An Entertaining Half-Life
By Paul Atreides
Author, playwright, and Theatre critic at EatMoreArtVegas.com
Misogyny has been alive and well for centuries. That makes The Half-Life of Marie Curie by Lauren Gunderson so timely. With a two-character, semi-biographical script, you might expect it to be a heavy, tedious history lesson. Nothing could be further from the truth. Certainly not as presented by Las Vegas Little Theatre.
Sure, there are a few dramatic moments, but director Jacob Moore has ensured that they don’t take center stage and overpower the comedy.
On a set by Ron Lindblom, which carries the action from France to England, from drawing rooms to train stations, and from ships to the seaside, Moore keeps the action moving at a crisp pace.
The basic storyline is about the power of the friendship between Marie Curie, played by Olivia Hernando, and Hertha Ayrton, played by Barbara King. Both are smart scientists fighting for a seat at the table controlled by men. While the two-time Nobel prize-winning Curie is known for discovering radium and polonium, Ayrton was a brilliant mathematician and electrical engineer. Think of her the next time you turn on a light, and take note that it doesn’t buzz like an angry hornet.
Hernando does a decent job with Curie despite the French dialect that comes and goes. She’s sometimes a bit difficult to hear, but she never loses focus and does a wonderful job of supporting a fellow actor.
There’s a bizarre ballet of sorts that takes place after a disagreement between the two women and Curie leaves London. Ostensibly meant to display her anguish and indecision, it doesn’t quite deliver.
King commands the stage as Ayrton, the outspoken suffragette. There were a few moments when she struggled to remember a line, but her delivery worked so perfectly with the character that it heightened the comedic timing. Her performance alone is worth the price.
Production values are excellent, though you would be hard-pressed to find a woman of Curie’s stature in that time frame (1912) with long hair flowing down over the shoulders. The costumes are spot on with the high collars and long skirts. There are seaside scenes when Ginny Adams’ lights glow off the haze and fog to enhance the atmosphere.
Overall, this is an entertaining peek into the ups and downs of a true friendship between two very amazing women in history.
Special Note: LVLT has permanently changed its evening performance curtain time to 7 p.m.
What: The Half-Life of Marie Curie
When: 7 p.m. Friday - Saturday; 2 p.m. Sundays through November 3
2 p.m. Saturday, October 26 and November 2
Where: Las Vegas Little Theatre - Mainstage, 3920 Schiff Drive
Tickets: $35 (702-362-7996; www.lvlt.org)
Grade: **** Scrumptious
Producer: Las Vegas Little Theatre; Director: Jacob Moore; Set Design: Ron Lindblom; Lighting Design: Ginny Adams; Music Design: Luis Fletes; Choreographer: Hallie Lyons; Audio Design: Abigayle Laning, Joey Jevne; Stage Manager: Christy Cunningham
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