French Institute Presents NY Premiere of Barbara Schulz in Les correspondances de Marie-Antoinette 10/24

The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF), New York's premiere French cultural center, and The French Theatrical Foundation (FTF) are thrilled to present the New York premiere of Les correspondances de Marie-Antoinette, a one-woman show starring Molière Award-winning actress Barbara Schulz and directed by Katherine Adamov, on Thursday, October 24 at 8pm at FIAF's Florence Gould Hall.

Marie-Antoinette went from beloved bride and young queen to despised, extravagant ruler in less than 25 years. This vivid portrayal, based on French historian Evelyne Lever's acclaimed biography, sheds light on the inner life of this fascinating figure, drawing directly from letters, diaries, and first-hand accounts.

Actress Barbara Schulz brilliantly embodies the iconic queen, from her lavish wedding to Louis XVI at the age of fourteen, to her final hours facing the guillotine, desperate, broken, and alone. The gripping narrative traverses court intrigue, scandal, loneliness, peasant riots, the fall of the Bastille, mob rule in Paris, imprisonment, and finally, execution.

Les correspondances de Marie-Antoinette dispels the myth of a callous and villainous queen whose supposed response to her subjects was the comment, "Let them eat cake." Instead, it paints a more nuanced portrait: that of a vulnerable and ultimately tragic figure, heedlessly thrust into the vast currents of historic upheaval, whose repercussions continue to resonate today.

Les Correspondances de Marie-Antoinette

By Evelyne Lever

Starring Barbara Schulz

Directed by Katherine Adamov

Technical Director: Chris Fournier

In French with English supertitles

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About Barbara Schulz

Barbara Schulz is one of France's leading theatrical, television, and film actresses. A native of Bordeaux, she moved to Paris as a child, and at fifteen began to study acting at the renowned Cours Simon. In the years since, she has appeared in over 50 films and television programs, including La Dilettante, for which she was nominated for the César (French Oscar) for Most Promising Actress. On the Parisian stage, she has appeared in leading roles in productions ranging from Pygmalion to Antigone. She played opposite Gérard Depardieu as his daughter in Les Portes du Ciel (The Doors of Heaven), for which she was nominated for her first Molière Award, the French equivalent of the Tonys. She later won the Molière for Best Female Newcomer for her portrayal of Julie in the hit stage production of Joyeuses Pâques (Happy Easter) by Jean Poiret. She is currently preparing to star in a play based on the life of Kiki of Montparnasse.

About Katherine Adamov (Director)

Katherine Adamov is an actress, director and producer. Born in Paris to Russian-Armenian immigrants, she graduated from the Conservatoire d'Art Dramatique in Paris before moving to New York, where she studied with Lee Strasberg. As an actress, she has appeared on the French stage in more than 30 plays including Chekov's Three Sisters and Ionesco's Macbett, as well as many television films and series. She has also produced a number of television films and documentaries including Marcel Marceau Speaks, From Lenin to Lennon, and Sound and Silence, a series about contemporary music with John Cage. As a director she has adapted and directed The Elephant Man in Paris, Resident Alienat La MaMa in New York, and L'Architecte, a contemporary opera in Strasbourg. She is proud to consider herself a tri-cultural, trilingual citizen of the world.

Chris Fournier (Technical/Lighting Director)

Chris is a graduate of Boston College with a BA in Economics, who currently works for Philips Color Kinetics as the Applications Design Engineering Manager. He specializes in lighting design consultation using LED fixtures for architecture and entertainment. Notable projects include the Empire State Building, New York; Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Washington DC; Prudential Tower and Zakim Bridge, Boston MA; and Sands Casino, Bethlehem PA. Chris also works as a freelance theatrical lighting designer in the Boston area. Recent theatrical design work includes HPT 165: There's Something about Maui, Hasty Pudding Theatricals of Harvard College; Dreamgirls, BlackCast/OFA of Harvard College; Sweeney Todd, HRDC/OFA; Sunday in the Park with George, HRDC; La Calisto, HEMS; and Francis Huster's adaptation of Albert Camus's La Peste, which he performed at FIAF in 2011. In addition, Chris teaches lighting design at several high schools and works as the lighting director for Triboro Youth Theatre and Weston Drama Workshop.

Evelyne Lever (Adaptor/Author)
Evelyne Lever is a leading French historian and author of seven books, including Madame de Pompadour, Philippe Egalité, Louis XVIII, Louis XVI, and Marie-Antoinette, The Last Queen of France.She served as historical consultant on Sofia Coppola's film Marie-Antoinette in 2006. Her adaptation of Marie-Antoinette's letters into a play was first performed as a reading at the Festival de la Correspondance in Grignan, France, in 2007. FTF's production marks the first full theatrical staging of this exciting work.

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About The French Theatrical Foundation (FTF)

The French Theatrical Foundation (FTF) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of French and French-language performing arts. Founded by American producer Ross Mitchell in association with French producer Pascal Legros, FTF brings renowned French performing artists to the United States to present works in French with English supertitles. Its visiting artists also conduct seminars and master classes in universities, high schools and cultural centers in the various cities where its productions are performed. Over the months and years to come, FTF will bring to the United States artistic programs of the highest quality, and representative of the best of current French and French-language theatre, music, and dance. www.frenchtheatre.org