The Half-Life of Marie Curie at Chicago Street Theatre

By Lauren Gunderson, America's most produced living playwright since 2016

 A closer look at the bond shared between two leading figures in scientific discovery is the subject of Chicago Street Theatre’s new production, The Half Life of Marie Curie, which will be performed February 13 through March 1.

Written by Lauren Gunderson, America's most produced living playwright since 2016, and first performed in 2019 at the Minletta Lane Theatre in New York, The Half-Life of Marie Curie opens in 1912 during a turbulent time in Marie Curie’s career after a scandal breaks of her affair with the married Paul Langevin shortly following her second Nobel Prize award. With the scandal putting her reputation and achievements at risk, Curie retreats to the seaside cottage of her close friend and fellow celebrated physicist Hertha Aryton, whose discoveries also contributed much to the scientific world, for refuge. There the two discuss many aspects of their lives. 

Playing the roles are two veteran actresses of the Chicago Street Theatre stage, Barb Baker Malangoni as Marie Curie and Lisa Formosa-Parmigiano, as Hertha Aryton. 

Malangoni, whose CST credits include shows like The Graduate, Rabbit Hole, A Christmas Carol and most recently Murder on the Orient Express, said as history has a way of depicting individuals as one-dimensional beings, she knew not much about Curie prior to reading the play other than her discovery of radium. Now she sees her as “a whole person,” with her being a mother, wife, and friend besides being a Nobel Prize-winning scientist.

“Both my wish and my desire are to embody (Curie’s) truth, her humanity, and to enlighten the audience of her desire to love and for love, to serve others, and to innovate scientifically,” Malangoni said. 

Formosa-Parmigiano, Artistic and Education Director at CST, was most recently seen in LEAR and Rosemary and Ginger. As her character is lesser known than Curie, she hopes people learn what a good friend she was and what a remarkable personality she had.

“We see the ‘ordinary’ in these women’s extraordinary lives in this play. The humanity, the friendship, the love,” said Formosa-Parmigiano.

Directing The Half-Life of Marie Curie is Allison Granat with assistant director Theresa Haus. Granat said she wanted to take on this project due to her interest in the science of radioactivity and Gunderson’s playwriting. 

“Gunderson has a beautiful way with words and the few shows I’ve read of hers always puts the art of the conversation in the spotlight," said Granat, who directed the ensemble comedy Rules for Living at CST last season. Comparing the structure of the two shows, Granat said having a smaller cast of two for this show has been interesting. 

“This piece specifically has challenged me with the balancing stillness in a large space, which can be engulfed with fewer actors, but I think there are a few moments where the feeling of solitude enhances the emotional state of Marie,” Granat said, 

CST will also use its lobby to share the stories of Curie and Aryton with factoids about their lives and work and a re-creation of their workspace, including artwork inspired by original posters depicting Curie's radium discovery that were culturally popular at the time. 

The Half-Life of Marie Curie is produced with special arrangement with Broadway Licensing LLC, servicing Dramatists Play Services collection. (www.dramatists.com)