Title 

Marie Antoinette 

Playwright 

David Adjmi 

Director 

Mary Beth Easley 

Assistant Director 

Meredith Healy 

Stage Manager 

Melissa Turner 

Category 

Mainstage, Thayer Theatre 

First Rehearsal 

September 3 

Load In/Tech /Dress 

October 4-10 

Performances 

October 11-13 & 16-19 (includes a high school matinee Friday, October 18) 

Roles to be cast 

Age (Presentation) 

Gender (Presentation) 

Description 

MARIE ANTOINETTE 

25-35 

Female 

18th Century Queen of France. At one time adored by many, she eventually was partially blamed for the start of the French Revolution, convicted of treason, and executed by guillotine. At once terribly immature and indulged, and also deeply innocent -- spiritually complex and capable of extreme pain, rage and vulnerability.  This role demands a virtuosic performance; both screwball comedy and classical tragedy. 

LOUIS XVI 

25-40 

Male 

Marie’s husband. Ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793. Awkward, uncomfortable in his own body, neurotic, shy, scared, immature. At times deeply fragile – but capable also of occasional acts of extreme courage. He’s king – but he never should have been. He’s the opposite of “kingly.” He and Marie make absolutely no sense together. 

EMPEROR JOSEPH 

25-40 

Male 

Emperor Joseph, Marie’s brother, seethes with irrational rage at his indulged sister. Constricted, tight, restrained by his station and devoted to all it implies. Marie makes him crazy – both with jealousy and anger. 

AXEL FERSEN 

25-40 

Male 

A Swedish Count, a Lieutenant General in the Royal Swedish Army, one of the Lords of the Realm, diplomat and statesman, and the alleged lover of Marie. Dashing, kind, cosmopolitan gentleman. The kind of man Marie should have been with. Playful, but also careful and delicate in how he deals with Marie. Tender hearted but powerful. 

THE DAUPHIN 

8-12 

Any gender to play a boy of 8-12 years old. 

The son of Marie and Louis, he has lived a privileged life and is a victim of all of his comforts being stripped from him, one at a time. At once incredibly fearless and plucky, eventually lives a life of fear and deep vulnerability. Looking for male or female actors who can play 8-12. 

YOLANDE DE POLIGNAC 

25-35 

Female 

An aristocratic and catty false friend to Marie Antoinette. Of Marie’s two friends, Yolande is the less sincere. Resents Marie but covers well. 

THERESE DE LAMBALLE 

20-35 

Female 

female. A true friend to Marie. Of Marie’s two friends, Therese is more sincere. Kindness incarnate. Also terribly co-dependent and incapable of really taking care of herself. Petrified of conflict. 

MR SAUCE 

25-40 

Male 

A shopkeeper. (doubles with JOSEPH) 

MRS SAUCE 

25-35 

Female 

A brutish shopkeeper's wife. (doubles with POLIGNAC) 

A SHEEP 

20's 

Female

A sheep at L'Hameau, the rustic retreat at Versailles built for Marie Antoinette. The sheep speaks only when Marie’s alone with her. The sheep is enigmatic, some combination of the zeitgeist and Marie’s own subconscious. 

ROYALIST 

20's-50's 

Any gender 

Innately kind and terribly scared. (doubles with Lamballe)

*REVOLUTIONARY 1, 2, 3 

20's-50's 

Any gender 

Can all be played by one person. 

*TWO GUARDS 

20-40 

Any gender 

Should be capable of extreme rage, terrible brutality and emotional violence but also surprising empathy for Marie and vulnerability. (also play servants) 

*ONE LADY IN WAITING20-40Female 

Synopsis 

In David Adjmi’s contemporary take on the young queen of France, Marie is a confection created by a society that values extravagance and artifice. But France’s love affair with the royals sours as revolution brews, and for Marie, the political suddenly becomes very personal. From the light and breezy banter at the palace to the surging chants of “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité!” in the streets, Marie Antoinette holds a mirror up to our contemporary society that might just be entertaining itself to death. 

