"The Revolutionists," written by Lauren Gunderson and produced by Old Town Actors Studio, is an astounding piece of art. Directed by Ted Bonman, with assistance from Michael Fornarotto, the play encapsulates the difficulty of women leaving a mark on history in a male-dominated world.

The play revolves around Olympe de Gouges (Abigail Newell) as she struggles to write a play during the French Revolution. She soon meets Marianne Angelle (Mia Crutch), Charlotte Corday (Gabrielle Joan) and Marie-Antoinette (Elissa Jones). It is a play within a play within a story within… you get it. There is a decent amount of meta comedy, which consistently lands with lines shouted to the audience such as “we need to do some character development,” or by reminding the audience this isn’t a musical about the French Revolution… that has been done before. The play focuses on these women’s attempts to leave an impact in a society that would prefer that these women “know their place.”

All of these characters are fictionalized versions of the real women for whom they are named, with the lone exception of Marianne Angelle who is instead based on the Hatian freedom fighters who won independence from France. Many of the events and trials the women endure are based on real events, and each woman’s final words are in fact their actual final words. That being said, it’s clear from the opening line that while history may not be clean it can be very funny.

Bonman is a master of comedy and it is clear throughout the entirety of the piece as the pacing, timing and delivery is top notch. There are several moments where the actor’s natural comedic timing is greatly amplified by the staging of the scene. It isn’t all laughs though as the tone takes a dramatic shift in the second half. The comedy is used as a way to butter the audience up so the ending lands a much greater punch.

The set and costumes are simple, but great at keeping the focus on the words and the action. The set consists of a handful of chairs and a single desk, which are used very effectively by the actors. The door frames are dressed as guillotines which act as stark reminders of the grim fate that these characters will eventually endure. The costumes help aid in the transportation of the times and serve as a thankful reminder that we don’t use wigs that are quite that extravagant anymore. The lighting rotates between a nice general wash and a harsh sharp light that often is a symptom of a small theater space, but in this case it feels like a feature to drastically change the tone for the audience.

Newell is relatively inexperienced on stage, but you would never know that. Her comedic timing is beyond belief and only matched by her ability to showcase true fear and courage in the face of certain death. Her relationship with each woman is clear and distinct. Joan is a beautiful switchblade between a comedic ingenue and a woman struggling with her fate. Her obsession with her goal is both admirable and hilarious. Jones plays a ditzy Marie-Antoinette to perfection, and when the mood turns it feels like a knife twisting into an open wound. Crutch enters with a delightful energy and adds a great deal of heart to the show. She often acts as the grounding source of the play to bring us back into the somber dark realities of what “freedom” really meant during the French Revolution. Each character has a stunning and haunting swan song that sends a shiver down the spine.

The only thing the show is lacking is a weak performance. I could write another thousand words and it would hardly do this play justice so instead see it for yourself. The show dates are June 10, 11, 17 and 18.