Extravagant dresses floated across the stage and powdered wigs reached incredible heights, all while peasants starved and the monarchy gorged themselves.
“Marie Antoinette,” created by Tony-award-winning University of Iowa alum David Adjmi, is a modern take on the infamous royal, detailing her macabre journey from exorbitant queen to societal outcast. Expertly directed by Mary Beth Easley, “Marie Antoinette” brings out laughs, tears, and everything in between.
Marie Antoinette, the titular main character and the play’s namesake was an Austrian-born royal married to King Louis XVI of France. Most famously known for her lavish lifestyle and disregard for her starving subjects, Marie Antoinette is one of the most vilified women in French history.
Is it true that she was selfish and frivolous, or was she perhaps a misunderstood victim of circumstance?
“I think what amazes me is Marie Antoinette’s journey,” Easley said. “It’s a journey following one person, and it’s also surreal and expressionistic of what a journey is of a person who wasn’t equipped to deal with the jobs they had.”
Complete with beautiful production and a stellar cast, “Marie Antoinette” aims to showcase Marie’s journey leading up to and through the French Revolution.
To quite literally set the stage, the theater is set with a large turquoise platform running down the center of the room with seating on either side, allowing everyone in the audience to receive a more immersive performance.
Large pieces of glass are suspended from the ceiling, draped with crystals reminiscent of a chandelier. Minimal furniture permits scene-setting without distractions, and the lighting adds further depth to the environment.
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Although the set may have been simple, the costumes were anything but. Voluminous petticoats covered in glittering fabric bounced around the stage, almost performing on their own.
In addition to the sheer beauty and craftsmanship of the costumes, the supplementary visuals tell their own story. The play starts with the most extravagant dresses and hair, but as France slowly deteriorates, the fanciful costumes fade away.
By the end, we see Marie in a simple white slip, her hair chopped short, a shell of the once ornamented queen at the beginning of the show. Since fashion was incredibly important to the last queen of France, it only makes sense that fashion would be utilized as a storytelling device.
Underneath the bright lights and glittering costumes lies the heart of the show: the actors. Each character was expertly played, with Alice Conroy as Marie leading the pack. Her performance was both hilarious and moving, and the audience was completely transfixed when she was speaking. Playing someone who carries such prominent stereotypes, Conroy both plays into and subverts these cliches, creating a three-dimensional character audiences can’t help but invest in.
While the story of Marie Antoinette may be a rather disastrous one, this play is nothing short of triumphant. There are both serious and light-hearted moments, while others leave the audience cackling with laughter.
Not only did Adjimi write a fantastic adaptation of a classic story, but Easley brought it to life on the stage. A masterful set, beautiful costumes, and a talented cast tie up the production in a beautiful bow Marie herself would’ve adored.