This year’s spring play, Marat/Sade, portrays a wild tale from the French Revolution using innovative music.

Set in a cage, the actors of Marat/Sade recreate the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat, a radical revolutionary writer known for his fiery prose and concern for the sans-culottes. The role is played by senior Julian Plovnick.

“He is the backbone of the French Revolution, so the play follows his mental state as the revolution goes on,” said Plovnick.

True to his name, the Marquis de Sade, played by junior Jake Gonnella, proves the sadistic antagonist to Marat. In the play he has written, Sade attacks Marat’s ideas on the revolution, causing him to go insane.

This play-within-a-play includes original sheet music written and performed by the Four Singers: juniors Bella Ortiz, Sofia Cabanas, Zoe Musmon and sophomore Naomi Liss.

“In the text, there are songs that were written in, and we are taking them, putting them to our own music and fitting it to the vibe of the show,” said Cabanas.

These singing muses, similar to those in Disney’s Hercules film, are used to convey the people’s perspective during this time in the French Revolution, declaring their impatience with the moderate course of the Revolution. However, drama teacher Summer Williams, the play’s director, explains that this play is not a musical.

“In a musical, everything is built around the musical numbers which connect the story, but this is a story that’s accented with music,” says Cabanas.

Their songs express the struggles of the people during the revolution, which contrasts with the typical upbeat theme of musical theatre. However, the delivery is still entertaining, due to Ortiz’ skilled guitar playing.

The talents of Ortiz pulled together the songs and accomplished director Williams’ vision for the play.

“Part of what Summer wants is to modernize the music a little bit and to utilize some of Bella’s good musical talents,” said Plovnick.