Reflection of Performance & Process
Samantha Smith
Mrs. Aguilar
Theatre Arts 4
23 April 2013
Marie Antoinette Reflection
One of our last assignments in drama this year was to choose any figure in history and write a monologue about a specific time in his or her lifetime. I decided to choose Marie Antoinette as my Final Curtain monologue, as she and 18th century France has always interested me.
Mrs. Aguilar gave us the freedom to do whatever we pleased with our performances. First, she allowed us to become our own costume designers. If needed, we were able to purchase any costumes, accessories, or wigs to better transform into our character. After spending time researching my costume options, Mrs. Aguilar ordered a beautiful blue dress that was similar to what Marie Antoinette would have worn. I also chose not to wear a wig and instead use my own hair; this gave a more authentic, life-like quality to my appearance and was very favorable to my peers and the audience.
Second, we designed our own sets. Initially, I did not plan to have any set pieces. However, I was given four white balcony poles in order to built a stage balcony. Along with the help of Jordan Davis and Tristan Silva, we were able to build a set piece suitable for my performance. Last, we were given the freedom to write our monologues any way we wanted, as long as it was not too long or too short. We were able to write about any specific moment or time of our historical figure, while also receiving suggestions to make our monologues even better.
On a scale of 1 to 6, I believe a professional evaluator would critique me as being a 4. I believe my performance was good, which would cause me to obtain a higher score. However, I believe there is always room for improvement, which would cause my score to lower. In the end, Final Curtain came to a success, and I had many people complimenting my hair, makeup and costume, along with my performance. I am very proud of myself and hope to continue growing in theatre while in college.