Four badass women lose their heads in Lauren
Gunderson’s ‘The Revolutionists,’ next up at ICT
LONG BEACH, Calif. (May 7, 2026) — “Sometimes a revolution needs a woman’s touch.” Playwright Lauren Gunderson gives France’s Reign of Terror a riotous, sharp-tongued makeover with The Revolutionists, next up at International City Theatre. ICT favorite Jamie Torcellini (Deathtrap, Life Could be a Dream, The Andrew’s Brothers, The Legend of Georgia McBride) directs a three-week run, June 12 through June 28, at ICT’s home in the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center. Two low-priced previews take place on June 10 and June 11.
Four women to be reckoned with lose their heads (both figuratively and literally) in this irreverent, girl-powered comedy set during the French Revolution’s La Terreur. Playwright Olympe de Gouges (played by Amie Farrell), assassin Charlotte Corday (Sarah Pierce), former queen and fan of ribbons Marie Antoinette (Lyndsi LaRose), and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle (Nondumiso Tembe) hang out, murder Marat, and try to beat back the extremist insanity in 1793 Paris. This grand and dream-tweaked comedy is about violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we actually go about changing the world.
“I was in Paris with my mom and sister, and we went to the Pantheon to visit Voltaire and Marie Curie,” Gunderson explained in an interview. “While there, I happened to read a footnote about a feminist playwright who was guillotined during the French Revolution that the people of Paris were considering re-interring there. I did a cartoon-style double take and said ‘Wait. A feminist playwright? During the French Revolution? Guillotines?!’ After that, it was a gradual exploration of that time and the striking similarities to our time in America: ridiculous war, drowning national debt, vast divide between rich and poor, institutional racism, and the quest for women’s equality. But the play has really turned into a grander story about stories. Why we need to make art, what art does in times of crisis, how stories connect eras and philosophies across time.”
In real life, Olympe de Gouges was a French playwright and political activist best known for her Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen and other writings advocating for women’s rights and abolitionism. Her increasingly vehement political writings led to her eventual arrest and execution by guillotine. Charlotte Corday, believing the Revolution had become too radical, assassinated Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat, facing the guillotine just days later. Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France, became a scapegoat for France’s financial troubles, leading to her infamous execution in Paris’s Place de la Revolution. Marianne Angelle, a character created by Gunderson, represents a composite of free Black women revolutionaries from the Caribbean island of Saint Domingue (now Haiti) who fought against French colonial forces and slavery.
“This play is exactly what we need right now,” says ICT artistic director caryn desai [sic]. “It’s a bold, irreverent — and very funny — exploration of the power of women to shape history. These characters show us that, even in the face of overwhelming adversity, we can still make our voices heard, fight for change, and, yes, have a little fun along the way.”
The creative team for The Revolutionists includes set designer Mio Okada–Nuñez, lighting designer Donna Ruzika, costume designer Kim DeShazo, sound designer Hunter Moody and prop designer Patty Briles. Casting is by Michael Donovan, CSA and Richie Ferris, CSA. The stage manager is Donna R. Parsons.
The Revolutionists runs June 12 through June 28 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Two preview performances take place on Wednesday, June 10 and Thursday, June 11 both at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $56 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, except opening night (Friday, June 12), and $59 on opening night and at Sunday matinees. Low-priced tickets to previews are $44.
International City Theatre is located in Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center’s Beverly O’Neill Theater at 330 East Seaside Way, Long Beach, CA 90802.For more information and to purchase tickets, call (562) 436-4610 or go to InternationalCityTheatre.org.
Details for Calendar Listings
‘The Revolutionists’
WHAT:
Playwright Lauren Gunderson gives France’s Reign of Terror a riotous, sharp-tongued makeover with The Revolutionists. Four badass women—a playwright, an assassin, a spy and a queen—lose their heads (figuratively and literally) in this dream-tweaked version of the French Revolution. A fast-paced comedy that finds humor even in the darkest of times.
WHO:
• Written by Lauren Gunderson
• Directed by Jamie Torcellini
• Starring Amie Farrell, Lyndsi LaRose, Sarah Pierce, Nondumiso Tembe
• Produced by caryn desai [sic]
• Presented by International City Theatre
WHEN:
June 10 – June 28
• Previews:
Wednesday June 10 and Thursday, June 11, each at 7:30 p.m.
• Performances:
June 12 – June 28
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. / Sundays at 2 p.m.
WHERE:
International City Theatre
Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center
330 East Seaside Way
Long Beach, CA 90802
TICKET PRICES:
$44-$59
• Opening Night (June 12): $59 (includes post-show reception with the actors)
• Sunday matinees: $59
• Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (except Friday, June 12): $56
• Previews: $44
HOW:
InternationalCityTheatre.org.
(562) 436-4610
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