Walking into Legacy of Light, I was immediately dazzled by the number of glittering chandeliers suspended from the ceiling, a visual embodiment of the theme of enlightenment. Enlightenment here refers to both the historical period inhabited by the play’s protagonist Émilie du Châtelet and the dawning understanding she and her contemporary counterpart Olivia Hastings Brown experience as they struggle to balance their scientific careers with the new challenge of motherhood. The play interprets light in a number of ways, including an illuminated apple tree as the centerpiece of the set design and the recurring significance of lightning to the plot, just as it interrogates the nature of legacy. Who do we choose to remember, and why? What role do we play in shaping our own legacies?

Before watching Legacy of Light, I had never heard of Émilie du Châtelet, a French mathematician and physicist who worked from the 1730s until her early death in 1749. I suspect this was also the case for most of the audience; if remembered at all, du Châtelet is best known today as the intellectual collaborator and romantic partner of the French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire. Restoring du Châtelet to her rightful place in the history of science and philosophy, Legacy of Light spreads awareness of her trailblazing life and legacy to a new audience, building on a contemporary resurgence of interest in her work. It was this aspect of the play I found myself most drawn to, aligning with my own research interests in recovering the lost work of female writers and scholars. Although great progress has been made in the past few decades, it is clear there is still more work to be done, and the play’s parallel story of a contemporary female astrophysicist reminds us of the urgency and necessity in acknowledging women’s pioneering contributions to new frontiers in science.

Du Châtelet is primarily remembered for her philosophical magnum opus Institutions de Physique (1740), which explores Isaac Newton’s theory of universal gravity, the principles of knowledge, the existence of God, space, time, matter, and the forces of nature. The text circulated widely in her day, having been translated into German and Italian in 1743 and sparking heated scientific debates. Later in her life, she translated Newton’s Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica into French and added an extensive commentary, which was published posthumously in 1756 and continues to be widely read today. Her ideas were also included in the most famous work of the French Enlightenment, the Encyclopédie of Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d’Alembert. In Legacy of Light, her story is intertwined with the present-day narrative of Olivia Hastings Brown, a fictional Princeton astrophysicist and tenured fellow in the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism who is in the process of discovering a new planet.

Both Olivia and Émilie are concerned about carrying on their brilliant scientific research while navigating the complicated process of motherhood. Émilie previously struggled with her health after giving birth, and when she becomes pregnant at age 42 during an affair with the poet and philosopher Jean François de Saint-Lambert, she worries that childbirth will kill her and scrambles to finish her work before the baby arrives. Olivia survived ovarian cancer before deciding that she wants to be a mother, so she and her husband Peter hire a young surrogate, Millie. As Millie’s pregnancy progresses, however, Olivia begins to experience doubts about becoming a mother. The narratives are gradually and intricately braided together, illuminating the often unspoken history of women’s attempts to balance scientific discovery with motherhood. 

The play’s most emotionally resonant moments occur when Émilie and Olivia work through difficult scientific concepts to arrive at moments of epiphany. Their joy and pride in intellectual discovery is apparent, and the actors convincingly convey their characters’ passion for their work. Princeton astrophysical science professor Jenny Greene was consulted during the production process to help develop the scientific elements of the play, especially Olivia’s discovery of a new planet and Emilie’s work with the properties of light. Not only do the dual narratives spark the audience’s intellectual curiosity, but provoke their sympathy to the different challenges of motherhood encountered by Émilie, Olivia, and Millie. Millie’s perspective completes this triangulated dynamic as a young woman who hopes surrogacy will be a way to help Olivia and Peter build a family while using the proceeds to save her childhood home, care for her young daughter, and pursue her own dreams. At a time when reproductive rights and federal funding for scientific research are increasingly at risk, the intertwined struggles of these three women are especially poignant and relevant.

Bringing lightness and levity to difficult topics, Legacy of Light deftly combines humorous dialogue with a sharp sense of intellectual inquiry. An elaborate, glittering set—including a dazzling apple tree Olivia climbs during the play’s climax, an homage to Isaac Newton— provides a background of light and color to the braided narratives. By the time the two sets of characters finally encounter each other at the end of the play, the audience is more than willing to suspend their disbelief, enabling the legacy of du Châtelet’s scientific research to not only live on but take on new relevance today. 

The Scholar’s Take is a series of essays by Princeton students in response to experiences at McCarter. It is part of Arts & Ideas which connects University scholarship and campus life to the work on our stage. Co-sponsored by the Princeton University Humanities Council.