“We are addressing these really huge questions about revolution and violence and about bravery and courage,” said Carolyn Wright, co-director of “The Revolutionists, which opens Feb. 6 at the Maui Academy of Performing Arts’ Naylor Theater. Courtesy photo

Paris in 1793 was dominated by the bloody Reign of Terror. A mandate to place “terror on the order of the day” led to a ruthless purge.

By the time the Reign of Terror reached its conclusion in July 1794, some 17,000 people had been executed and 10,000 more died in prison or without trial. The right to a public trial and legal assistance had been suspended, and juries were given two choices: acquittal or death.

From this mayhem, four radical women are brought to life in the acclaimed play, “The Revolutionists,” by Lauren Gunderson, which opens Feb. 6 at the Maui Academy of Performing Arts’ Naylor Theater.

Proclaimed “America’s Most Popular Playwright” by The New Yorker, Gunderson told WTOPNews, “It’s full of suspense and humor and a really interesting, edgy kind of feminism and intersectionality.”

“The Revolutionists” features a cast of four women who meet in prison. Bobbie Jo Curley plays author Olympe de Gouges. Leighanna Locke plays French queen Marie Antoinette, who never actually said, “Let them eat cake.” Lily Werner plays assassin Charlotte Corday, and AJ Ching is the fictional Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle.

Subtitled a “Comedy, a Quartet, a Revolutionary Dream Fugue, a True Story,” it explores themes of feminism, revolution and legacy through the lens of these women as they face their impending deaths, blending humor with the tragic reality of the Reign of Terror.

MAPA’s production is co-directed by the mother-and-daughter team of Carolyn and Eliza Wright.

“When we put this play in our season, we really wanted something that is a feminist comedy that really spans the decades,” MAPA Executive Director Carolyn Wright explained. “It’s set in 1793 Paris, but some of the questions that the play poses are the same questions that we struggle with today. Things like, what happens when friendships collide with ideology? And who pays the price for telling the truth? What is the role of story?”

Eliza Wright added, “I wanted to direct the show because I’m really interested in the stacking of story in the time that we live in right now, and interpersonally and politically. It feels really important to keep telling ourselves and each other and the world our stories and then witnessing how those stories interact with each other.”

With three characters based on real people, Olympe de Gouges was a French activist renowned for her pivotal 1791 feminist document, “Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen.” It was a response to the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen,” which excluded women. De Gouges opened her declaration with the famous quote: “Man, are you capable of being fair? A woman is asking: at least you will allow her that right. Tell me? What gave you the sovereign right to oppress my sex?”

Charlotte Corday was a French noblewoman and revolutionary who assassinated Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat, believing it would end the bloodshed.

“All the women in this show, in particular ways, are radicals,” noted Eliza Wright. “I think that’s something that is kind of a universal theme, like what does it mean to be radical? These two women, Charlotte Corday and Olympe de Gouges, their political actions ultimately cost them their lives. How radical that was back then, and how radical some of those ideas still are today.”

With the mother and daughter co-directing, “Eliza grew up at MAPA taking dance classes and drama classes,” said Carolyn. “She lives in New York City now. I really wanted somebody who’s got a young voice because this show is so contemporary.”

“It may be set in 1790s France, but don’t let that fool you, it is a story that resonates deeply today,” praised Broadway World. “A wonderfully witty and profound play. It is an intensely funny, creative, and emotional show.”

“With what’s happening in Minneapolis, this play couldn’t be more timely,” said Carolyn Wright. “We are addressing these really huge questions about revolution and violence and about bravery and courage. Those things are not just noble abstractions. They’re real. They were happening then and they’re happening now. And yet, it’s all told through some really sharp comedy. It’s hilarious.”

“The Revolutionists” opens Feb. 6 at MAPA’s Naylor Theater. The show runs on weekends through Feb. 22, starting at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 3 p.m. on Sundays. The matinee on Feb. 15 will be followed by AfterWords, a talkback with the cast and directors. This show is staged in the round with only 88 seats. Tickets are $40.