JACKSON, Wyo. — Tickets are on sale now for a staged reading of The Revolutionists by award-winning playwright Lauren Gunderson, presented by Off Square Theatre Company as part of the Fall Arts Festival.
Gunderson, one of the most produced American playwrights since 2015, describes The Revolutionists as a comedy about “violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we actually go about changing the world.” The play is about women who lived boldly in France during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror, four of which were beheaded.
“I write plays that give women voice and put their struggles, passions, power and wit center stage,” Gunderson said in an interview for American Theatre magazine. “The deep thrill…is that it means that women’s stories (which are vital human stories for all audiences, not just for women) are more of a priority on stages across this country. Our stories are valuable, necessary, desired, and here to stay.”
Anyone wishing to learn more about the dramaturgy of this piece can visit Gunderson’s dramaturgy resources for a deep dive into the creativity and inspiration behind this delightful play.
Director Allison Watrous, who previously directed Off Square Theatre’s Annapurna and a staged reading of Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike returns to helm this reading of The Revolutionists as part of Jackson’s 2022 Fall Arts Festival. Watrous has an extensive history of performance and direction, and she currently serves as the Executive Director of Education at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. The four-person ensemble cast features local performers Elise Baker Mumford and Sadie Frank alongside guest artists Diana Dresser and Alex Campbell.
The Cincinatti Enquirer hailed the play as “a sassy, hold-on-to-your-seats theatrical adventure …[Gunderson] has created a play that is wonderfully wild and raucous…filled with verbal gymnastics that come racing at you. Listen closely, though, and hang on tight. If you do, you’ll be treated to an invigorating and enlightening journey.”
Performed as a staged reading, Off Square Theatre’s production will focus on Gunderson’s language and the connection between the audience and actors that go into the storytelling. It is fast-paced, lively, and full of energetic, theatrical fun.
“The Fall Arts Festival is a vibrant time of year for our community,” said Britney Magleby, Director of Events and Communications for the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, “we are excited to include this live performance in our lineup this year, expanding our celebration of all forms of art.”
Performances are Sept. 16-18 in the Black Box Theater at Center for the Arts. The reading runs approximately 100 minutes in two acts. Tickets are available at offsquare.org.
Off Square Theatre’s professional production season is made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Wyoming Arts Council, the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund and the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole. Learn more about Off Square Theatre Company at www.offsquare.org.
