Manya

The Living History

of Marie Curie

Testimonials

The Scientist

“What a treat to have you in Livermore as part of our celebration of the World Year of Physics. Your masterful depiction of Madame Curie - her heart, spirit and intellect - mesmerized audiences at all three performances, from children to our Ph.D. scientists.”
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore CA

“You captured the intensity and authenticity of Manya's devotion to science and her complete lack of interest in anything extraneous. I find it totally believable and am glad to see such a down-to-earth and introverted person celebrated.”
Jessica Bondy, Senior Instructor
University of Colorado Denver Health Sciences Center

“You somehow imbibed Marie Curie's own attitude toward thorough and careful research in your approach toward writing and producing the play, which gives it an authenticity that a scientist can truly appreciate.”
Dr. Michael Grady, PhD, Chair
Physics Department, SUNY Fredonia

“Scientists in the audience applaud the accuracy of the presentation, while the non-scientists rejoice at the accessibility of Manya's scientific descriptions.”
The American Museum of Science and Energy, Oak Ridge TN

The Person

“Frontczak’s Curie portrayal last night... was strangely gripping. The words very intelligently composed, history so tightly interwoven with personal expression, her acting style — full of hesitations, the words riding a graph of emotion — one was immersed in the story and the person.”
Jack Collum, Poet

“The Visit with Madame Curie performance was both captivating and informative. My classmates and I felt transported in time due to the authenticity of the performance, listening to what appeared to be the one and only Madame Curie as she shared her life story.”
Student Class President ’18
Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Flourtown PA

“There were many nuances in this performance... Manya's pauses and false starts when talking about her personal life, her exuberance and certainty when talking about her work, the need for exact measurements in her personal as well as professional life — that were all revealing of the woman's character. [Frontczak] obviously gave much thought to bringing Manya to life, doing justice to this fine Polish scientist.”
audience member

“Marie Curie brought me to tears more than once — for on that winter stage in Canada she became Marie Curie.”
Dr. Laurie Harnick
University of Western Ontario

The Whole

“...a very empathetic and poignant vision of the person, the woman, and the scientist Madame Curie. Alone on the scene, with both humor and sharp observations, Frontczak creates Marie Curie's universe.”
Gertie Skaarup - Niels Bohr Institutet, København

“We have rarely seen a single-person performance as enthralling as Susan Frontczak’s Manya. Our audience, comprised of general public as well as Fermilab scientific staff, was quickly drawn into Marie Curie's character by the mannerisms and speech of Ms. Frontczak. Particularly impressive was the inspiration it seemed to provide for young women in the audience interested in science as a career. The evening, which ended with a standing ovation, passed much too quickly.”
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia IL

“Der absolute Höhepunkt der Sonderveranstaltung 100 Jahre Chemienobelpreis Marie Curie war zweifelsohne die Performance von Frau Susan Frontczak.  Selten habe ich Schüler im Alter zwischen 15 und 18 Jahren in einem englischen Vortrag so aufmerksam erlebt. An der öffentlichen Veranstaltung  äusserten sich sowohl der Durchschnittsbesucher des Technoramas als auch Hochschulprofessoren nahezu euphorisch. Wahrhaft eine begeisternde Vermittlung von  Naturwissenschaftsgeschichte und Forschungsarbeit über eine hervorragende Frau, durch eine begnadete Schauspielerin.”
Prof. Dr. M. Ziegler, Wissenschaftlicher Berater des Swiss Science Center Technorama

“Students, faculty, and administrators have consistently used words like astounding, uplifting, and inspirational to describe Frontczak’s portrayal of Marie Curie.”
Dr. Stephen Summers, PhD
Seminole Community College, Lake Mary FL

“We all thoroughly enjoyed your presentation, not only for its artistic excellence but for your talent in educating us about the Curies and their contributions to science. Thank you for providing us with such a rich experience.”
Dr. Paul R. Jones, Visiting Scholar, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan

“Frontczak's talented, impeccably researched performance of Marie Curie inspired positive, intergenerational discussions among our visitors."
Brad Poulson, Educational Director
Western Museum of Mining and Industry

“The performance of MANYA has had a profound impact on the staff and volunteers of the Marie Curie Hospice. We were transfixed with this stunning and thought provoking presentation.”
David Mitchell, Chaplain
Marie Curie Cancer Centre, Glasgow

“She was fabulous... There was not a dry eye in the house. Hands down she was the best presenter we have had in a longtime.”
Denver Women's Business Network

“MANYA was the most incredible performance I have ever experienced. I was drawn in not only by the portrayal of Marie Curie the Scientist, but also by Marie Curie the Person. The combination of a truly inspiring and historically accurate story combined with an outstanding portrayal of Marie Curie make MANYA a performance that I will never forget.”
Dr. John Stenger-Smith, Chemistry Professor