“There was something wrong in the world and I fixed it — you’re welcome!”

This is how MusicArtes, Inc.’s The Half-Life of Marie Curie begins: with an expectation of gratitude. The play, written by Lauren Gunderson and directed into the Filipino stage by Kiara Pipino, is a witty and vulnerable 90-minute dissection of sisterhood, sexism, and science in a not-so-distant past, the remnants of which remain in the DNA of today.

After winning her first Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Marie Curie, played by Missy Maramara, is the subject of ruthless tabloid drama after an affair with a married Frenchman. She shares her sorrow with her friend Hertha Ayrton, an engineer and a suffragette played by Caisa Borromeo, who invites Curie to stay in London for the time being as she contends with the reputational hit that may diminish her status as one of the most brilliant scientists in the world.

The set is simple yet immersive, with the actresses themselves rearranging and organizing props onstage. A curtained backdrop with projected settings provides a sense of ease and fluidity to the production, making the audience feel safe and at home as they watch. This projection becomes a crucial part of the experience, highlighting key items — such as the vial of radium Curie travels with — and emphasizing pivotal moments, like the intense argument between Curie and Ayrton, where the projection’s electricity intensifies.

Sound design also plays a vital role in this production, evident from the very beginning when Ayrton complains about a static noise she later fixes. The sound design allows the play to transcend its simple setting, provoking images of war, domesticity, and even suicidal ideation in the audience’s imagination.

A two-woman act, the play is unabashedly feminist in theme. Prideful and haughty are our two main characters as they navigate through life after losing their husbands, a circumstance that has diminished their status from scientists into widows. Linked in arms, the duo triumphs against all odds as they fight for their place amongst the pioneers of science and enlightenment.

When we think of innovators like Curie and Ayrton, we think of prim, proper, dignified figures clad in 19th century attire with hair tied in tight buns. The Half-Life of Marie Curie tears away this notion as we see Curie and Ayrton for who they are — they were girls, just as we are! In fact, they were powerful girls, like the women we meet everyday, who brood over their sorrows over a shared bottle of hard liquor, giggle by the shoreline, and demand for their place in this world.

Set in the 1910s, the play transcends generational boundaries without a hitch. It may be frighteningly upsetting that the state of feminism back then shares many similarities it does now. Nevertheless, it’s comforting to know that the ties of sisterhood are as unbreakable as they are today. As expressed by Ayrton, “God made women stronger than the world they’re in.”

The play balances its feminist themes with its narratives on science and passion. Being such an integral part to these characters’ core, science is not simply portrayed as mere experimentation or creation. Instead, Curie and Ayrton present science with a real fire. Studying ripples in the sand and admiring vials of radioactive material, these characters relay that science isn’t something simply studied — it’s a language in which we understand the world. To these women, science is not bound to the sheer textbooks we associate it with today. Rather, it is art, nature, and pure passion.

Making its debut in the Philippines, The Half-Life of Marie Curie exceeds expectations with its neat direction, compelling acting, stellar set and sound design, and themes that, unfortunately, remain relevant today. This production radiates passion, illuminating the tales of two powerful women that not many know about. The Half-Life of Marie Curie is the best way to learn who they are and, to that, the production says: you’re welcome!

Rome Saenz is your go-to pop culture aficionado with a knack for lifestyle and music journalism. When you’re looking for recommendations on the next series to binge-watch or album to indulge in, all roads lead to Rome.

Aidan Bernales is a Cebuano poet, fictionist, journalist, and musician studying Communication at the Ateneo de Manila University. His works have been published in Rappler, Inquirer, Climate Tracker Asia, Transit, engendered lit, Sinuman Magazine, The Guidon, and Heights. If you want to listen to his music, it’s on Spotify under his name. His first poetry collection is published by 8Letters.

‍