Meet the Cast: Jennifer Henry as Marie Antoinette

Jennifer Henry

Jennifer Henry is so excited to work with the fearless women of Back Alley Productions. Hailing from rural Pennsylvania, Jennifer holds three degrees in music, theatre, and technical theatre and design. She has worked as an actor, director, choreographer, and educator in 46 of the 50 United States. After serving as Assistant Director of Education and a Resident Company member at Playhouse on the Square in Memphis, TN, she moved back north with the love of her life to teach voice, movement, and acting. Jennifer is also a referee for NH’s largest paintball park, OSG Paintball. She is eager to learn if blondes do, in fact, have more fun. Catch her work next in the direction of Dead Man’s Cell Phone, opening October 31 at The Player’s Ring.

“Being offered the opportunity to be the voice of Marie Antoinette, possibly the most famous, most gossiped about, most misunderstood woman in history, is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. Marie is an enigma. Naïve, she was married to Louis as the signature on a peace treaty, when she was 14. 14! At that age, to be catapulted into international super stardom, while barely being able to speak the language of the place where she is Queen, and to have the pressure of being the peace of a nation… yowza. Finding a balance between that naivety, and the noble grace and poise that she showed to the public (even into the last moments of her life), has been daunting for me. I’m exhausted just thinking about what this woman endured! Marie Antoinette: The Color of Flesh, is a wonderful way to glimpse into the life of this fascinating woman, and those around her. The time period allows for opulent, gorgeous costuming, and a setting so rich and luxurious it’s almost embarrassing. The relationships she has with both Elisa and Alexis gives us a dynamic and fresh look into what happened to this tragic figure.

While daunting, this production has been exhilarating and so fun to be a part of. I am so humbled to be a part of this intimate cast with Danica and Knate. I am very thankful to be in the capable embrace of director Joi Smith. Kaitlyn Huwe is not only so knowledgeable of this time period, but such a great springboard for so many ideas. Rehearsals have been such an open, positive, electric experience. What a great collaboration. Let’s play, y’all! Come see the show, opening May 9th.”

Marie Antoinette 1767

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