by Patricia Frischer
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At the play The Half-Life of Marie Curie, I learned a lot about Marie Curie that I did
not know in the angst filled performance by Rachael VanWormer, which was
delightfully counted by Leigh Scarritt as Hertha Ayrton, the engineer
and suffragette. Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first
person to win a Nobel Prize TWICE and in two different scientific fields.
She had an affair at a time that women simply could not do what men did without
being labeled a harlot. I learned to see how “half life” can refer to a change
in elemental make-up, a change in life direction and even as a concept of a further
life after death. The play Half-Life of Marie Curie at New
Village Arts until March 9 does this all in one act of 70 minutes.
I was mesmerized by Leigh Scarritt who
controlled the stage with her sidesways glances and moveable face. I
knew nothing of Hertha Ayrton, but she is now seared in my memory and this role
was made for Scarritt. A minimal stage with terrific lighting affects was the
most visually artistic part of the experience besides the display by Dr. Beata Mierzwa in the lobby.
I was moved by the notes in the playbill:
Kym Pappas Director’s Notes:
"This is for the
women. You who are strong. Resilient. You who combine courage and compassion.
Thank you. This is for you. The Fearless. This is for the Mothers. For the
Grandmothers. For the teachers. You who are sanctuary. This is for you. For the
warriors. The ones who are deemed loud…assertive…demanding. Thank you. This is
for you. This is for the poets. For the ones who speak…for the ones who dance…for
the bitches and the witches too. Thank you. This is for the geniuses. For the
girls who struggle in math class and the ones who excel. This is for you. This
is for the ones who travel, who carve a path for all to follow. For the ones
who strut. The ones whose laughter could heal a nation. The ones who love the
animals. This is for you. This is for the ones who write the words and speak
the words and sing the words too. Thank you. This is for the ones who feel like
they just cannot anymore. Those who carry the dark. This is for you. This is for
the ones who show up, who bring the light. This is for you. Thank you. This is
for the women. For all of the ways we show up in the world, for all of the ways
we get each other through. Thank you"
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Rachael VanWormer as the scientist Marie Curie |
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| Leigh Scarritt as Hertha Ayrton, the engineer and suffragette. |
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| A wonderful drunk moment in the performance |
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Special lighting by Curtis Mueller |
Dr.
Beata Mierzwa is a molecular biologist working on division of
animal cells. Her works of art are based on this subject and her goal is to
help communicate science in a different way. She uses fundamental scientific
aspects to create drawings for both scientists and non-scientists to discover
the beauty in fundamental biological principles. Her works for this show are
printed and presented in rich color and a reflective surface. On display is also
one of her fashion designs…fabric and jewelry as well as a digital game Microscopya.
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Ray Charles Stage in the Conrad Prebys Theatre at the Dea Hurston New Village Arts Center
Jan 24-Feb 23, 2025
Written By Lauren Gunderson
Directed By Kym Pappas
2787 State Street, Carlsbad, CA 92008
760-433-3245
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