Marie Antoinette, a Trustus Theater production, premiers this Friday at 8 p.m. Though based in history, this modern adaption of the life the last Queen of France promises to be anything but antiquated.
The play takes place during Marie Antoinette’s reign as revolution threatens the monarchy. As the severity of her circumstances set in, Marie struggles against the lack of leadership from her husband and the end of the lavish, extravagant lifestyle she has come to revel in.
In the title role, Jennifer Moody Sanchez sees the show as being "hip, sexy, and tragic" says the most challenging aspect of preparing for the role has been "charting the emotional, physical, and mental decay of someone that falls from riches to rags. To fall from such a great height is extremely taxing on an actor." The lead in such recent hits as Venus in Fur, Sanchez believes audiences will be most surprised by "the humanity of a queen, mother and a wife that history only remembers as a celebrity. She was a very giving person. I didn't realize how much she loved children."
Of course we know not to expect a happy ending. “We all know how it ends for her as she walks up to the guillotine, we all know the ending of the show, but the excitement is getting through it,” says Chad Henderson, Artistic Director at Trustus.
Director Robert Richmond, who has earned acclaim for his work at Folger Theater, the Aquila Theater Company, and other productions across the United States and Europe, manages to make history fresh, sexy, and sassy. Audiences watch a revolution all to the sound track of modern, French hip-hop.
“It’s something really fresh for Columbia, some people think theater is supposed to be straight laced … but not Trustus and not this show in particular. It’s fabulous, colorful, sexy,” says Henderson
Audiences are encouraged to buy tickets early, as they tend to sell out. The production will run for three weeks, from Friday, September 18th at 8 p.m. – Saturday, October 3rd at 8 p.m. at Trustus Theater on 520 Lady St. in Columbia.