Two women scientists, living hundreds of years apart, explore the meaning of love, motherhood, family, art and science in this contemporary comedy. Legacy of Light juxtaposes the story of Émilie du Châtelet, a mathematician, scientist, and lover of the great 18th-century philosopher Voltaire, who became unexpectedly pregnant at 42, and that of a 21st-century physicist desperately trying to conceive a child.


Legacy of Light made its world premiere at the Arena Stage in Washington, DC, on May 8, 2009. Directed by Molly Smith, the production featured Lise Bruneau, Carla Harting, Stephen Schnetzer, Michael Russotto, David Covington and Lindsey Kyler.