Marie Antoinette: The Color of Flesh
by Joel Gross
May 1 - May 20, 2012
In a dramatic love triangle set amidst the splendor of 18th century Paris, a beautiful, social-climbing portrait painter uses her affair with an idealistic Count to get a commission to paint the naïve young Queen Marie Antoinette. Both learn to love the woman they are exploiting even as their actions encourage the Revolution that will shatter all three of their lives. Illustration by Jamie Hogan.
Running Time:
approximately 2 hours including one 15 minute intermission
Click here to read Dressing the Queen,
a feature story about making the costumes for this show.
A cautionary tale fom 18th Century France
Dilettante: More than meets the eye at 'Color of Flesh' at Portland Stage
Marie Antoinette Nicely Executed
Joel Gross (b. 19 ---) is a playwright, author, and screenwriter, best known to-date for his novel The Books of Rachel (1979), a fictional exploration of 500 years of Jewish history. As a playwright, his work has been workshopped or produced at Williamstown Theater Festival, the Old Globe in San Diego, and Ensemble Studio Theatre and the Actors Studio in New York. His play The Comfort of Darkness was produced in 2010 by the Caldwell Theatre in Boca Raton, Florida. Gross has also worked as a writer on feature films for Universal, Fox, HBO, and Sony, and his newest screenplay Mortal Armor: The Legend of Galahad, goes into production in spring 2011.
ABOUT THE CAST
Ellen Adair (Marie) is delighted to be making her Portland Stage debut! Off-Broadway: Cymbeline (Fiasco Theater/Barrow St./TFANA), What the Public Wants (Mint Theatre), Playboy of the Western World (Pearl Theatre), Romeo and Hamlet (GayfestNYC). Regional: Helena in All's Well That Ends Well (Shakespeare Theatre, New Jersey); Mary Shelley in The Yellow Leaf (world premiere, Pioneer Theatre); ‘Tis Pity She's a Whore (Baltimore Centerstage); 1 Henry IV (Folger Shakespeare Theatre); Mary's Wedding, Red Light Winter (Kitchen Theatre); Pegeen in Playboy of the Western World (Pennsylvania Shakespeare); Portia in Merchant of Venice, Taming of the Shrew, Henry V (American Shakespeare Center); Rabbit Hole, Carol Mulroney (Huntington); Raina in Arms and the Man (Lyric/Boston); Five by Tenn (SpeakEasy); All's Well (Actors' Shakespeare Project); Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Diary of Anne Frank (New Repertory); Arcadia, Comedy of Errors, Beard of Avon (Publick/Boston). TV/Film: "As the World Turns," "Brotherhood" (SHOWTIME), and films about Louisa May Alcott, Louis Brandeis, John Audubon and the "God in America" series for PBS. She won awards in Boston as Eliza in Pygmalion and Nora in A Doll's House and was nominated as Thomasina in Arcadia. Love to Eric. Thanks to Scott. www.ellenadair.com
Caroline Hewitt (Elisa) Off Broadway- New York Theater Workshop: Checkers (reading with Live Schreiber and Hope Davis); The Public Theater Emerging Writers Group: Stockholm, Pennsylvania (reading); A Short History of Women (reading with Judith Ivey); Theater For A New Audience: The American Directors Project. Regional- Baltimore Centerstage: The Rivals, The American Conservatory Theater: The Caucasian Chalk Circle [dir: John Doyle], A Christmas Carol; The Chautauqua Theater Company: Arcadia, The Winters Tale; Gulfshore Playhouse: Blithe Spirit. Translator-Rose, La Nuit Australienne. Caroline has a BA in French from Vassar College, and an MFA in Acting from The American Conservatory Theater, 2010. She was born in Portland, Me.
