The Binghamton University theatre department took audiences around the world from Feb. 23 to Feb. 26 for “Thrive, Or What You Will {an epic},” a stage play inspired by the first woman to circumnavigate the globe.

Directed by Lisa Rothe, “Thrive, Or What You Will {an epic}” told the story of herb woman Jeanne Baret. The theatre department brought Jeanne’s story to life with a spirited cast, beautiful set design and an ever-changing narrative that brought audiences on a swashbuckling 18th-century voyage.

The play opens in 1765 France, following Jeanne as she debates with botanist and love interest Philibert Commerson on the validity of Latin nomenclature. When Commerson receives an opportunity to sail around the globe and botanize, he invites Jeanne to join him as his assistant. However, in order to sail with him, she must disguise herself as a man — thus adopting a new identity called Jeanne. The story then develops into a journey that explores questions of identity, love and historical legacy.

Loosely inspired by Shakespeare’s gender-bending play “Twelfth Night, Or What You Will,” “Thrive, Or What You Will {an epic}” is playwright L M Feldman’s fresh take on historical drama. With a witty, powerful yet contemplative tone, the play brought a modern spin on Shakespeare’s themes of identity swapping. The play has been recognized for its LGTBQ+ themes, as it won the Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries Award from the American Shakespeare Center and was nominated as a 2022 finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards.

As Jeanne travels around the world, she faces challenges such as hiding her identity from the crew, navigating her complex relationship with Commerson and dealing with darker topics such as grief and abuse. Jeanne switches identities throughout the play, indicated by different actors playing her at different points in her life. Her identity becomes blurred between genders and even between herself and Commerson. As a result, the play unfolds as a commentary on gender identity, all woven into a metaphor of scientific nomenclature.

Jared Wofse, cast member and a senior double-majoring in electrical engineering and musical theatre, elaborated on his experience portraying several characters in the same production.

“As far as the acting itself, it’s not my first time playing multiple characters on stage, but it’s the first where (almost) every actor does,” Wofse wrote in an email. “It’s amazing to see some amazing transitions between characters, and ultimately helps weave together a strong story.”

In addition to the feat of each actor portraying multiple characters, “Thrive, Or What You Will {an epic}” brought a unique opportunity for BU to produce a recently released stage play. Jillian Carley, cast member and a sophomore majoring in psychology, wrote about the freedom of producing such a new play.

“My favorite part of being involved in this production, besides the cast, would probably be the exploration of the story and play itself,” Carley wrote in an e-mail. “Because this is only the second time ‘Thrive, Or What You Will {an epic}’ has ever been produced, we had a lot of freedom to choose how we played our characters or emphasize specific moments.”

Wofse conveyed his gratitude for the unique opportunities that “Thrive, Or What You Will {an epic}” offered the cast.

“What was amazing about this was not only putting our acting skills to a further test, but we had a great director, [Rothe], who specializes in new works and guided us every step of the way,” Wofse wrote in an email. “Further still, since the script is so new, we were actually able to have a sit-down Zoom call with the playwright, L M Feldman, and we got a ton of insight on what they were thinking.”

As the story develops, “Thrive, Or What You Will {an epic}” becomes a commentary on the lack of female autonomy and the importance of historical memory. Although Jeanne becomes the first woman to circumnavigate the globe, the tragedy of her lack of agency in that 11-year journey becomes palpable to the audience.

Gavin Code, cast member and a senior majoring in biochemistry, described the significance of the tragedy of Jeanne’s life.

“I hope audiences leave satisfied learning about Jeanne and seeing her contributions to botany, but unsatisfied by the lack of justice, the lack of credit and what was lost to time,” Code wrote in an email.

Carley conveyed the importance of telling Jeanne’s story and keeping her memory alive.

“I hope that audiences take away from the play the memory of who Jeanne was, as she did really exist and was almost lost to history,” Carley wrote in an email. “In addition to that, I hope they come away with having felt the tragedy and hope in each of the characters’ experiences, and perhaps reflect on how they can reclaim control in their everyday lives.”

With an inventive, complexly woven narrative and carefully crafted set pieces to boot, BU’s production of “Thrive, Or What You Will {an epic}” remembered the life and legacy of Jeanne in a multilayered exploration of identity, scientific pursuit and female autonomy.