Review: St. Louis Actors' Studio's THE HALF-LIFE OF MARIE CURIE

St. Louis Actors’ Studio, in collaboration with Orange Girls, continued their season celebrating female leads with a production of Lauren Gunderson’s The Half-Life of Marie Curie. This theatrical season brings the city two stagings of Gunderson plays. In addition to the current SLAS production, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis announced their season will include Gunderson’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.

According to American Theatre magazine, the 44-year-old writer’s plays are among the most often produced by a living American playwright. Gunderson’s writings have strong feminist voice with powerful female lead characters. Her works are often centered around historical females, bringing their stories and contributions to the stage.

Set in 1911, The Half-Life of Marie Curie tells the story of the widowed Curie winning her second Nobel Prize. Her victory is overshadowed by a scandalous affair with a married colleague. The gossip and news media nearly breaks the brilliant scientist. Her long-time friend, engineer and suffragist Hertha Ayrton, rescues her from the media madness by inviting Curie to her seaside English home.

Gunderson’s play examines friendship and camaraderie. It celebrates the success of the early 1900 female scientist and engineer, while exploring themes of feminism, empowerment, oppression, and social activism.

Orange Girls founders Meghan Baker (Marie) and Michelle Hand (Hertha) star as the brilliant scientist and engineer. Baker and Hand embody the spirits of these groundbreaking women in astute, intelligent, curious, and quick-witted portrayals. Their performances are as luminary as the visionary women they play.

Director Nancy Bell paces and blocks with the detailed precision, critical thinking, and curiosity of a lab scientist’s exploration. Bell's vision and Kristi Gunther’s sound design captures the atmospheric, environmental, and emotional tone of Gunderson’s fascinating drama. Credit stage manager Amy J. Paige with her precise rigor calling Gunther’s and Denisse Chavez’s demanding sound and lighting cues.

Costume Designer Teresa Doggett was gifted another opportunity to show off her affinity for the high waisted, slimmer silhouettes of late Edwardian and Titanic era fashions. Her designs, adoring the actors and Patrick Huber’s functional set, befit the tastes of the French and English professional women.

Huber’s set doubled as Curie’s French estate and Ayrton’s home on the English Coast. His stunning backdrop captured the modernity of the Post-Impressionist/Expressionist art of the period. The radiant painting gave Chavez another palette for her to express her exquisite flair with lighting design.

The Orange Girls and St. Louis Actors’ Studio’s The Half-Life of Marie Curie is a beautiful work. The production brings together all the design elements of a play into an artistic expression of friendship and feminism through intelligent story telling. It is flawlessly directed, convincingly acted, and meticulously executed. Its originality, integrity, honesty, and impact would make any Nobel prize winning scientist proud.

The insightful, ingenious, and intellectual Half-Life of Marie Curie continues at The Gaslight Theater through April 19, 2026. Visit stlas.org for more information.

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