Press Release: Let Them Eat Cake Pops! Theatre Horizon’s The Revolutionists Features an All-Female Cast in a Tale of Political and Social Injustice
Four badass women–an assassin, a spy, a writer, and Marie Antoinette–hang out, plot murder, and try to beat back extremist insanity in Paris. In Lauren Gunderson’s The Revolutionists, these women act in the face of injustice, give their lives to protect freedom and equality, and stand up for what they believe in…all while being hilarious in the face of challenging, fractured political times. Armed with sharp wit and even sharper knives, this comedy of liberté, égalité, and sororité considers how we actually go about changing the world. Theatre Horizon proudly presents this work by the most produced living playwright in 2016 during their season of #WomenWhoDare. The production runs February 1 through February 25, 2018; press are invited to the 7:30PM performance on Wednesday, February 7, or any other performance thereafter.
Jessica Bedford and Jaylene Clark Owens in Theatre Horizon’s 2017 production of WHITE. Photo credit Matthew J Photography
Directed by Horizon’s Guest Artistic Director K.C. MacMillan, the production features a winning, all-female cast, including Barrymore winner Charlotte Northeast (Azuka, Lantern, Philadelphia Artists Collective) as Olympe, Barrymore winner Jaylene Clark Owens (Horizon’s WHITE, Wilma, Orbiter 3) as Marianne, Claire Inie-Richards (People’s Light, Lantern) as Charlotte, and Jessica Bedford (Horizon’s WHITE, Off-Broadway’s White Guy on the Bus) as Marie Antoinette.
The Revolutionists fits perfectly into Theatre Horizon’s season of #WomenWhoDare because it is a piece that asserts the bravery and agency of women to be a political and social force, for their own inalienable rights, as well as for the greater good. The play presents women who don’t behave according to the restrictions of their day and don’t care if they are well liked: they care that they are brave. The Revolutionists takes place in history but uses uniquely modern language and point of view. In doing so, Gunderson’s seriously funny and very relevant work asserts that women of all races are still subjugated in some of the ways they were 300 years ago. In addition, the play offers an image of art makers that is self-critical, incisive, and demanding that artists be better, braver, and bolder in addressing political and social injustice.
Single tickets to The Revolutionists go on sale December 7, 2017; see performance dates and schedule below. Preview performances (2/1/18-2/6/18) are $25; all other performances are $35. Theatre Horizon offers Norristown residents free tickets for all performances (pending availability). Tickets can be purchased by visiting theatrehorizon.org, or by calling 610-283-2230.
For press: please indicate any potential deadlines for feature stories, plus send any web links to published pieces when they go “live.” Thank you!
DETAILS AND SERVICE
Theatre Horizon presents
The Revolutionists by Lauren Gunderson
Directed by K.C. MacMillan
February 1-25, 2018
$25 for Previews
$35 for Regular Performances
2/1/18: 7:30PM (pay-what-you-wish preview)
2/2/18: 8:00 PM (preview)
2/3/18: 8:00 PM (preview)
2/4/18: 3:00 PM (preview)
2/6/18: 6:30 PM (Norristown night, preview)
2/7/18: 7:30 PM (opening night)
2/9/18: 8:00 PM
2/10/18: 8:00 PM
2/11/18: 3:00 PM
2/12/18: 7:30 PM (industry night)
2/15/18: 7:30 PM
2/16/18: 8:00 PM
2/17/18: 8:00 PM
2/18/18: 3:00 PM
2/21/18: 7:30 PM
2/22/18: 7:30 PM
2/23/18: 8:00 PM
2/24/18: 8:00 PM
2/25/18: 3:00 PM
BIOS:
Jessica Bedford (Marie) Last seen on the Theatre Horizon stage as Jane in WHITE. Recent credits: MOUSETRAP (Molly)/McCarter Theatre; WHITE GUY ON THE BUS (Molly)/Delaware Theatre Co & 59E59; CHRISTMAS CAROL (Mrs. Cratchit)/McCarter Theatre; CITY OF CONVERSATION (Anna)/Delaware Theatre Co; AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (Vera)/Walnut Street; THE PRESCOTT METHOD (Peg)/Walnut Street; OF MICE & MEN (Curley’s Wife) and NOISES OFF (Vicki/Brooke)/People’s Light & Theatre Company; SYLVIA (Sylvia)/Act II Playhouse and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (Jane) at the PA Shakespeare Festival, People’s Light and Bristol Riverside Theatre. DeSales University, B.A.; Villanova University, M.A. With tremendous gratitude to the good people at TH, the incredible women in this cast and KC; love to SC.