Tony Roach (Alexis) The Imaginary Invalid, The Liar (World Premiere), Mrs. Warren's Profession, All's Well That Ends Well (Shakespeare Theatre, DC); As You Like It, Romeo & Juliet (Shakespeare & Co.); I Capture the Castle (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey); Enchanted April (Arionza Theatre Co.); The Mystery of Irma Vep, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf??, Secret Order, Stage Blood (Kitchen Theatre Co.); Woody Guthrie: An American Song, Three Days of Rain (Vermont Stage Co.); Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis); A Christmas Carol (Cincinnati Playhouse); Fair & Tender Ladies (Alabama Shakespeare Festival); Far East (Stamford Theatre Works); Romeo & Juliet (American Repertory Theatre); NYC: Gaugleprixtown (Studio 42), Cop Out (Drama League/Fringe), The Life I've Chosen. Film : The Adventures of Buckskin Jack; Miles from Nowhere. BA, Columbia University; MFA, ART/MXAT Institute at Harvard.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION TEAM
Daniel Burson (Director) is very happy to be directing for a second time on the mainstage of his theatrical home. Now in his seventh season as Portland Stage's Literary & Education Manager, Dan returned to his home state in 2005 after stints with the Guthrie Theater, Berkshire Theatre Festival, and Huntington Theatre Company. Previously at PSC, he has directed Mary's Wedding, The Santaland Diaries, and many staged readings for From Away and Little Festival of the Unexpected. Other local credits include The Lonesome West and The Seafarer with AIRE, and productions at the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor and Freeport Community Players. As a dramaturg, Dan is the Northeast regional vice president of Literary Managers & Dramaturgs of the Americas, and dramaturged the world premieres of Longfellow: A Life in Words and PSC's adaptations of Peer Gynt and The Snow Queen. So many thanks to Emily - because four years is far too few.
Anita Stewart (Set Designer) has worked as a set and costume designer at leading theatres across the country, including: the Guthrie, Seattle Rep, Canadian Opera Company, Minnesota Opera, A.R.T., Steppenwolf, Hartford Stage, Dallas Theater Center, Long Wharf Theatre, New York Theater Workshop, Boise Contemporary Theater, New Jersey Shakespeare and Portland Stage Company. Anita's desire to play a meaningful role as an artist in a specific community brought her to Portland Stage Company in Maine as Artistic Director, a company for which she had previously done significant freelance design.
Hugh Hanson (Costume Designer) Last season at Portland Stage, Hugh designed The Center of Gravity. His selected regional credits include Colorado Shakespeare Festival (CO) Comedy of Errors; The Shakespeare Theatre (NJ) Lion in Winter, Hamlet, A Streetcar Named Desire, As You Like It, and Richard II; George Street Playhouse (NJ) Lend Me A Tenor; Pan-Asian Rep (NY) Aloha Las Vegas, and Eating Chicken Feet; Diamond Head Theatre (HI) Victor/Victoria; O'hia Productions (HI) On Dragonfly Wings, and Gary and Harry; Manoa Valley Theatre (HI) Grace and Glorie; and Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HI) Duke Kahanamoku. Hugh is a milliner and draper at Carelli Costumes NY. He is a tenor with the St. Bart's Singers, St. Bart's Episcopal, NY.
Dave Remedios (Sound Designer) has designed The Center of Gravity and Mary's Wedding for Portland Stage. Recent credits include original music and sound for The Luck of the Irish and Before I Leave You (Huntington Theatre Company); ‘Art' (New Repertory Theatre); The Farm and Mortal Terror (Boston Playwrights' Theatre); All's Well That Ends Well (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company); Antony and Cleopatra (Actors' Shakespeare Project); Car Talk: The Musical!!! (Suffolk University); Two Jews Walk into a War... (Geva Theatre and Merrimack Repertory Theatre); The Emperor of Atlantis (Boston Lyric Opera). He has designed nationally for many other regional theatres, including fifty productions for the American Repertory Theatre. His work has been heard internationally in Europe, Asia and the UK. David is the recipient of Connecticut Critics' Circle and Elliot Norton Awards. remediossound.com.
Bryon Winn (Lighting Designer) is delighted to be returning to Portland Stage for his 14th season. He has designed over 30 productions for Portland Stage. His design work has also been seen at Trinity Rep, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Axis Theatre, Intersection for the Arts, Miranda Theatre Company, Utah Musical Theatre, Middlebury College, Cornell College, Riverside Theatre and Iowa Summer Rep. Bryon serves as the Director of Theatre at the University of Iowa and is a member of United Scenic Artist 829.
Myles C. Hatch (Stage Manager) is currently enjoying his 12th season stage-managing with Portland Stage. During the past twenty one years, Myles has worked in stage management with such diversified theatres as The Freeport Shakespeare Festival (ME), Maine State Music Theatre (ME), The Theater at Monmouth (ME), Arden Theatre Company (PA), Baltimore Shakespeare Festival (MD), Everyman Theatre (MD), Rep Stage (MD), Horse Cave Theatre (KY), New Stage Theatre (MS), Round House Theatre (MD), Source Theatre Company (D.C.), Washington Stage Guild (D.C.), Washington Jewish Theatre (D.C.), Asolo Theatre Company (FL), Westport Country Playhouse (CT), and the YALE Summer Cabaret (CT). Myles is a member of the Actors' Equity Association.
