The Half-Life of Marie Curie NYC Reviews and Tickets

83%

(128 Reviews)

Positive

94%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Great acting, Absorbing, Intelligent, Entertaining, Great writing

About the Show

Kate Mulgrew ("Orange Is the New Black") stars in this new play about scientist Marie Curie and radical engineer Hertha Ayrton — and the friendship that strengthened their resolve to pursue their ambitions.

From the show:

With lyricism and wit, playwright Lauren Gunderson has crafted an honest, unexpected story that follows Marie Curie during the summer of 1912 when news of her secret affair threatens to overshadow her second Nobel Prize win. Heartbroken, Curie leaves France to stay with Ayrton at her home on the British seaside, and together they confront the scandal that could end Curie’s career — and drastically alter her life.

Directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch, THE HALF-LIFE OF MARIE CURIE is a timely celebration of two brilliant women who have been overlooked by history for too long. Written expressly for Audible through its Emerging Playwrights Fund.

Member Reviews (128)

Repetitive, Great acting, Historical, Relevant, Thought-provoking

See it if you enjoy biogrphl theater; learn some abt Curie/lots abt Ayrton. Strg acting (esply Mulgrew in the better role). Funny/feminist insights.

Don't see it if you want a perfect script; HLMC is slow in parts. Same issue repeated. MC seems too weak/weepy. Fight feels manufactured (solutn is easy). Read more

Slow, Resonant, Profound, Entertaining, Ambitious

See it if A play about two free think very bright woman and their thought process and relationship.

Don't see it if It is more words than action. If you want a fast play or a big production.

Resonant, Intelligent, Great acting, Delightful, Absorbing

See it if women's relationships are significant to you. Beautiful subtle script explores the friendship of two brilliant accomplished women.

Don't see it if marital fidelity is an issue for you. This is a serious play with lots of humor not at all experimental or musical.

Exquisite, Clever, Intelligent, Great writing, Great acting

See it if Lady sesh.Feminist fever dream. Mulgrew is manna. Goddesses of scientific wonder and proof shielded from men and scandal."Beautiful genius."

Don't see it if Radon decay."God made women stronger than the world they're in/She refuses to be told how good she is, knowing how much better she could be" Read more

Funny, Intelligent, Great acting, Entertaining, Delightful

See it if colorful history lesson about 2 strong, brilliant female friends who help each other become even stronger; excellent chemistry & acting.

Don't see it if you're looking for high drama, action & women with husbands; these 2 large personalities fill the stage with intelligence, humor & science. Read more

Confusing, Slow

See it if You want to see a play that takes place over 100 years ago.

Don't see it if Do you have trouble understanding plays that take place along time ago. Two person play Read more

Good acting. good story.

See it if You like a good story about two interesting women in history.

Don't see it if You want comedy or music.

Lovely set/lights/costumes, Lyrical with humor, Intelligent, Terrific acting, Absorbing

See it if Would like a rich and haunting play based on historical figures that explores deep friendship, smart women, pioneers. It sweeps you up.

Don't see it if Want big production, or don’t like 2-handers/historical fiction..It's well-written and performed, emotional, drama-filled, witty, & wortby.

Critic Reviews (12)

"Female Chemistry in ‘The Half-Life of Marie Curie’: A new play focuses on the first woman to win the Nobel Prize and her friendship with Hertha Ayrton, a fellow scientist played by Kate Mulgrew."
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4/5 Stars "A frisky, feminist crowd-pleaser...While the play may not be as inventive as the women it celebrates, it’s enlightening and entertaining...Faridany holds her own opposite supernova Mulgrew...Their performances do a lot to bring Gunderson’s history lesson to life."
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"The Half-Life of Marie Curie Shows How Marie Got Her Groove Back: Audible produces Lauren Gunderson's two-person play about the friendship between Curie and Hertha Ayrton."
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"Kate Mulgrew and Francesca Faridany Muse Over Science and Sexism in Lauren Gunderson's 'THE HALF-LIFE OF MARIE CURIE'"
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"Improbably, as if via nuclear fission, the life of an iconic female scientist is converted into sparkling high comedy in this amusing, enlightening two-hander."
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4/5 Stars "It's rare to classify a show as both fun and educational, but Lauren Gunderson's play is just that, powered by two turn-of-the-20th-century female STEM stars."
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2/5 Stars: "Seeming almost like a school play, it's an ode to STEM skills and female friendship, except with four-letter words and great production values."
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"A specialist in biographical plays, her 'The Half-Life of Marie Curie' is of particular interest in that it tells a little-known story of a very famous figure. It is also notable for the vivid performances of Kate Mulgrew and Francesca Faridany."
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Score: 93% "It's charming, riveting, fascinating and eye-opening. The acting by Kate Mulgrew and Francesca Faridany is superb and the writing is absolutely quotable. It will make you want to go out and split an atom (or at least a bottle of wine) with your best friend."
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"Well-intentioned, workmanlike play with…several arresting examples of the peculiarities of sexism in the sciences. The two pros in the cast do their best to bring to life this collection of fascinating tidbits of biography and science."
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"As good as Faridany is, Mulgrew walks off with the show with her piss-and-vinegar portrayal of the often-strident Ayrton, delivering her barbed lines with astonishingly expert comic timing, yet never becoming a caricature, and fully capturing the character's humanity."
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"Not that it’s a breakthrough play, or even a memorable one...What it is,… is a well-crafted, 90-minute, informational dramatization of the friendship of two brilliant women of the early 20th century…It leans toward being hagiographically didactic, but serves nicely to humanize these women."
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