The Revolutionists - Lauren Gunderson
Bellamy Theatre, October 2018
Director: Kerrie Seymour
Lighting Designer: Tony Penna
Costume Designer: Kendra Johnson
Set Designer: David Hartmann
Crowd Recording
Olympe's Death
Guillotine
The Bell Tolls
A Good Title
Playwright Olympe de Gouge presents her Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen to the French General Assembly.
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"Olympe stands at a podium in a loud, cavernous room full of angry men." "Male objection resounds!"
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I recorded our University's Men's Choir to play the part of the "angry men" and conducted them from a low rabble as she began her speech through increasing levels of objection as she continues.
As Olympe tries to rewrite her own story to avoid death, she is interrupted by one of her characters.
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"OK. Olympe de Gouges. 38, very well liked and respected in her field... and she will live a long time... and she is just walking home from rehearsal, and enjoying Paris in the fall and -" CHARLOTTE: "You know that's not as good a story."
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I edited these ominous bell tolls from a recording of Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique and let this cue softly play to interrupt Olympe, shaking her out of her fantasy and reminding her of the coming peril.
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In our production, we actually had a functioning guillotine for the moments through the play where one is used, but wanted a sound cue to reinforce the finality of it. Working with my stage manager and board operator, we were able to trim the clip so that it matched perfectly with the falling blade when the cues were called.
Though it deals with serious themes, The Revolutionists is a very comedic play at times, and has several instances of self-aware "meta" humor.
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"OLYMPE: ...And then I keep thinking if I come up with a good title it'll get me started. Something tantalizing but really vague like...“The Revolutionists.” MARIANNE. You could do better."
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In her pause, I had the idea of a literal "light-bulb" moment for her discovery of the title, and added this sound cue for a little joke. The lighting designer added a small cue at the same time to further reinforce this.
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Production Photos by Breanna Strife and Matthew Leckenbusch.