Jaylene Clark Owens (Marianne) is a Philly resident from Harlem, NY. She is an AUDELCO and Barrymore Award winning actress, as well as a highly acclaimed poet. Owens is a first place Apollo Theater Amateur Night winner for her poetry. Education: BFA Ithaca College. Recent credits: WHITE (Theatre Horizon), AN OCTOROON (The Wilma Theater), MOON MAN WALK (Orbiter 3), RED SPEEDO (Theatre Exile). She is a Company Member for The Wilma Theater’s acting company, Hothouse. JayleneClarkOwens.com.
Charlotte Northeast (Olympe) makes her Theatre Horizon debut with these performances! She is a native of Victoria, BC, Canada and a graduate of Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York City. She is currently an Artistic Associate for the Philadelphia Artists’ Collective (PAC), and she has had the pleasure of playing the title roles in THE DUCHESS OF MALFI, MARY STUART, and THE WHITE DEVIL; appearing in CHANGES OF HEART and TIMON OF ATHENS. As a director for PAC: CREDITORS and the oh-so-ridiculous FAIR MAID OF THE WEST. In Philly, she has worked with Act II Playhouse, CCTC, Theatre Exile, New City Stage, Passage Theatre, Luna Theatre, Swim Pony, Gas & Electric Arts, InterAct, Lantern Theatre, Azuka, Montgomery Stage, Shakespeare in Clark Park, Orbiter 3 and the Walnut Street Theatre. She is a proud recipient of two Barrymore Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress for SKIN IN FLAMES (InterAct) and EMMA (Lantern). Love to her boys – human, canine and feline. Many thanks to KC. Up next: directing MARIA MARTIN, or, THE MURDER IN THE RED BARN for PAC. For further info, please visit: www.charlottenortheast.com.
Claire Inie-Richards (Charlotte) is thrilled to be making her Theatre Horizon debut! Recent work includes A CHRISTMAS CAROL (DTC), MRS. WARREN’S PROFESSION (Lantern), TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (Shakespeare in Clark Park), PROJECT DAWN, I AND YOU, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, and THE CHERRY ORCHARD at Peoples Light where she is a company member. Claire has worked for BBC Radio, and graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Kathryn MacMillan (Director) is Guest Artistic Director for the 2017/17 season at Theatre Horizon, while Erin Reilly is on maternity leave. A freelance director for more than ten years, KC has been directing shows for Theatre Horizon since the company’s inception, including FULLY COMMITTED, HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE, and I AM MY OWN WIFE (Barrymore winner, The Virginia Brown Martin Philadelphia Award & nominations for Direction & Outstanding Production). For eight seasons, KC was the Associate Artistic Director at the Lantern, where her work included THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE (named Best Production of the 2012/13 season by Philadelphia Weekly), THE BREATH OF LIFE (Barrymore nomination: Outstanding Overall Production of a Play), and THE HOTHOUSE (Barrymore nominations for Direction & Outstanding Production). In 2015, she was named one of Billy Penn’s Who’s Next: 16 Young Philadelphians Shaping the Arts Scene. KC is the Producing Artistic Director of Tiny Dynamite, home of the pub theatre series A Play, a Pie, and a Pint. Learn more at www.tinydynamite.org.
