Ethan Smith Photo by Oomphotography

While I was unfamiliar with the story of Louis Le Prince before seeing the show, others I spoke to were immediately familiar with the claim: that it was Le Prince, not Thomas Edison, who truly invented the motion picture camera. My research confirmed it–Le Prince is credited as "possibly the first person to shoot a moving picture sequence using a single-lens camera and a strip of paper film." He's even credited as "the Father of Cinematography," though his work had little commercial impact due to his mysterious 1890 disappearance–a real-life mystery that this play attempts to unravel.

The Factory Theater's intimate storefront space is an ideal venue for this tale of invention, intrigue, and historical revisionism. From the moment you enter the lobby, you're immersed in the story–complete with a timeline, suspect board, and primary source replicas that set the stage for the mystery to come. Assistant director and dramaturg Christine Watt clearly poured deep research into the production's historical foundation.

Once inside the theater, we're transported to the 1890s through Hayley Wallenfeldt's warm, wood-grained set, cleverly paired with Rachel Livingston's imaginative props–especially the beautiful and intricate suitcases that open to reveal new locations and scenes. Real film clips–Le Prince's own "Roundhay Garden Scene," the infamous "The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat," by the Lumière brothers–and actual photos of the historical figures are projected throughout the show, thanks to David Sajewich's evocative video design, grounding the fiction in fact.

The story is that of Louis Le Prince (the soulful Joe Sergio), a French inventor working in England and the U.S. who, in 1888, filmed what is believed to be the first moving image. However, he never had the chance to display his work publicly because on September 16, 1890, he boarded a train in Paris and was never seen again. To this day, the circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain unknown, and while many conspiracy theories exist, one popular theory–explored in Wheaton-Werle's retelling–is that Le Prince may have fallen victim to the ruthless business competition of Thomas Edison.

Wheaton-Werle presents the tale in the style of a penny dreadful (a genre of sensational 19th-century serials full of detectives, melodrama, and mystery). In the case of The Curious Circumstances, the detectives are Le Prince's wife Lizzie (the steadfast Aimee Kleiman) and son Adolph (the incredulous Ethan Smith) who, seven years after Louis's disappearance, are presented a strange request when a lawyer (the mysterious Joel Ottenheimer) shows up at their door–to prove Thomas Edison didn't invent the motion picture camera. Adolph and Lizzie leave on a whirlwind investigation around Europe that uncovers more questions than answers.

The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince is delightfully entertaining, with enough intrigue and human emotion to keep you on the edge of your seat. The tone is stylized and intentionally melodramatic, and the cast embraces it with vigor. Sergio's Louis is an inventive kook with charm; Kleiman brings quiet strength and warmth to Lizzie; and Smith's Adolph balances skepticism with emotional depth. Their family dynamic feels authentic despite the heightened tone. Some character choices and accents felt overly broad in the moment, but they clicked into place once I took time to understand the acting within the context of the melodramatic style.

The supporting ensemble is also fantastic, each actor playing multiple historical characters with strong physical and vocal distinctions. Patrick Blashill stands out as a deliciously villainous Thomas Edison. As someone who teaches history, I've always thought of Edison as a revered (if not static) figure. This play and Blashill's performance challenge that view–prompting me to not only Google Le Prince, but to reevaluate Edison himself.

I want art to do something–to entertain, yes, but also to provoke thought, curiosity and perspective. The Factory Theater's The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince accomplishes all of that. It's witty, engaging, historically fascinating, and visually inventive. Whether or not you leave the theater a full-blown Le Prince truther, you'll definitely leave smiling–and probably searching for answers.

The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince runs through July 19, 2025, at the Factory Theater, 1623 Howard Street, Chicago IL. For tickets and information, please visit thefactorytheater.com.