The Revolutionists

In 1789, bread shortages and out-of-control prices led thousands of women to march on Versailles. In 2017, half a million women and allies marched on Washington, D.C. in protest of the inauguration of misogynist and incoming President Donald Trump. The rhythms and repetitions of the past drive Lauren Gunderson's The Revolutionists. Women have often been at the forefront of revolutionary movement, but history often overlooks their contributions, opting instead to focus on the men of the era. While corrupt bureaucrats and lawmakers are a dime a dozen throughout the pages of history, Gunderson chooses Olympe de Gouges, French playwright and activist, as the vessel for this revolutionary tale.

At our first design meeting our director, Asia Meana, described what she referred to as the "revolutionary pulse" which has moved humanity through many moments in history. She found it vital that our production of The Revolutionists highlight this pulse and its many impacts across time and culture. Over time, we pinpointed which revolutionary moments and figures spoke to our specific production. In our anachronistic approach, parallels between character and reality drove my design choices. This was especially impactful for the character of Marianne, the sole fictional character in the script. Marianne is spy, wife, mother, and friend. The Haitian Revolution provided a plethora of women at the forefront who fit these exact parameters- it begs the question why Gunderson opted for a fictional character rather than the many Haitian women leading revolution. Women like revolutionary leader Sanite Belair, freedom fighter Victoria "Toya" Montou, priestess and network strategist Cecile Fatiman, and Catherine Flon, who famously ripped the white, which symbolized the bourbon dynasty, from the French flag and joined the blue and red pieces back together forming Haiti's flag. Toussaint Louverture, skilled general and prominent leader of the Haitian revolution, also had a significant influence on my design of Marianne. Additionally, strong reflections between the Haitian revolution and the Palestinian Intifada brought the Palestinian fight for freedom into Marianne's design.

In this way, my costume design for The Revolutionists supports director Asia Meana's mission for centering the inherent "revolutionary pulse" of Lauren Gunderson's script. This pulse was the thread that connected the entire production- each design element honored it in a unique and compatible way, and the actors carried that torch brilliantly through each and every run. Designing the costumes for The Revolutionists allowed me to bring my own design perspective to the table even as I discovered new and striking points of view to explore and consider.