Curie defined a half-life as a point where one thing is fully transformed into something more, other than self. This play then is more than just a sum of its parts.
In a man-on-the-street style interview posted on Instagram, theater actor and director Audie Gemora had this to say: “In a country that just loves musicals, this show is a breath of fresh air to see a wonderfully written play and acted so well. And perfectly cast.”
His sentiment was echoed, in the same video, by fellow theater veterans Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Jaime del Mundo, and Sheila Francisco after seeing The Half-Life of Marie Curie.
The play, about true friendship amid achievements and controversy, is one of those must-see gems that have come out of the 2024 theater season. Produced by musicArtes, it is currently running at the Doreen Black Box Theater, Areté in Ateneo until Saturday, August 31.
To be honest, this is one of those shows where one walks into the theater ready for the unexpected. Acting-wise, you already know it’s going to be good, what with Caisa Borromeo and Missy Maramara leading the two-hander. Both actresses fully embrace their roles as Hertha Ayrton and Marie Curie, respectively, bringing out their humanity beyond the scientific wins of their characters.
They are able to take these inner struggles—like the controversy that overshadowed Curie’s second Nobel Prize—and play it out for everyone to see. There is restraint, yet emotions run high when needed. The show runs for 90 minutes, sans an intermission, but it is difficult to disengage from the conversations onstage to even notice.
Director Kiara Pipino took playwright Lauren Gunderson’s beautifully written script and brought it to life. The direction is simple, yet nuanced. The audience picks up on subtle changes depicting space and time, as the story unfolds over the course of two decades.
Pipino was able to seamlessly intertwine text and character with the actors and the stage. In the play, Curie defines a half-life as a point where one thing is fully transformed into something more, other than self. Experienced as a whole, this play becomes more than just a sum of its parts.
Come curtain call, what The Half-Life of Marie Curie leaves its audience with is a sense of what true kinship looks like. What it means to find solace in a world where recognition and acknowledgment comes at the end of constant struggle. To find the humanity which anchored Curie and Ayrton as they navigated the changing times they lived in.
For information on tickets, visit @mariecurie.mnl on Instagram.
