Photo Provided by Marci Rau ’24

I really did just play the same guy, two years in a row.

According to my family lineage, I am maybe five percent French, at most. But, according to Red and Gold Drama captains, I’m 100% French and 100% man. As a transfer student, I’ve only gotten to experience two Red and Golds (I know, it’s tragic). However, within those two fantastic performances, I have played not one, but two French men. 

Junior year, I put on a French accent, a horrible wig, and a mascara mustache as Vincent I-Can’t-Remember-His-Last-Name: a recently divorced artist, whose painting was stolen from the Goldie Museum. 

Mandy Puga ‘24 recalls Vincent fondly, “Marci is quite literally just a French man at heart. When I hosted Gold Drama’s dinner party last year, Marci pulled out this exquisite French accent and I was absolutely starstruck. I am so glad she is now returning back to her roots as the one and only French man, Timothee Chalamoomoo.”

This year, I played everyone’s favorite heartthrob (besides Jacob Elordi, of course): Timothee Chalamet. Upon researching this role, I found that Timmy is 100% French, bilingual in French, and has dual citizenship in France. He really is THE French man. Of course, I had to chisel out my cheekbones to enhance that emaciated artist look that Timmy pulls off so well. 

Gold Drama member, Sara Garcia ‘24, has already caught onto my French masculinity. Even before the performance weekend, she told me, “I feel like you’re going to be a European man, especially in the entertainment industry.” She went on to explain her reasoning for this prediction, “You and Olivia Nicholas ‘23 look a lot alike, and Olivia was always casted as a European man in the entertainment industry for Red and Gold: Harry Styles, Mick, so forth.”

Nia Delacruz ‘24 disagrees with the common consensus, “Well, Marci doesn’t really come off as French to me…like at all. But whatever floats the drama captains’ boats I guess.”

Gabby Thompson ‘24 has seen me through both of these roles, “Marci is a French man at heart. She is the only person who can fit this role for Red and Gold. I honestly think the role this year was written for her based on her performance as Vincent last year. Another opinion is that Vincent is Timothee’s distant cousin five times removed, so it’s only perfect for Marci to play Timothee. My final theory is that Marci was Timothee playing Vincent last year in Red and Gold, and that this year she is just Timothee. Basically, Marci is French at this point and will go on in life with a French alter ego.”

Maybe I’ll have to take a 23andMe test to get to the bottom of this. Thank you to everyone who has supported me, and helped me contour my face with makeup. Go red!