What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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MAY 1-7, 2022 WHAT'S UP! 5 BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette T he play opening May 6 at Arkansas Public Theatre is not the play you'd guess if you heard "French Revolution." No one sings. No one marches. And no one on stage is male. Lauren Gunderson's "The Revolutionists" might be set anywhere between 1793 and now — except it wouldn't have the gorgeous costumes. It's about four "badass" — pretty much everything printed about the show includes the word "badass" — women who want to change the world. The Denver Post called it a "historical comedy" — and that's the one thing it isn't. It's funny, but never without wisdom inside the wit. It's tragic, as all stories that include a guillotine must be. And, as Gunderson herself says, "hell, yes, this is political." "The play is about a moment in history where the rich and poor were light years apart in lifestyle, the country was in multiple wars, the debt was huge, the workers overtaxed, trust in the government was nil, the leaders were corrupt and greedy, [there was] racism, sexism, poverty, violence, extremism," Gunderson writes. "The only difference between them and us is the year and the continent." So here's the premise: Olympe is a playwright; Marianne is a Black woman who is fighting for the rights of her people not only in France but in the Caribbean; Charlotte is a determined young assassin; and Marie is … well, Marie Antoinette. You know how her story ends, but in this play, she gets to be a real person. "In 'The Revolutionists,' she is looking for help from the playwright Olympe for a rewrite," says actress Juliette Robinson. "She loves her people and her country; she just needs better press." Marianne and Charlotte also come to Olympe because they need her words. Marianne needs pamphlets and powerful calls to protest. Charlotte wants last words worth dying for — because once she assassinates journalist Jean-Paul Marat, she will be executed. And Olympe is overwhelmed, confused — and frightened. "She cares deeply about her friends and about the impact she can make on the world," says Mary Maxwell- Dispensa, a talented actress getting her first real star turn at APT. "She also struggles to take decisive action and has a lot of anxiety about her future. "I really identify with that struggle, and it's been really moving to get to explore that aspect of the character. See Revolutionists Page 6 They Dream A Dream Words are weapons for women at war ROGERS FAQ 'The Revolutionists' WHEN — 8 p.m. May 6-7 & May 12-14; 2 p.m. May 15 WHERE — Arkan- sas Public Theatre at the Victory in downtown Rogers COST — $20 & up INFO — arkansas publictheatre. org, 631-8988 Four "badass" women come together during the French Revolution's "Reign of Terror" in "The Revolutionists," on stage starting May 6 at Arkansas Public Theatre. Mary Maxwell-Dispensa (top left) is Olympe; Delia (clockwise) is Marianne; Juliette Robinson is Marie; and Rachel Mills is Charlotte. (Courtesy Photos/APT)