LINDENHURST, NY — Dust off your guillotines and straighten your ribbons; Paris is burning, and the women are taking charge. The Modern Classics Theatre Company of Long Island is bringing a “dream-tweaked” riot to the stage with Lauren Gunderson’s hit comedy, The Revolutionists. Running from March 7 through March 22, 2026, at the BACCA Arts Center, this is history as you’ve never seen it: loud, proud, and wonderfully raucous.
Four Women. One Reign of Terror. Zero Chill.
Set in 1793, the play gathers an unlikely quartet of “chosen sisters” to navigate the hyper-violent male rhetoric of the French Revolution. From a determined assassin (Rosie Collette) to a fierce Haitian rebel (Karen Griffith Gordon) and a surprisingly soulful Marie Antoinette (Julie Lorson), these women are fighting for their lives and their legacies.
Spotlight: Jes Almeida as Olympe De Gouges
At the center of this whirlwind is Jes Almeida, portraying the brilliant and beleaguered playwright Olympe De Gouges. Tasked with the impossible job of writing the “perfect” revolutionary anthem while the world crumbles around her, Jes brings a sharp, “meta” energy to the stage.
The Power of the Pen vs. The Blade: In a world of assassins and queens, Jes embraces Olympe’s role as the intellectual engine of the movement. “Olympe is a showcase of how our words are sharper than any blade you can carry,” Jes says. “Words carry more weight than violence.”
Navigating the “Meta” Madness: Playing a playwright writing the very play the audience is watching is no small feat. For Jes, the magic lies in the transition from comedy to the visceral reality of the Reign of Terror. “The hardest thing is the comedy and then transitioning to the fear and realness of what’s happening,” she explains. “As the play goes on, their situations become more dire and they become more real to us.”
Catch the Riot at BACCA
Produced by Modern Classics—the resident 501(c)(3) professional company at the BACCA Arts Center—this production is a testament to the company’s mission of bringing rarely-seen, innovative works to Long Island.
Performance Dates:
- Opening Night: Saturday, Mar 07 – 8:00 PM
- Matinees: Sundays, Mar 08, 15, & 22 – 2:00 PM
- Evening Shows: Fridays & Saturdays – 8:00 PM
Venue: BACCA Arts Center, 149 N. Wellwood Avenue, Lindenhurst, NY
Tickets:
- Adults: $25.00
- Seniors/Students: $20.00
- [GET TICKETS HERE]
Whether it’s a true story or total fiction, The Revolutionists is a sassy, hold-on-to-your-seats theatrical adventure that proves some things are worth losing your head over.
Drama Queens, a five-star arts journal focusing on female artists 
Leave a comment