THE REVOLUTIONISTS COMEDY. A QUARTET A REVOLUTIONARY DREAM FUGUE ‘A TRUE STORY. LAUREN GUNDERSON * DRAMATISTS PLAY SERVICE, INC.‘THE REVOLUTIONISTS Copyright © 2018, Lauren Gunderson ALI Rights Reserved ‘THE REVOLUTIONISTS i fully protected under the copyright las ofthe Uaited States of America, and of all countries covered by the International Copyright Union (nduding the Dominion of Canada and the rest of the British Comme ‘and of all countries covered by the Pan-American Copyright (Convention, the Universal Copyright Convention, the Beme Convention and ofa ‘countries with which the United Sates has recipocal copyright relations. 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Please see your production licens fr font size and typeface requirements Be advised that there may be addtional credits requied in all programs and ‘promotional material, Such language willbe listed under the “Additonal Billing” ‘Section of production licenses Itis the licensee responsibilty to ensure any and all, ‘Fequiredbilingisinluded in the requisite places, per the term ofthe license. SPECIAL NOTE ON “OUR SONG" Music forthe song used in the ply requied for production. There sn royally fee forthe ws of ts musi Theaters MUST use the approved masis you may not ‘ake up o ae the msi in anyway. A pdf sheet mse canbe downloaded a: tip wvedramatiets com Seems foeevolaionstheemuse pfTHE REVOLUTIONISTS was commissioned and first produced by the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (Blake Robison, Artistic Director; Buzz Ward, Managing Director) in February, 2016. It was directed by Eleanor Holdridge, the scenic and costume designs ‘were by Marion Williams, the lighting design was by Mark Barton, the sound design was by Scott Killian, and the stage manager was ‘Andrea L. Shell. The cast was as follows: OLYMPE pe GOUGES Lise Bruneau CHARLOTTE CORDAY vm» Keira Keeley MARIE-ANTOINETTE .. Jessica Lynn Carroll MARIANNE ANGI Kenita R. MillerCHARACTERS OLYMPE pz GOUGES—38. Badass activist playwright and feminist. Theatre nerd, excitable, passionate, a showman, ‘Widowed and never remarried to ensure her personal freedom. CHARLOTTE CORDAY— 25. Badass country girl and assassin. Very serious, hardened by righteousness, never been kissed. Has a pocket watch she keeps checking. Also plays FRATERNITE in amask MARIE-ANTOINETTE—38. Less badass but fascinating former ‘queen of France. Bubbly, graceful, opinionated, totally unaware, unintentionally rude, and oddly prescient. Never had a real friend, Also plays FRATERNITE in a mask. MARIANNE ANGELLE— 30s. A badass black woman in Paris. She i from the Caribbean, a free woman, a spy working with her husband, Vincent. Tough, classy, vigilant, the sanest one of them all. SETTING Paris, the Reign of Terror (1793). A safe place, a study, a prison cel, the Tribunal. ‘hen the scaffold,PUNCTUATION AS RHYTHM PRIMER (—) Dashes at the end ofa sentence are cut-offs by the following line. (~) Dashes within a sentence are self et-off,an acceleration into the next thought. (...)Ellipses atthe end ofa sentence are trail-offs, unsure of what’ next (Breath,) isa small, personal pause. (Pause.) isa shared pause of average duration. (Beat, isa longer pause in which a personal change or revelation happens. LEVELS OF INTENSITY INDICATED BY. DIALOGUE FONT Italics are more intense than not. ALL CAPS ARE VERY INTENSE. ALL CAPS AND ITALICS ARE THE MOST INTENSE. NOTES ON THE PLAY ‘The play is mostly a comedy. ‘The play isbased on real women, real transcripts, and real executions. But remember it a comedy. The play runs with a seamlessness that necessitates less-ealisic sts, FRATERNITE is an almost commedia presence, a stock character ofa bad guy, masked Inthe end, the entire play is in Olympe mind as she walks up the stairs, onto the scaffold and to her death.THE REVOLUTIONISTS ACT ONE PROLOGUE. In the dark, A time of unrest in Paris—crisis—danger—threat. ‘The hum of “Our Song” faintly wafts in ‘The sound ofa scared breath that we are breathing. Its our breath—we are trying to steady our breath Breath Breath— ‘Then a sharp white light on, or the engorging shadow of... A guillotine, its blade rising to the top. Agasp. Which slams