By Gina Yarbrough
Carlsbad, CA–Dea Hurston New Village Arts kicks off 2025 with the San Diego premiere of The Half-Life of Marie Curie on the Ray Charles Stage in the Conrad Prebys Theatre.
The production is scheduled to run from January 24 through February 23. Previews will take place from January 24 through 31, with an Opening Night reception on February 1.
Polish-born French physicist Marie Curie was known for her work on radioactivity. She was the first woman to receive the 1911 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for discovering the elements of radium and polonium. Curie and her husband, Pierre were awarded the 1903 Nobel Prize for Physics.
The Half-Life of Marie Curie takes place in 1911 when Curie won the Nobel Prize. By 1912, she was the target of ruthless gossip over an alleged affair, all but erasing her achievements from public memory. Currie, weakened and demoralized by the press, agrees to join her friend and colleague Hertha Ayrton, an electromechanical engineer and suffragette, and recover from the scandal at Ayrton’s seaside retreat on the British coast.
The 70-minute, one-act play delves into the extraordinary friendship between two women as they confront the challenges of fame, grief, and their relentless quest for scientific progress. In this play, Lauren Gunderson—the most widely produced playwright in the United States—brings her trademark humor and emotional nuance to the stage, honoring the strength and determination of women who break barriers and reshape the world.
“Lauren Gunderson’s The Half-Life of Marie Curie brings us into the hearts and minds of two of the most brilliant women in science to have ever lived. I believe this biographical narrative, although set in a different time and place, speaks to our collective fight, as women, for equality and the freedom of body and will. Ultimately, at its heart, it is a love story about the power of female friendship – told through the lens of two powerful, exceptional, albeit flawed women – and how we get each other through, how we save each other, time and time again,” Director Kym Pappas stated.
Pappas brings her visionary storytelling and passion for intimate, character-driven narratives to The Half-Life of Marie Curie. She returns to the Ray Charles Stage after the incredible directorial success of Fun Home (2024). She has also been seen onstage in multiple productions at NVA including Jez Butterworth’s The Ferryman (2022) and her outstanding performance as Sister Aloysius in Doubt: A Parable (2023). A celebrated figure in the local theatre community, Pappas has a reputation for crafting thought-provoking and emotionally resonant productions that leave a lasting impact on audiences. Her unique perspective and keen attention to detail make her the perfect choice to helm this powerful story of friendship, resilience, and scientific discovery.
The cast of The Half-Life of Marie Curie features a stellar cast, led by Rachael VanWormer as the trailblazing scientist Marie Curie and San Diego theatre royalty, Leigh Scarritt as Hertha Ayrton, the fierce and compassionate engineer and suffragette. Jonni Garro will act as the female swing for both roles.
Scarritt directed New Village Art’s summer production of The Color Purple, and she returns to the theatre to make her stage debut.
“This will be my third Lauren Gunderson play, and I am thrilled to be back in ‘Gunderland.’ What I love about Lauren Gunderson’s characters is that they are people first and foremost, with all the charm, flaws, blindspots, inconsistencies, brilliance, and cruelties that every individual is capable of carrying within them. While her plays amplify and uplift notable women (and occasionally men), she does not turn them into ‘flawless heroines.’ Her plays allow us to recognize ourselves in the world-renowned genius, scientist, musician, artist, author just as readily as we recognize ourselves in the parent, the child, the sibling, the lover, the selfish, the mercurial, the human. By celebrating the human complexity of these characters, their achievements ring all the more remarkable,” VanWormer said.
“What I love most about this clever, insightful, moving script is the lifelong impact of women friends. The ride-or-die friends, who meet you wherever you are; and walk through the beauty or the heartache until balance is restored. I have these friendships in my life. I hope my friends know that they do too!” Scarritt said.
The creative team for The Half-Life of Marie Curie is a powerhouse of talent, bringing this compelling story to life with exceptional artistry and collaboration. The design team includes Scenic Designer Christopher Scott Murillo and Assistant Scenic Designer Carter Vickers. Claire Peterson will design the costumes, capturing the period’s authenticity while emphasizing the individuality of the characters. Curtis Mueller brings depth and mood with his lighting design and Harper Justus enhances the production’s emotional resonance through sound design.
Other team members include Stage Manager Nathan Waits, Assistant Stage Manager and Props Designer McKenna Foote, Production Assistant Rosemarie Sison, and Kim Strassburger as Dramaturg, ensuring the story remains rich, detailed, and impactful.