SIDES FOR CALLBACKS ARE AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW HERE

Notices 

*These roles may be played by anyone of the actors cast

Content Advisory: This play includes harsh language, cursing and simulated hair cutting with a straight razor; references to disordered eating, explicit sexual references, and extreme violence, including depictions of violence towards a child. 

Content Notes, Intimacy, and Stage Violence Breakdown

No.

Page

Type

Char.

Action

1

---

NOTE

 

Marie 

*Marie’s costumes changes will take place onstage for this production, adding and removing layers.  There will be NO nudity and we will work within the actors comfort and boundries. 

 

2

17-18

NOTE

Marie 

Louis

There are discussions regarding Louis problem with his penis and an operation to repair it in both Act I, Scene 2, pages 17-18 and Act I, Scene 4, pages 26-28. 

 

 3

19-21

Intimacy

Marie

Fersen

* Marie and Fersen have a flirtatious relationship, below some of the stage directions describing the interactions between the two.: 

 

 (She fans herself, does a little spin, ''flutters", trips, laughs at herself, FERSEN catches her. It's suddenly tense.)
***************************Skip Text***************************************


(disentangling herself from him) 

 

***************************Skip Text***************************************


FERSEN. Are you happy? (pause)
MARIE. (resisting him) You're forgetting your station.
(FERSEN retracts, embarrassed; looks up at the fireworks; awkward silence.)
FERSEN. Look. All the colors.
(Fireworks,; more silence)
MARIE. The night Louis and I were married there was a violent thunderstorm
and they had to cancel the fireworks and it's been like that ever since.
(she looks at him; beat)
FERSEN. What are you going to do?
(pause; MARIE transfixes gaze on fireworks; she's desperate to stay composed.)
MARIE. I'm a little bit trapped I'm afraid.
***************************Skip Text***************************************

 

MARIE. (after a beat) I'm tired.
(she rises.)
Three feet of hair is a workout I must say, I get neckaches.
(She kisses him on the cheek.)

 4

 53

Intimacy

Marie 

Louis

Louis buries his head in her breast and weeps.

 5

 54

Violence/Intimacy

 

Marie

Revolutionary

A Revolutionary appears, accosts Marie. 

Takes her jewelry, hairpiece

 6

 54-55

Violence  

 Marie

Revolutionary

He slaps her hard. 

He grabs her by the throat. 

ACT TWO

 7

63-64

Violence

Marie

Louis 
Mrs. Sauce

Mr. Sauce

Dauphin

*Mr. and Mrs. Sauce capturing Louis, Marie and the Dauphin, below including some of the stage directions:

 

Mrs. Sauce grabs her arm. 

***************************Skip Text***************************************

 

(SAUCE approaches him.)

SAUCE. You hungry, Little Man?  

***************************Skip Text***************************************

 

SAUCE. (pinches his cheeks) Awwvvw / / 

DAUPHIN. Ow!

***************************Skip Text***************************************

 

(SAUCE grabs DAUPHIN, its somewhat violent, clutches

him. A terrifying pause.)

DAUPHIN.  (tiny, scared) Maman?

 8

 67

Violence

Marie 

Louis 

Revolutionary 2

(Dauphin)

REVOLUTIONARY 2. I could starve you to death if I wanted.

MARIE. Excuse // me

REVOLUTIONARY 2. I could nap your necks and I'd get a standing ovation.

MARIE. What.

(She lifts her hand to strike him, LOUIS stops her.)

LOUIS. She's tired.

(She shakes LOUIS off; stares the REVOLUTIONARY down.)

MARIE. (frightened but hiding it) You're not some acolyte of enlightenment you know. You're very young and you don't know much of anything.

REVOLUTIONARY 2. And you're very old. 

MARIE. I'm thirty-seven // It's  

REVOLUTIONARY 2. OLDER

MARIE. What are you talking about.

REVOLUTIONARY 2. The Ancien Regime.

MARIE. You don't make any sense / /

REVOLUTIONARY 2. Maybe the sense can be knocked into your head once we've sliced it off your neck.

