Legacy of Light "excels with a breathless, exhilarating lack of sef-conciousness."

What a great review from Richmond.com of Legacy of Light! Take note of our students - doing great work with an equity theatre.

By Liz Jewett | Richmond.com

Legacy of Light Review

Published: February 09, 2011

“Legacy of Light,” a time bending, suspension of belief testing, magical realism infused play written by D.C. native Karen Zacarias really shouldn’t work.  It is a testament to Zacarias and to the work of all involved with the current production at Barksdale Theatre that it absolutely does. It works and it sings.

The play, set in both Enlightenment-era France and modern-day New Jersey, focuses primarily on two women, the real life 18th-century historical figure Emilie du Chatelet and the fictional Olivia. Both women are brilliant scientific minds, capable of processing the minutia of the universe, yet who struggle to balance their intellect with maternal demands. At the onset of the play, du Chatelet, the sometimes lover, intellectual equal and perpetual friend of the renowned thinker, Voltaire, learns that at 42 she is pregnant with the child of her young lover, St. Lambert. Knowing full well the peril of childbirth, Emilie resolves to leave her academic mark on the world before it is too late.

In another era, the astrophysicist and cancer survivor, Olivia, discovers both an embryonic planet in another universe and her own need to have a child with her teacher husband, Peter. Unable to conceive on her own, the couple turn to a surrogate, the sweet and affable, Millie, who in turn is struggling with her own choice between familial obligations and professional ambition.

What follows is a time shifting, science infused, dazzlingly complex narrative, as both Emilie and Olivia attempt to reconcile science with motherhood and professional drive with motherly instincts or lack thereof.

As I mentioned before, “Legacy of Light” shouldn’t work yet, miraculously, it not only works but also excels with a breathless, exhilarating lack of self-consciousness. The writing helps, but it would be impossible without the solid and capable direction of Bruce Miller. Despite some, at times, awkward staging, the majority of the play is seamless and that is a notable accomplishment when there are characters alternately breaking the fourth wall, traveling through time and dimensions and giving extended talks on elaborate matters of physics.

The scenic design by Betsy Muller is simple but manages to bridge the gap between a high-class French estate and a contemporary middle-class New Jersey world. Lynne M. Hartman’s lighting plays a hugely important role, as light and the properties of light are nearly as important as any of the characters are to the story. J. Theresa Bush’s costumes are lush and textured, particularly the extravagant wardrobes of the French characters. Yet the much humbler modern day clothes are equally detailed and wonderfully attuned to character.

As the principle women, Tamara Johnson (Emilie), Patricia Duran (Olivia) and Martha Johnson (Millie), are all exceptional. Tamara Johnson shows a weathered but unyielding optimism and light in Emilie, traits that would be the basis for Voltaire’s famously hopeful Candide. Her crackling intellect is made all the more poignant by the fact that the audience is aware that, unlike Voltaire, du Chatelet would never receive the same kind of fame or recognition. Duran plays the well-worn role of a modern woman divided between work and family without a trace of cliché. And Martha Johnson is so natural and buoyant as the young and earnest Millie that she steals almost every scene she is in.

Larry Cook as Voltaire is not the central protagonist, but his witty, confident presence infuses every aspect of the show. It’s difficult to play a famous historical figure without seeming like a caricature. It is a testament to the actor that his role feels lived in and honest. Ricardo Melendez is incredibly likeable and charming as Olivia’s husband, Peter. Maggie Horan as Emilie’s teenage daughter, Pauline, and Ian Stearns as Millie’s brother, Lewis, have smaller roles, yet each brings a noticeable presence each time they’re on stage.

At the end of “Legacy of Light,” one of the characters makes the statement that “everything changes, but nothing is lost.” It is a mark of the beautiful intricacy of the script that this ties into both the scientific aspects of the play and its emotional core. “Legacy of Light” is a smart, challenging, multi-layered play, but it works because while it is all of those things, it is also earnest and hopeful. It’s a show that spends a great deal of time talking about the properties of energy and the cosmos, but it never feels academic. Instead, every scientific fact, every historical detail brings the characters, as well as the audience, closer and closer to a place of love, humanity, and light.


Liz Jewett is a freelance writer, nursing student and local theater lover. To find out more about Liz check out her blog at http://lizramsay.blogspot.com or follow her or on Twitter @lizj843.