Two brilliant women, centuries apart, push the boundaries of science while grappling with motherhood in Horizon Theatre's production of Legacy of Light, by Karen Zacarías. DC Theatre Scene calls this time traveling comedy "... an intellectual joyride ... a wonderful play, well worth seeing." Legacy of Light is the Horizon Theatre directing debut for Susan Reid the Director of the Year in The Sunday Paper 2010 Spotlight Awards.
Legacy of Light juxtaposes two eras, each with its own beliefs and attitudes towards physical science and the function of woman in society. Physicist Émilie du Châtelet, a young poet and lover of famous French philosopher Voltaire, worries about her fate after she unexpectedly becomes pregnant. Driven by fear and ambition, she races to publish her theories based on Sir Isaac Newton's Laws of Motion. Meanwhile, 260 years in the future, accomplished astrophysicist Olivia and her husband Peter want to conceive but cannot. Olivia's attention turns to her new "child," a planet she's discovered in the midst of hiring a quirky and free-spirited surrogate. Two women, linked together by scientific legacy and maternal instincts, ask: Does the birth of a child ultimately mean as much to the world as the birth of an idea?
The Legacy of Light cast and creative teams includes some Horizon Theatre's favorites. Émilie du Châtelet, will be played by Leigh Campbell-Taylor who was last seen in Horizon Theatre's 2010 season Suzi-nominated Shooting Star. Leigh is delighted to be on stage having recently taking off about fifteen years to raise her glorious sons, Malcolm and Ethan.
Allan Edwards in the role of Voltaire returns to Horizon Theatre where he was last seen as Comer in Algae Eaters back in 1999.
Robin Bloodworth, last seen in True Love Lies, takes on modern day want to be father Peter and cuckold husband Monsieur du Châtelet.
Rounding out the cast are three Horizon Theatre stage debuts. Lane Carlock who you have seen at Actor's Express, Synchronicity,
ALLIANCE THEATRE, and hosting "Get ClarkSmart" takes on the role of Olivia. Kate Donadio, daughter of James Donadio and familiar face on many Atlanta stages, takes on the roles of Mille and Pauline, two young women willing to do things differently for the love of their families. Finally, Corey Bradberry, most recently seen in Synchronicity's Brand New Kid, takes on the roles of both Saint-Lambert and Lewis, two men full of passion.
Bringing the world of the play to stage are Horizon favorites Scenic Designer Duo Moriah and Isabelle Curley-Clay who have blended the two periods in the play with the juxtaposition of nature and science, while Stephanie Polhemus takes on the role of Prop Designer, with Joanna Schmink designing costumes, Mike Post as Light Designer and Br
Ian Patterson designing sound for this production.
Playwright Karen Zacarías had stumbled across a footnote referring to Émilie du Châtelet while researching Einstein Is a Dummy, a children's play premiered by the
ALLIANCE THEATRE in Atlanta. Looking a little further into du Châtelet's life, Zacarías discovered that the French scientist had developed some of her most influential insights during a pregnancy late in life. That fact seemed particularly resonant when Zacarías discovered she was pregnant with her third child. But just before giving birth, she received a commission from
Arena Stage, a prestigious company in Washington, DC, and she realized her creative life was not about to grind to a halt.
Arena Stage presented the World Premiere of Legacy of Light in 2009. The play received the 2010 Steinberg Citation "Best New Play" from the National Association of Theater Critics.
It's the best of all possible worlds for Émilie du Châtelet, brilliant physicist and lover to Voltaire. At age 42 she discovers she is with child. Fearing she will die in childbirth, she races to complete her research and leave her legacy. Meanwhile, present day scientist Olivia, unable to conceive and wondering what she will sacrifice for motherhood, arranges for a surrogate, who pulls together past and present in a stellar collision. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree in this comic quest for self-discovery, knowledge and love.
Karen Zacarias's Legacy of Light won a 2010 Steinberg Citation from the National Association of Theater Critics for being one of the year's best new plays. Other award winning plays include, Mariela in the Desert, The Book Club Play, The Sins of Sor Juana, the adaptation of the best-selling book How Garcia Girls Lost their Accents and children's musicals Looking for Roberto Clementine, Einstein is a Dummy, Jane of the Jungle, Cinderella Eats Rice and Beans, Frida Libre, and Ferdinand the Bull. Her plays have been produced at The Kennedy Center, The Alliance Theater,
Arena Stage, The Goodman Theater, Denver Center,
La Jolla Playhouse, Round House Theater, Imagination Stage, Berkshire Theater Festival, The Arden, and many more. Other national awards include: National Francesca Primus Prize for Outstanding Emerging writer (Mariela in the Desert), New Voices Award, National Latino Play Award, ATT/TCG First Stages Award, Finalist Susan S. Blackburn Award and a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play (Sins of Sor Juana). She has commissions from South Coast Rep, The Denver Center, and
Arena Stage. Karen is the playwright-in-residence at
Arena Stage and teaches playwriting at Georgetown University. She lives in Washington DC with her husband and three young children. She is a graduate of Stanford University and went to high school at Henderson High School in Chamblee-Tucker.
Tickets range from $20-$35 and may be purchased by calling the Box Office at 404.584.7450 or visiting tickets.horizontheatre.com. Horizon Theatre Company is located in Little Five Points at the corner of Euclid and Austin Avenues (1083 Austin Avenue). All seating is General Admission.
Horizon Theatre Company, 1083 Austin Avenue, connects people to each other, the community and the world through professional, contemporary theater. For more information about tickets, group sales, or to receive a season brochure, call 404.584.7450 or visit www.horizontheatre.com.
Horizon Theatre Company is grateful for the sponsorship by the Turner Voices initiative of Turner Broadcasting, who provides generous support to the 2011 season. Additional major funding is provided by the Metro Atlanta Arts Fund, Home Depot Foundation, as well as the Fulton County Commission under the guidance of the Fulton County
Arts Council. Horizon Theatre is also supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. The Council is a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding is provided by the City of Atlanta, Office of Cultural Affairs.