(He's scared her.)

LOUIS. Don't speak to my wife like that.

REVOLUTIONARY 2. Don't tell me how to speak 

As if I'm to have reverence for you.

(The REVOLUTIONARY spits in LOUIS' face.)

LOUIS. I'm still your king.

REVOLUTIONARY 2. No you are shit; And you will die so

France can live.

(pause, LOUIS wipes off the spit.)

 9

 77-78

Violence

Marie 

Dauphin  

Guard

DAUPHIN. (tugging at her sleeve) Maman?

(beat)

Maman //

MARIE. WHAT-

(beat)

DAUPHIN. (demurs, she's scary) I want to play in the garden.

MARIE.  (strain)  Sweetheart

You can't play in the gardens

Now.

(pause)

DAUPHIN. (tears; quiet) I want to play in the// gardens

MARIE. DID YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID

YOU CAN'T PLAY IN THE GARDENS.

(pause)

DAUPHIN. Why?

MARIE. Because there's no garden anymore.

DAUPHIN. Why //

MARIE. BECAUSE WE'RE PRISONERS.

(She falls apart, it's too much. The DAUPHIN grabs onto her dress, frightened.)

DAUPHIN. Don't cry. (She doesn't answer.) Don't / /

MARIE. Will you get: OFF ME.

(She pushes him away from her, very violent.) 

(Immediately she regrets this, realizes what she done.)

(A guard picks up the DAUPHIN.)

GUARD. (whispers to the other GUARD) Portez-le a l'autre salle.

(He carries off the DAUPHIN.)

MARIE. What are you doing

Where are you going I didn't mean that.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH HIM, THAT'S MY SON!

(shaking, hysterical) 

C-c-c-come back 

Where are

Wh-wh-wh

Wh

(MARIE weeps and weeps. The lights darken.)

 10

 84

NOTE

Marie 

Sheep

 (As SHEEP approaches MARIE he sloughs off SHEEP skin, reveals himself to be a wolf. This is magic, and it's terrifying. The wolf attacks her. We hear the loud growling, her cries, her screams.)

11

 84-89

Intimacy/Violence

Marie 

Revolutionary 3 

 Maire’s hair is cut onstage with a razor.

12

89 

Intimacy

Marie 

Fersen

(She Laughs, deep sadness, hugs him, holds him for dear life.) 

13

 93-94

Intimacy/ Violence

Marie

Fersen/Executioner

 (FERSEN transforms into the Executioner; over the following he mimes tying MARIE 's hands behind her back, the ritual of execution; she's oblivious.)

 

 

Important Dates/Holidays 

 9/7 Ganesh Chaturthi, 9/16 Mawlid al-Nabi*, 9/16 Anant Chaturdashi, 9/22 Equinox (Mabon), 10/2-10/4 Rosh Hashanah*, 10/3-10/12 Navaratri, 10/12 Dasara/ Dussehra,​ 10/12 Yom Kippur*, 10/14 Indigenous Peoples' Day, 10/14 Columbus Day (Fed. Observed), 10/16-10/23 Sukkot* 

Marie Antoinette
Callback Schedule
SUNDAY, September 1st
PAX 154

Updated: 8/31/24 at 5:15p

PLEASE FOLLOW THE SIGNS AND ENTER BY THE DOOR FACING THE RIVER NEAR THE RESTROOMS.

11:00a-11:30a – The Dauphin & Marie  (Side 15)

MARIE ANTOINETTE 
Alice Conroy
Holland Larned
Maddie Rodriguez

THE DAUPHIN 
Cody Holcomb
David Lee
Nicolette Mayer

11:30a-12:15p – A Sheep & Marie  (Side 11 & 13)

MARIE ANTOINETTE 
Alice Conroy
Holland Larned
Maddie Rodriguez
A SHEEP  
Ava Burmahl
Abby Paul
Leah Urzendowski
Delaney Waterman
Sara Alvidrez (Arranged on Zoom w. Mary Beth & a Reader)