into: ONE. Olympe standing at her writing, startled into an idea for a new play... OLYMPE. Well that’ not a way to start a comedy. With an execution? That just basic dramatic writing: Dont start with beheadings. Audiences don't want plays about terror and death— ‘no—they want...hope. Yes, I have to write about,..grace and power 7in the face of crisis, Artistic defiance. Yes. That’ good. There we go. Spitballing now, testing out ideas as they come. OK, what if Tite a play that is the voice ofthis revolution, but not the hyperbolic, angry-yelling kind. I will write the wise and witty kind that satirizes and inspires and says to the held breath ofa rapt audience..."something...profound” So yeah. We're gonna have to cut the guillotine. ‘Marianne has entered with a bag—luggage. ‘She wears a red protest sash that reads: “Revolution forall!” MARIANNE. Cut that thing! Serves it right. OLYMPE. Oh my god, Marianne! MARIANNE. [ know this is crazy to just show up like this but hello and surprise! Hugs! OLYMPE. Hello and surprise! Oh my god, for a second I thought you were the national guard. MARIANNE. Are they coming for the writers already? OLYMPE. Only the important ones. I should be fine. Come in, come in, What are you doing here? MARIANNE. Many things including, I hope, staying with you. Is that OK? OLYMPE. Of course! Oh my god. Stay as long as you need. MARIANNE. Thank you thank you, OLYMPE, Dor't thank me. I'm so glad to see you. I thought you went back to the Caribbean. MARIANNE. Vincent went back, I stayed in Nice. OLYMPE, Ooh Nice is nice, MARIANNE. For some. For me? A lot less beach and a lot more political reconnaissance. OLYMPE, What does that mean? MARIANNE. Gathering intelligence to send home. That’s why I'm back. Things are heating up and we need an eye in Paris and I'm it. OLYMPE, So wait. I've been restarting the same play for a monthwhile you became a damn spy?! MARIANNE, I mean... ‘OLYMPE, GIRL. MARIANNE. I know. OLYMPE, Look at you! ‘MARIANNE, Well, we decided we needed our own intel, really tap into the political machines or well never figure how to break them. OLYMPE, You are my spy friend! God, you make me so much more interesting. MARIANNE. Well dorit get comfortable, I'm also here because I need you. OLYMPE, Playwrights love hearing that. Its so rare. MARIANNE, I need you to write for us. Pamphlets, articles, trea- tises about slavery— OLYMPE. Monologues? MARIANNE. Abolition human interest stories. OLYMPE, But as monologues? MARIANNE, Just—sure, Help ust You're the best writer I know. OLYMPE, How many do you know? MARIANNE. (Lying.) So many, (Not lying.) And you can help people understand what we're fighting for, freedom, justice, humanity, OLYMPE, Of course I'll help! But why don't you write this? MARIANNE. Because I'm a better spy than Tam a writer Please. OLYMPE. Yes. I'll write anything you want...as soon as I write my play. MARIANNE. ‘The play you cant even start? I'm rebelling against slavery and you're batiling writer’ block. OLYMPE, I'm not blocked. 'm just...mmentally...hibernating, There's a lot of pressure to write something profound these days. And then keep thinking if I come up with a good title itll get me started. Something tantalizing but really vague like..."The Revolutionists? MARIANNE. You could do better.OLYMPE. I know. Nothing’s working. There is drama everywhere you look these days, why cant I write any of it?! MARIANNE. You can! Pamphlets! For me! Write the truth that needs writing OLYMPE. But that’s your truth, Which I will totally write, I will, but I also really need something of my own. I need a play that’s good and important and annoyingly prescient. MARIANNE. ‘Then write the truth of an artist staring down a civil war. OLYMPE, And end up with a play about a playwright writing play? Fd rather watch a guillotine. MARIANNE. So would everyone. OLYMPE, Would they? Dammit. Back to guillotines. MARIANNE. That's not what I meant. OLYMPE. Setting: Now. Paris, France, 1793. Guillotines are very big these days. Actually they just came out with small ones too, for kids to kill mice and for wives to make salad. MARIANNE, That’s so messed up. OLYMPE. Itis. Everything is. Which is why the people's