The Revolutionists

The Revolutionists by Lauren Gunderson is set in Paris during the height of the French Revolution, where ideas are dangerous, alliances are fragile, and the guillotine is never far away. In 1793, four women—each navigating power, fear, and conviction—find themselves unexpectedly bound together by history and circumstance.
 

At the center is Marianne Angelle, a passionate young playwright tasked with writing propaganda for the Revolution while struggling to stay true to her ideals. Her mentor and collaborator, Olympe de Gouges, is a sharp-witted feminist writer who openly challenges the Revolution’s failure to extend liberty and equality to women. As the violence escalates, both women must confront the risks of speaking truth in a world where words can be fatal.
 

Joining them is Charlotte Corday, a quiet but resolute young woman driven by a profound sense of moral responsibility—and a plan that will alter the course of history. Completing the unlikely quartet is the imprisoned former queen, Marie-Antoinette, who brings humor, humanity, and unexpected insight as she faces her own reckoning in a society eager to reduce her to a symbol.
 

By blending modern language, humor, and history, The Revolutionists explores who gets to shape revolutions, the cost of political action, and the responsibility of artists in moments of crisis. Fierce, funny, and deeply human, the play reclaims the voices of women often left out of history and asks whether words—and ideals—can still change the world.