“We survive the roughness of glory
by passing the beat
of the beat of the heart
from hand to hand.”
Maybe, you’ve been wondering what the details are on Hearth and Mantel’s upcoming Pizza and Plays event? Well, even if you weren’t, sometimes the things we didn’t know we wanted often come like unexpected gifts in the form of this smart-mouthed blog post. That said, let me lay it all out for you in five hundred words or less, because you’ve got things to do, and I’m not that clever.
Lauren Gunderson is a playwright, screenwriter, and short story writer from Atlanta, Georgia. She received her BA in English/Creative Writing at Emory University in Georgia and her MFA in Dramatic Writing at NYU Tisch.
In 2017, she officially became America’s Top Produced Playwright and has written some of my favorite plays such as Silent Sky, Ada and The Engine, and Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley. Little known legend about me, I’m crazy about Jane Austen, and if you are too, that play is for sure a must-read. Like, a walk out of your job right this second kinda must-read.
Anyway, Lauren Gunderson has also written a play in the last few years called The Revolutionists, which completely overturned what I thought a play-within-a-play could be. It is by turns one of the most hilarious, relatable, and heartbreaking plays I’ve encountered. But, don’t take my word for it, our legendary Educational Director Lydia Lippincott is once again in charge of this week’s reading and wants to tell you all about it in the paragraph below:
“I am so excited about this week’s Pizza and Play reading! Breaking from the weighty tone of last month’s selection – Water by the Spoonful by Quiara Alegría Hudes – The Revolutionists by Lauren Gunderson is a clever juxtaposition of desperate historical characters and events with contemporary tones, hysterical one-liners, and casual frivolities.
This play questions our role in the progression of history by depicting four women who join the seemingly hopeless fight against corruption in the French Reign of Terror. Attempting to establish truth and justice, a writer, a civil rights activist, a murderer and an oddly profound social ignorant develop a sense of belonging and purpose through their camaraderie. Their quirky relationships add a hilarity to otherwise morose circumstances, where they seek to solve the gigantic moral dilemmas and fears of their time. Each of them carries a unique strength, but one cannot survive without the other, and no one will be remembered without a written document of their intriguing historical significance.
A borderline play-within-a-play, The Revolutionists skillfully upsets the traditional construction and storytelling of historical events. I cannot wait to share this humorous and heartfelt story of self-sacrifice and sisterhood.”
Join us this Saturday (August 17) at Coffee Prose from 5 – 8PM!
Coffee Prose Midtown | Corner of West St & Millsaps Ave between UMMC & Baptist
1619 N West St, Jackson, Mississippi 39202
Blog written by Mac Mitchell, Resident Playwright
and Lydia Lippincott, Educational Director
Hearth & Mantel Theatre 