revolution has risen up with force enough to remove the king from power— MARIANNE. and from his own head. OLYMPE, Exactly. Danger, unrest. An epic battle for freedom and peace— MARIANNE, For white men. OLYMPE. Exactly. Which is why my play... (A great idea.) could be about women showing the boys how revolutions are done. Yes! Fighting for their rights to life, liberty, and...divorce. MARIANNE. Divorce and decapitation? (Slipping into couplets.) U hope its better than it sounds. OLYMPE, It's comical yet quite profound MARIANNE, Just doesnt sound like comedy— OLYMPE, I know, but that’ what it could be. MARIANNE. You know its always in the timing, 10OLYMPE, Are you hearing all this rhyming? Gasp. Maybe Im writing a musical! MARIANNE. Oh god, no one wants a musical about the French Revolution. OLYMPE, Probably right. How about a solemn, bracing political exposé— MARIANNE. You're losing me. OLYMPE, How about a thrilling hilarious political exposé that will gather usas one community to be inspired by great French art and— MARIANNE, To boo at whichever new play they want. OLYMPE. They did not boo my play: The abolition one from last year? No. That sound was the natural cathartic release from years of repressed racism and misogyny. MARIANNE, $0 you'r writing fantasy now? OLYMPE. ‘The people leapt to their feet. MARIANNE. And to the exit. OLYMPE. To tell their friends. MARIANNE. ‘That it was..."interesting” OLYMPE. My plays piss off just the right kind of people thank you very much. Excuse me for trying to do something revolutionary during this revolution. This is our time to make a better world for everyone... who sees my plays. MARIANNE. You'e always so close to selflessness. OLYMPE. ‘Thankyou. See now you've got me thinking. What about «2 passionate sociopolitical comedy about women’s rights and— MARIANNE, A feminist comedy? Girl, don't OLYMPE. OK, what if my play starts out as a comedy, but itll end as a drama, That’ fresh, right? We don't even have a word for that but— MARIANNE. Like... “Life”? OLYMPE. Just go with me on this: At first the play is witty and fun, ‘maybe some puppets. nMARIANNE. Why do you always add puppets. OLYMPE, Because! MARIANNE. You might as well go back to the musical, OLYMPE, OK I'm trying to do something important here. MARIANNE. Which is maybe why it sucking so bad. OLYMPE, Sometimes conviction sucks. MARIANNE. I'm just saying that nobody want to be fold what to fee. OLYMPE. I'm not fling them what to feel, Im forcing them. MARIANNE. ‘That’ what pamphlets do! Look. Most people don't have time for the grand dramas, its the intimate ones that matter. So write your political theatre but remember that for most people its not about being righteous, its about being real. So find the heart. Not the...art. OLYMPE, Why are you better at this than me? I've been trying to come up with a cute couplet like that for days, but I keep dreaming of guillotines and resorting to puppets. [ have to write something! ‘This isa revolution! Everyone is making history without me! MARIANNE. Listen— OLYMPE. I cant listen when I'm whining. MARIANNE. You've just blocked. Writers get blocked. Its not 2 tragedy. Being ripped from your country, stufed in the belly of a ship, carted across the world, and forced to break your back to make sugar for French pastries isa tragedy. The French are fighting a revo- lution for freedom while running a slave colony in the West. That’ ‘why I need you writing pamphlets so we can expose the immoral and hypocritical actions that— OLYMPE. Oh my god Ican write about you! MARIANNE. —was not the point Iwas going for. OLYMPE. Yes! You're gorgeous, and empowered, and seem to have avery clear character motivation, MARIANNE. Were not gonna stay friends if you write a play about 2OLYMPE. (Narrator voice.) Marianne Angelle: Activist for freedom from slavery in the Caribbean, lover of cheeses and universal human rights, strong yet sardonically sympathetic. MARIANNE. No, she said, sardonically. Pamphlets. OLYMPE. I am! I will! It will be great research for the play. What youre doing is bold and important. You're a goddamn spy for free- ‘dom! That’ box office gold! Come on. You make me believe that a better