Publisher's Synopsis
Discover the power, resilience, and indomitable spirit of women who have shaped history. In her first collected works, Lauren Gunderson demonstrates why she has become one of America's most produced playwrights. Weaving together the extraordinary stories of trailblazing women from various eras, Gunderson provides a unique and necessary perspective on modern American feminism, the beautiful humanism of science, and the power of the heartful heroine. Emilie: La Marquise Du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight: Passionate. Vivid. Defiant. Tonight, 18th-century scientific genius Emilie du Châtelet is back and determined to answer the question she died with: love or philosophy, head or heart? The Revolutionists: Playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen (and fan of ribbons) Marie-Antoinette, and Caribbean rebel Marianne Angelle hang out, murder Marat, lose their heads, and try to beat back the extremist insanity in the Paris of 1793. Ada and the Engine: It's 1830 and fiery, brilliant, Ada Lovelace writes the first computer program for her friend and mentor Charles Babbage. They share a language of numbers, and imagine a world of computing machines. But only Ada dreams that those machines will make music. Silent Sky: The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt plays out against a landscape of fierce sisterly love, early feminism, paradigm shifting science, romance, revelation, and a time when humans were called "computers". Natural Shocks: "To be or not to be" - In this one-woman tour-de-force, witty and wild Angela paces alone in her basement, waiting out an imminent tornado: in such a stark situation, it is only natural that secrets come out, confessions spill over, and a reckoning is about to touch down. Introduced and contextualized by dramaturg Julie Felise Dubiner, Revolutionary Women charts an unforgettable journey through time and place, celebrating and exploring the greatness of history's women.
