Meet the Artist: Margaret Taylor Woods (Marie-Thérèse)

We don’t know much about the historical Marquise Marie-Thérèse de Florensac, but given the fact that Julie left the stage at the height of her career to live with her, the lady had something special going on.

In Julie Monster, that something is an indominable will, a brilliant feminist mind, and a fierce need to love and be loved. Drawn into her orbit, Julie feels her wildness turn into feelings she never thought she’d have.

Clearly, it takes guts to play this badass role. Fortunately, Julie, Monster’s Marquise is a powerhouse performer.

Margaret Taylor Woods has a master’s degree from the renowned Westminster Choir College, extensive festival and workshop experience, and credits in productions worldwide. Yet she shares her talent generously with Richmond audiences. She recently performed at the Richmond Public Library, and next year she will play the title role in Monteverdi’s Coronation of Poppea with Capitol Opera Richmond and RVA Baroque.

To understand the Marquise, Margaret focuses on the noblewoman’s relationship with Julie. “Marie-Thérèse introduces Julie to a line of female creativity spanning the ages to demonstrate that Julie should own her story,” Margaret explains. Yet at the same time, she needs Julie as her muse.

Why should modern audiences care about characters so remote from us in time and space? Margaret sees contemporary relevance in their struggles with identity and autonomy. “History has a way of showing us pathways forward to the future,” she says.

Julie, Monster touches Margaret’s professional curiosity and her civic pride: “This is a unique opportunity to work with a living composer on a brand-new work in a city I deeply love. Richmond is such a rich and diverse community, and this opera will add to its innovative arts scene.”

Margaret Taylor Woods, who played Marie-Thérèse