world is possible. If people listen to you. And a lot of me. MARIANNE. OK they say write what you know, right? But what if ‘you write what you want. That's what we're really fighting for isnt it? Women’s agency over their own lives. OLYMPE. Yes. MARIANNE. The abolition of slavery across the planet. OLYMPE, Yes MARIANNE. Maybe you dont need to dress your ideas in drama. You can write a monologue? Why don't you write a manifesto. OLYMPE. Or...a declaration? MARIANNE. Sure, yeah. Like the Americans. ‘OLYMPE, Like the Americans! “We hold these traths and-the-fact- that-women-are-people tobe self-evident” ‘MARIANNE. That sounds pretty revolutionary to me. Also no risk of puppets. Everybody wins. Pause. Olympe likes this. Then she thinks, Seriously. OLYMPE, Marianne, Do you dream of guillotines? Every night? MARIANNE. No, Chains. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK on the door. Olympe and Marianne freeze. Oh no. Then... Knockknockknockknockknock—like a hummingbird knock- ing, fast and fluttery. Marianne gets on one side of the door with a book held as a ‘weapon if needed, through the door. OLYMPE, Who's there? CHARLOTTE. Who...there? 13OLYMPE. Well. You'e the one at the door, who are you? CHARLOTTE, You're obviously at the door too, and I'm here for a writer, MARIANNE. Did she say a writer? OLYMPE. I think thats what she said Charlotte bursts in with a book. CHARLOTTE, YESIT’S WHAT ISAID, ISAID A WRITER, INEED ‘A WRITER, WHO IS THE WRITER AND WHAT'S MY LINE? Are youa writer? Ifnot— (Turning to Marianne.) are you a writer? This isn't a complicated question, Where do they keep the writers, Inceda ine. OLYMPE, I'm sorry, you need a line? CHARLOTTE. ‘That's what I said, but I dorit care what [a say, I ‘wanna know what youd say. Isnt that how this works? I need that to be how this works. MARIANNE. And I need you to back the France off, What do you ‘want? Who sent you? CHARLOTTE. I sent me and, I want some dialogue. That’s what you do right? You'te that real live lady writer guy? You write plays and stuff MARIANNE, And pamphlets about the rights of Caribbean slaves, ‘which means she’s very busy and we have no idea who you are or hase side you're on, also youre very loud and immediately unset- tling, so why don't we do this another time andor never. CHARLOTTE, I don't have time for another time and/or never. 1 hhave a guy to murder, which will land me on the scaffold, which is why I came to you, which is why, as I yelled upon arrival, I NEED ALINE. My actions will be talked about for centuries and I don't want to sound like a dingbat. I need something that will sink into their memories for all time, something with alot of “fuck you" init. So. Playwright. Write. OLYMPE. I mean...thank you for your enthusiasm but this isnt really my thing— CHARLOTTE. COME ON. How many feminist playwrights do you think there are in Paris. One. You. OLYMPE, And trust me that turning down an opportunity to tell 4someone what to say is really hard for me but I'm already juggling alot now. CHARLOTTE. Arerit we all life, revolution, impossible beauty standards. Help me. OLYMPE. I'm trying to help lot of people...without leaving my office. CHARLOTTE, Please. Its rare to be in the company of like minds in like corsets, and I know you're a “writery” kind of writer. So. If ‘you write it? I'l say it, Pll shout it, PM sing it. OLYMPE, Sing i? ‘MARIANNE. NO. CHARLOTTE. YES. OLYMPE, Can you just gimme some context here. What exactly do you need written? CHARLOTTE. Last words. MARIANNE. Last words? OLYMPE, Like...for a toast? Are you going to a wedding? CHARLOTTE. No. Pm going to kill Jean-Paul Marat By stabbing. Because he’ awful MARIANNE. You're going to kill the journalist Marat? CHARLOTTE, Yeah. Because he’s awful OLYMPE, And by stabbing?! CHARLOTTE, Yeah. Because he’ awful OLYMPE, OK. Well, Now I have to write a play about her, MARIANNE. What about my pamphlets? OLYMPE, What about a torrid romance between a gorgeous assassin and a narcoleptic judge! MARIANNE. No. CHARLOTTE. What? No. [need one ine, nota whole (and obviously terrible) play. OLYMPE. (Making a note.) No Ym really seeing this. A woman willing to risk tall for vigilante justice. Yes! 15