic and tragic. The audience is full of both belly laughs and tears. Gunderson’s 2016 play uses modern language, and this production features modern gestures and acting to tell this historical and hysterical story. 

Neena Boyle who plays Olympe de Gouges- French playwright and political activist who wrote "The Declaration of the Right of Woman and of the Female Citizen"—is animated and dramatic. Boyle plays the ups and downs of Gouges with passion and conviction. She is fearless but at the same time fearful as her impending death approaches. Boyle is sassy and sarcastic and brings light air to the dark times. 

Tasha Holmes as the fictional Marianne Angelle- who is based on a woman Gouges saw on the streets of Paris—is stern yet sympathetic. She perfectly portrays the character’s resolve and resistance. Holmes brings a unique energy to the table that is steadfast and true. 

Emma Friend as the infamous assassin Charlotte Corday (and making her SCTC debut) gives honesty and resolve to Corday. She is angry and authentic. Friend adds sympathy to a killer and shows determination through her character choices. Her portrayal is compelling and nuanced. 

Rachel Demasi as Marie Antoinette (also making her SCTC debut), plays Antoinette as delightfully air-headed but transformative. Her performance is magnetic and she gives this infamously heartless figure heart.  She is genuine as Antoinette unfurls her façade. Together, these four actresses share great chemistry and sisterhood.  

Dialect Coach Meghan Malloy did amazing work with Holmes and Demassi on flawless accents. Director and SCTC Artistic Director Dawn Varava, executes the play with bold blocking, meaningful details, and a clear vision. Varava has great attention to detail. Every ribbon, though seemingly sporadically strewn, is perfectly placed where it needs to be. The repetitive ribbon motif is particularly poignant from Marie’s Mary Poppin’s bag of ribbons to the ribbon around Angelle’s body boldly declaring “Revolution for All” to the ribbons around the necks of the beheaded and the ribbons signifying bloodshed. Varava’s blocking and direction are a great utilization of the space and give momentum to the action, moving the play forward. 

Louise Gareau’s costume design sets the tone for the play. Her design features classical corsets and period-appropriate garb. It sets a firm tone though the play is written in more modern English. The costumes are visually stunning and detailed from the lace on Antoinette’s shoes to the multi-purpose collar of Gouges garb. 

Hunter A. Mountz’s lighting design captures the important moments and aids in the storytelling of the production. From the candlelit sconces to the spotlit sections, every lighting change matters. The sound design by Jairous L. Parker, Sr. is also effective and significant. There was a beautiful blend of more traditional music and contemporary songs which accurately reflected the play’s mix of the old with the new. 

With help from Stage Manager August Fen DeLuca and Production Manager Melody G. Moore, South Camden Theatre Company’s The Revolutionists is timely, touching, thoughtful and terrific. 

Gunderson’s play, though fictional, is rooted in fact. The real-life Gouges did not know these women but lived in the same era. Gouges did actually write about Marie Antoinette though she never met her. In her final, unfinished play, Gouges wrote Antoinette as a sympathizer to the Revolution and the controversy around it ultimately led to her death.  Charlotte Corday was a real woman who died at 24 years old for killing Jean-Paul Marat saying he was responsible for the bloody September Massacres, a wave of mob violence in mainly Paris prisons. These women’s lives and deaths are documented history, and Gunderson artfully weaves their stories together to make a thought-provoking play. 

Gunderson’s play is intriguing. It calls itself out and contains many aspects of metatheatre. The play overall is a commentary on theatre, breaking the fourth wall to acknowledge the audience and itself. Gunderson’s play also brings forth the importance of history and legacy and shows us that sometimes an ending is just a beginning. It is a play audiences are sure to reflect upon. 

South Camden Theatre Company’s production is perfectly timed amidst current political and social turmoil and conveniently centered at the heart of Women’s History Month. This play is also the first production in SCTC’s 21^st season themed “Laughing through the storm”. “Women are again losing hard won rights, including agency over our own bodies, and risk being silenced. Now more than ever, we need our Olympes, Mariannes, Charlottes, and Maries- to remind us how to confront old threats with strength, solidarity, and perhaps even humor.”- Varava writes in her director’s note. 

South Camden Theatre Company’s The Revolutionists plays now through March 29^th at The  Waterfront South Theatre in Camden, NJ. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.southcamdentheatre.org/ 

“Sometimes good things make a lot of noise.”