The Radiant
by Shirley Lauro

Name: The Radiant
Brand: Shirley Lauro
SKU: 9780573702914
Rating: 3 (1 reviews)

The Radiant Book Cover — The Radiant Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

120 mins 1910s/WWI Reduced Casting (Doubling Possible) Unit Set/Multiple Settings Period Costumes

Synopsis

Set one hundred years ago in Paris, The Radiant centers on the true, tempestuous, and love-torn life of Madame Marie Curie.

Widowed at thirty-nine, with two young children to raise and support, she becomes involved in a scandalous affair with her young married assistant, an affair which rocks Paris and nearly costs her her career - and her life.

But, she survives this and the great bias against women scientists throughout Europe then and goes on to discover and isolate radium, earn two Nobel Prizes, and revolutionize the world of science forever, ushering in “The Atomic Age” and the first cure for cancer.

Press Reviews

"The Radiant casts a glow on Marie Curie ... The playwright gives her stubbornness, determination, single-mindedness, [and] passion..." - The Miami Herald Tribune"Award winning playwright Shirley Lauro's exploration of the scientist and woman [Marie Curie] comes to life ... Wonderful and highly appreciated by audiences." - Around Town - Miami"The sciencephobe need not worry: the science is handled quickly and deftly in 'The Radiant' by Shirley Lauro ..." - TotalTheater.com"Shirley Lauro has written an intriguing play about the behind-the-scenes life of two-time Nobel Prize-winning scientist Marie Curie. The drama juxtaposes her laboratory discovery of radium in metal with her romantic entanglement that caused a scandal and threatened her career." - New York Calling ABOUT TOWN"... Lauro's Curie has a steely, even forbidding exterior of determination and self-control that masks a raging swirl of insecurity, shyness, mourner's grief, and need ..."
— South Florida Review"Lauro['s] Curie is

"[…] A thrilling play with complex characters trying to make life work. Shirley [Lauro] is one of the very best playwrights at work in America!"
— Estelle Parsons

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Katarina 17. Marie's niece from Warsaw. Pretty, funny, strong spirited but not contemporary teen—rather of an era when young people were ruled by adults. Loveable, impulsive, dramatic, but tries to contain herself. Clothing: blouse with possible touch of Polish style embroidery, dark longish skirt of period.	—	17	17. Marie's niece from Warsaw. Pretty, funny, strong spirited but not contemporary teen—rather of an era when young people were ruled by adults. Loveable, impulsive, dramatic, but tries to contain herself. Clothing: blouse with possible touch of Polish style embroidery, dark longish skirt of period.
Paul Langevin early 30’s. Handsome, youthful, French. Brilliant but naïve, sensual man. Repressed, yearns to break out. White shirt, vest, student type jacket. Later in dark suit/trousers.	—	—	early 30’s. Handsome, youthful, French. Brilliant but naïve, sensual man. Repressed, yearns to break out. White shirt, vest, student type jacket. Later in dark suit/trousers.
*Chief Paymaster Of The Sorbonne Middle-age. Epitome of bureaucrat, a lecher. Possible pince-nez, vest, time-piece in vest. French accent.	—	—	Middle-age. Epitome of bureaucrat, a lecher. Possible pince-nez, vest, time-piece in vest. French accent.
*Professor Wilbois Late middle-age. Physics professor at Sorbonne. Kindly, loveable. Somewhat absent minded—maybe a stain or two on clothing, missing button on vest, etc. From Alsace-Lorraine, possibly has slight French/German accent.	—	—	Late middle-age. Physics professor at Sorbonne. Kindly, loveable. Somewhat absent minded—maybe a stain or two on clothing, missing button on vest, etc. From Alsace-Lorraine, possibly has slight French/German accent.
*Lord Kelvin Middle—aged. Physics Professor, University of Edinburgh. A Scotsman (either Scottish or English accent.). Possibly reddish hair. Pompous, blustery, condescending. Possibly smokes pipe; possibly in clothing with Scotch plaid/argyle design touches. Elegant in appearance.	—	—	Middle—aged. Physics Professor, University of Edinburgh. A Scotsman (either Scottish or English accent.). Possibly reddish hair. Pompous, blustery, condescending. Possibly smokes pipe; possibly in clothing with Scotch plaid/argyle design touches. Elegant in appearance.
Marie Sklodowska Curie Polish, but in France many years. Late 30’s - mid-40s. Ethereal beauty—ash blond, small, graceful, piercing eyes, intense manner reveals brilliance of a genius. A unique, complex woman of great strength, drive. Can be severe, steely. “Suffers no fools gladly”. Hides extreme shyness, high emotionality behind exterior demeanor. Dresses in black clothes of period, lighter blouse in country and through Act II. Has cough, possibly some nervous mannerisms.	female	40s	Polish, but in France many years. Late 30’s - mid-40s. Ethereal beauty—ash blond, small, graceful, piercing eyes, intense manner reveals brilliance of a genius. A unique, complex woman of great strength, drive. Can be severe, steely. “Suffers no fools gladly”. Hides extreme shyness, high emotionality behind exterior demeanor. Dresses in black clothes of period, lighter blouse in country and through Act II. Has cough, possibly some nervous mannerisms.