12:15p-1:00p – Louis & Marie  (Side 7)

MARIE ANTOINETTE  
Alice Conroy
Holland Larned
Maddie Rodriguez (ADD: Side 5)

LOUIS XVI  
Joey Lepire
Hunter Meyer
Raphael Thome
 

1:30p-2:15p – Revolutionary & Marie  (Side 16)

MARIE ANTOINETTE  
Alice Conroy
Holland Larned
Maddie Rodriguez
Delaney Waterman 

REVOLUTIONARY 

Andrew Lindsay
Aidan Seville
Ephram Sinnwell

2:15p-3:30p – Fersen & Maire (Side 14) AND Polignac, Lamballe & Marie – (Side 1)

MARIE ANTOINETTE /LAMBALLE/POLIGNAC
Alice Conroy
Holland Larned
Maddie Rodriguez (ADD: Side 8)

AXEL FERSEN 
Brennen Malone
Aidan Seville
Raphael Thom

 

Marie Antoinette

CALLBACKS LIST 

*Note that you may be called back for multiple roles. 

Callback Schedule and Side Information listed below. 
MARIE ANTOINETTE  

Alice Conroy

Holland Larned

Dale Leonheart

Maddie Rodriguez

LOUIS XVI  

Joey Lepire

Hunter Meyer

Lucas Nelson

Isaiah Owens

Raphael Thome

EMPEROR JOSEPH/ MR. SAUCE 

Preston Coleman

Lucas De La Rosa

Joey Lepire

Hunter Meyer

Isaiah Owens

AXEL FERSEN 

Preston Coleman

Randy Jackson-Alvarenga

Brennen Malone

Hunter Meyer

Raphael Thome

THE DAUPHIN 

Cody Holcomb

David Lee

Nicolette Mayer

YOLANDE DE POLIGNAC/MRS. SAUCE 

Abby Dart

Jordan Kinney

Holland Larned

Dale Leonheart

Nicollette Mayer

Elizabeth Nigg

Maddie Rodriguez

THERESE DE LAMBALLE/ ROYALIST

Alice Conroy

Frances Dapier

Zoe Mae Nolte

Shelby Landuyt

Lily Leding

Ella Sirna

A SHEEP

Sara Alvidrez

Ava Burmahl

Abby Paul

Leah Urzendowski

Delaney Waterman

REVOLUTIONARY 1, 2, 3

Andrew Lindsay

Caleb Niles

Jasper Rood

Aidan Seville

Ephram Sinnwell

Sides

Click Here to View Sides, Hard Copies will be available at the check in table. 

Side #       Description

  1. Polignac, Mrs. Sauce, Lamballe : Page 9 top of scene to bottom of 11(Note Same as Side 3)
  2. Mr. Sauce and Mrs. Sauce: Sauce – Page 61 to end of scene (Note Same as Side 10)
  3.  (Note: Side 3 is the same as Side 1)
  4. Lamballe and Royalist: Royalist – Top of Page 72 to middle of 73 including Royalist’s line “It’s for your own good”
  5. Louis: Page 15 top of scene to bottom of 16
  6. Louis: Page 51 all of scene 9
  7. Louis: Page 70 Top of 4 to bottom of 71
  8. Fersen: Page 19-21 - Scene 3
  9. Joseph and Sauce: Joseph - Page 22 top of scene to page 24 middle of page with Marie’s line “So I’ve heard”
  10.  (Note Same as Side 2)
  11. Sheep: Page 33 with Marie’s line “What are you looking at?!” to end of scene.
  12. Revolutionary 1 and 2: Scene 10
  13. Marie and Sheep: Page 79 top of page to 81 Marie’s line “I don’t know”
  14. Marie and Fersen: Page 88 begin after Revolutionary exit to 92 Marie’s line “Has my life been a diversion?”
  15. Dauphin and Marie: Top of 77 to 78 Marie’s line “will you get off me.”
  16. Revolutionary 3 and Marie: Page 84 begin with Revolutionary 3 entrance go to 86 Marie’s line “not too short”

CALLBACKS SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, August 31st

Callback Times: 11:00a-1:00p  &  1:30p-3:30p 

Pax 154 

PLEASE FOLLOW THE SIGNS AND ENTER BY THE DOOR FACING THE RIVER NEAR THE RESTROOMS. 

