Marie Antoinette: The Colour of Flesh
Olivia Connolly as Marie AntoinettePicture taken from The Age web site
Last week, I was invited to a production of Marie Antoinette: The Colour of Flesh by Red Stitch Actors' Theatre.
On the company's web site, the play is described as follows:
A dramatic love triangle set during the turbulent years leading up to the French Revolution. A beautiful, social climbing painter uses her affair with a leading nobleman to gain access to the naive young Queen Marie Antoinette, furthering her career as he, in turn, pursues political goals. Both, however, fall in love with the queen they are exploiting and set off a scandal that shatters all of their lives.
The character of Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Le Brun was a real-life artist commissioned as court painter by Marie Antoinette. She produced some of the most famous paintings of the Queen. I had never stumbled upon this figure before (somewhat of a concern seeing that history was one of my majors!!!) and just think that it is fantastic that a female artist could have had such an impact on the potency of Marie Antoinette's legacy. The intrigue that continues to surround her character is what gives rise to such works as this play.
I love Red Stitch. I always walk out of the theatre feeling like my mind has been blown wide open (in a good way).
Mood: so excited about so many things
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