BWW Reviews: Woolly Mammoth Puts Unique, Disturbing Spin on MARIE ANTOINETTE

We've all heard of the plight of Marie Antoinette, but those that make a visit to Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company throughout the next few weeks can perhaps see it in a slightly different light. And that's a good thing.

The dark story is simple, yet complex. Born Austrian royalty in the mid-1700s, Marie Antoinette marries King Louis XVI at age 15 and assumes a leadership position she is ill-equipped to fill. Short on education, life experience, saddled with mommy issues and more, she becomes an object of ridicule and hatred for the common man. Much like modern day celebrities a la Paris Hilton and the like, she's famous for being famous. She's also known for her frivolous spending even as France plummets further into an economic nightmare. Eventually though, her fairy tale life is infused with a dark dose of reality. As the masses instigate an uprising and advocate - sometimes violently - for democracy, her standing within French society is threatened, let alone her life and that of her husband and son.

In David Adjmi's play, Marie Antoinette, these seeds of verified history fundamentally inform the story he tells though he filters the facts through a modern lens, focusing attention on our title character's point of view. In the first act, we see Marie Antoinette (Kimberly Gilbert) as a self-indulgent, flighty, and somewhat rebellious young woman trying to make her way in the world. She adopts contemporary language and mannerisms as she discusses her woes with her equally flighty friends (embodied with perfection by the hilarious Dawn Ursula and Sue Jin Song) while relaxing in a two piece swimming suit in a Jacuzzi - occasionally snorting some coke for fun. Whether milking cows in a cute re-creation of a farm that allows her to be one with nature without actually subjecting herself to the real stuff, or trying on the latest fashions, she indicates that she's not exactly informed about the world beyond her palace walls and doesn't care to become informed either. When the circumstances of the larger world begin to directly impact the royal family, she finds herself needing to care. She's stripped of the glitzy and glamorous life and is eventually left alone to die a horrible death in a dimly lit, sparse prison (lighting design by Jen Schreiver).

What was her contribution to society? Why do we remember her? Should her brief life still be a symbol of the price political leaders pay for ignoring the chaos that bubbles beyond their cushy lives? Adjmi explores all of these questions to some extent.

For Adjmi, it's clear that considering Marie Antoinette's predicament is still a relevant endeavor today and not just as a cautionary tale of the price of fame. The distance between those tasked with leading and the ones they're supposed to lead is great in many countries, just as it was in 1700s France. In the last decade, there have been numerous instances throughout the world of state leaders ignoring what's going on around them and responding to those situations in a way that promotes the public good rather than fulfills narrow self-interests. If this is not done, it's possible that festering discontent will escalate to full out rebellion. Political change then becomes inevitable and is usually accompanied by violence.

Adjmi is successful in exploring the parallels of poor (or completely lacking) leadership in 18th century France with contemporary sociopolitical contexts. Unfortunately, his success in concretely establishing Marie Antoinette as a clueless leader who is destined for a fall is also a noteworthy downfall. So much time is spent setting up Marie's place in French society and her ignorance about the larger universe that, in exchange, less time must be spent on describing the external forces that led to her eventual imprisonment/death. So, in the end we have a lot of knowledge of the person, but knowledge of the sociopolitical context is comparatively scant.

Unfortunately, in Adjmi's script early depictions of the queen's careless actions are initially very amusing (if not horrifying in a train wreck kind of way), but they quickly become one-note and repetitive. My feelings on this matter are most certainly not because of Kimberly Gilbert's performance as our title character. Simply put, she's always a bright spot in any production, but in this case, it's one of the strongest performances I've seen her give in years. From her mannerisms to speech inflections and more, she's the perfect embodiment of a young lady that we'd find on many a TV reality show - seemingly over-the-top, but a product of her upbringing and circumstances.

Although it's important to see why Marie Antoinette was likely vilified around France and beyond and witness her cushy life before the fall, I do feel like that element of the story overshadowed the headier, more interesting elements found in the latter part of Act One and most of Act Two. Perhaps this is intentional on the part of the playwright - after all, our queen is remembered most for being famous and living a fabulous life while others suffered. However, for those that may not be well-versed in French history - or for those geeks like me that appreciate attention to the broader sociopolitical forces that shape human behavior - it would be nice to understand more about the environment that was brewing outside of the palace walls that eventually led to the dramatic shift in Marie's life. Adjmi does establish some of this context (including using - of all things - a sheep played by the always brilliant Sarah Marshall), but it's not sufficient enough for the play to spark a sociopolitical discussion.

Quibbles aside, the production that Woolly is offering is quite excellent. Gilbert, as already noted, excels under the direction of Yury Urnov, not only in the lighter initial moments of the play, but the darker, raw, and horrific moments in Act Two. Her transformation from insipid fashionista to political prisoner is not only physically powerful, but one has to appreciate the emotional transformation as well. However, she's not the only cast member to give a standout performance. As King Louis XVI, Joe Isenberg is a bumbling buffoon - as clueless as his wife, but in different ways. All other ensemble members bring solid acting work to the proceedings as well.

Just as there are shifts in Marie's world, so too are there shifts in Misha Kachman's imaginative sets and Eric Shimelonis' sound design. Bright, colorful and fun are the name of the game early on, replaced by a dark and moody vibe later on. The same can be said for Helen Huang's costumes and elaborate wigs. These technical elements complement the strong acting nicely.

Running Time: 2 hours, including an intermission.

Marie Antoinette plays at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company - 641 D Street, NW in Washington, DC - through October 12. For tickets, call the box office at 202-393-3939 or purchase them online.

Photo Caption/Credit: (L-R) Sue Jin Song, Kimberly Gilbert, and Dawn Ursula pictured. Photo by Stan Barouh.

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