Josh Turner will be our Reader for Sides: 2, 3, 4, & 12.  

11:00a-11:20a Revolutionary with reader (Side 12)

REVOLUTIONARY 1, 2, 3

Andrew Lindsay

Caleb Niles

Jasper Rood

Aidan Seville

Ephram Sinnwell

11:20a - 11:40a  – Royalist with reader (Sides 3 & 4)

ROYALIST

Alice Conroy

Frances Dapier

Zoe Mae Nolte

Shelby Landuyt

Lily Leding

Ella Sirna

11:40a -12:00p – Mr. Sauce & Mrs. Sauce with reader (Side 2) 

MR. SAUCE 

 Preston Coleman

Lucas De La Rosa

Joey Lepire

Hunter Meyer

Isaiah Owens

 

MRS. SAUCE 

Abby Dart

Jordan Kinney

Holland Larned

Dale Leonheart

Nicolette Mayer

Elizabeth Nigg

Maddie Rodriguez

 

12:00p-1:00p - Polignac, Lamballe and Marie – (Side 1) 

MARIE ANTOINETTE 

Alice Conroy

Holland Larned

Dale Leonheart

Maddie Rodriguez

 

POLIGNAC 

Abby Dart

Jordan Kinney

Holland Larned

Dale Leonheart

Nicolette Mayer

Elizabeth Nigg

Maddie Rodriguez

 

LAMBALLE

Alice Conroy

Frances Dapier

Zoe Mae Nolte

Shelby Landuyt

Lily Leding

Ella Sirna

 

1:30p-2:30p – Marie and Louis – (Side 5 & 6)

MARIE ANTOINETTE 

Alice Conroy

Holland Larned

Dale Leonheart

Maddie Rodriguez*

 

LOUIS XVI  

Joey Lepire

Hunter Meyer

Lucas Nelson

Isaiah Owens

Raphael Thome

 

2:30p-3:30p - Marie and Fersen – (Side 8) 

MARIE ANTOINETTE 

Alice Conroy

Holland Larned

Dale Leonheart

Maddie Rodriguez* 

AXEL FERSEN 

Preston Coleman

Randy Jackson-Alvarenga

Brennen Malone

Hunter Meyer

Raphael Thome

 

Marie Antoinette

CAST LIST

 

NOTE FROM Mary Beth Easley:  

Thank you to everyone who auditioned.  Each of you brought so much creativity and gifts into our space.  Our department is truly full of talented individuals.

 

First Rehearsal is 

Tuesday, September 3rd

& the Full Company is called 

at 7:00pm in PAX 154. 

 

Please email Melisa Turner, The Stage Manager for Marie Antoinette, at 

Melissa-Turner@uiowa.edu, to confirm you accept the role or to decline the role by Monday at 5:00pm.

 

MARIE ANTOINETTE  

Alice Conroy

LOUIS XVI  

Hunter Meyer

EMPEROR JOSEPH/ MR. SAUCE

Brennen Malone

AXEL FERSEN

Raphael Thome

YOLANDE DE POLIGNAC/MRS. SAUCE

Maddie Rodriguez 

THERESE DE LAMBALLE/ ROYALIST

Holland Larned

A SHEEP

Leah Urzendowski

THE DAUPHIN

David Lee

REVOLUTIONARY 1

Aidan Seville 

REVOLUTIONARY 2

Preston Coleman

REVOLUTIONARY 3

Ephram Sinnwell

LADY IN WAITING

Elizabeth Nigg

Questions or concerns?

Melissa Turner, Stage Manager: melissa-turner@uiowa.edu

Reed Davis, Assistant Stage Manager: reed-davis@uiowa.edu