The Revolutionists was performed in Moore Theatre at the Green Center for the performing arts from April 18-21. The play was directed by DePauw Assistant Professor of Communication Dennis Sloan. The Assistant Directors were Shay C. David ’26 and Robert Le ’27. The play, penned by Lauren Gunderson, attempts to put a feminist spin on the history of the French Revolution through four female characters. Although none of the characters met in real life, the show imagines them as close friends who are in the revolution together. The punk aesthetic added by Sloan was an inspired take that added to the show’s themes of political activism.
The set was incredibly detailed with multiple height levels. There were several sections that depicted areas needed for the story. Any empty space was full of chairs stacked on top of each other and books in huge piles. The books were the natural surroundings for writer Olympe de Gouges, played with giddiness and charm by Liz Davis ’24. Davis shared how this role was different from others she has played: “To be someone who’s bubbly and girly and overly emotive is a bit outside my usual typecast, my normal range, so I’ve had to stretch a bit.” Davis excelled at this emotion all the same. Her facial expressions were one of the highlights of her performance. Even if the action was not focused on her, Davis had de Gouges reacting in an interesting way.
Davis said the language in the show influenced her process. The Revolutionists does not take an elevated approach to the historical events it depicts. “It’s very intimate and personal, and that has really influenced how I read this character. Because I’ve had to bring her down to a modern, relatable level,” Davis said.
A bratty Charlotte Corday was brought to life in a defiant performance from Carly Hajducky ’25. Sometimes perky and other times profound, Corday forces the others into major ethical debates. One of the strongest scenes of the show was (spoiler alert) Corday’s execution. All of the cast and crew were clearly firing on all cylinders, including Assistant Director Shay C. David, for whom the execution scenes were a highlight of the show. David was responsible for playing the sound effect that represented the deadly guillotine. “I honestly kind of think of myself as the executioner to be honest, because I’m the one that presses the button,” David said.
This is David’s first production at DePauw University. David spoke about her excitement about joining The Revolutionists, saying “I think being a first time crew member but long time audience member has made me really excited to just be a part of the process.”
Scene stealers Marie Antoinette (Rachel Schludecker ’26) and Marianne Angelle (Laila Padilla ’24) were both incredible individually, but at their best together. Schludecker’s Marie has a big personality that is instantly endearing. In contrast, Padilla gives Angelle a subtle yet confident power. Angelle is the moral heart of the show. The unlikely friendship between the deposed former queen and the fictional Haitian revolutionary resulted in some of the most profound scenes in the show. Seeing the two characters interact challenges expectations, but their relationship is where the play’s theme of sisterhood shines through. The two characters were played skillfully by DePauw theater veterans who have clearly put in the work to develop their characters’ friendship storyline into something the audience can root for.
Once Gunderson stops trying to justify the play’s very existence, which takes up most of the first scene, the show is a delightful and thought provoking look into the nature of violence in social movements. It reckons with characters who are violent, examines in turn how characters reckon with violence, and reminds the audience how violence affects women most of all.