Proposal+A

Iya (Downey) Lieneke den Otter Ryan Peter Liz

__//Life Without Instruction//__



//Life Without Instruction// is a play based on historical events. Taking place in the 1600's, the story focuses on the life of Artemisia, an aspiring young painter who has lived her life sheltered by her father Orazio, who she learned from. Artemisia longs to study under the great painter Caravaggio, but instead her father sends her to learn from Tassi, a landscape painter and close friend of his. he main conflict develops when he rapes her, and she must struggle to preserve her honor, and fight within a court system that is not favourable to women. The play switches back and forth between the events of Artemisia's life and the biblical story of Judith and Holofernes who are partly a product of her imagination as she attempts to capture them on canvas. This story tells of a woman who tricked a wicked emperor and killed him- which creates an interesting way to understand the play. The actors playing Judith and Artemesia as well as Tassi and Holofernes do not change costume... putting the stories parallel to each other.

__**Artemisia**__ Born July 8, 1593, Artemisia was the daughter of Orazio Gentileschi an Italian painter. She painted her famous painting "Susannah and the Elders" at age 17. In 1611 she was sent to study under the landscape painter, Agostino Tassi. Assisted by Cosimo Quorlis, another painter, Tassi raped the young Artemisia. Artemisia took him to trial in 1612. The trial lasted seven months in which Tassi was sentenced to prison and a five year exile from Rome. The sentence was later commuted to one year in prison. Artemisia later married Pierantonio Stiattesi. Together they had four sons and one daughter, but only the daughter, Prudenzia would survive into adulthood. Artemisia was the first female painter to become a member of the Accademia di Arte del Disegno. She was one of the first women to paint both religious and historical paintings. Unlike most of her male counterparts, the majority of Artemisia's religious paintings feature biblical heroines. Artemisia is believed to have died sometime around 1656, during the plague, as the last records of her were from 1654-6.

__**Judith**__ The tale of Judith and Halofernes is from the book of Judith, deuterocanonical book which is included in the Apocrypha. Many of the names of places and people in this book are considered historical, if inaccurately used, and it is deemed one of the first Historical Romances ever recorded. Judith is a widow from the besieged town of Bethulia, which is under attack from the general Halofernes. The people prayed for God to deliver them, but declared that after five days, if the Lord had not saved them, they would surrender. Dismayed by their lack of faith, she left the city with her maid and infiltrated Halofernes camp. She claimed that her people were eating and drinking non-kosher things to save themselves from the siege and because of this, she was willing to tell Halofernes how to best the city. She eventually tricks Halofernes into a drunken stupor and, with the aid of her maid, removes his head. She returns to her city with the head in hand, where it is displayed to warn off the invading army. Without its general, the army fell into disarray and the people were spared.

__**A Little About the Author**__ Sally Clark is well versed in the area of art and drama production. Her background consists of formal training in the following institutes: 1974 – New School of Art, Toronto, Ontario 1973-75 - York University, Ontario- graduated B.A. General Honors in Fine Arts 1971-73 – University of British Columbia Clark's play //Life Without Instruction// combines her love of art with her love of performance. Debuting in August of 1991, the Theater Plus in Toronto was home to //Life Without Instruction's// first performance, directed by Glynis Leyshon. This play was also performed at numerous other venues, including the Frederic Wood Theater at the University of British Colombia, under the watchful eye of director Robert Metcalfe. Clark is hardly a novice to the art of playwriting. Her background includes the writing of various other productions. Throughout the 1980's and 1990's, Sally Clark wrote a series of plays, usually adding a comedic twist to an otherwise dramatic tale. She also wrote and directed a film called //Ten Ways to Abuse an Old Woman// (1983). Some of her plays works include: Wasps (1998) Trials of a Ladies Man (1997) Ten Ways to Abuse an Old Woman (1997) Saint Frances of Hollywood (1996) Moo (1989) Lost Souls and Missing Persons (1998) The Trial of Judith K. (1991) Saint Frances of Hollywood (1994) Life Without Instruction (1994) Jehanne of the Witches (1993)

This is an "artist fiction" play, which deals with Artemesia's early life and formation as an artist. There have been books and films written on her life- popularized because of the scandal of the trial, and her image today of a feminist. The authors have taken different perspectives on the character's roles, such as Tassi and Artemesia having a passionate relationship, ruined by Orazio's interference. However, all are based on historical facts, which have been altered by the author's creative freedom, presentation, and focus on themes such as loss of innocence, the link between creative talent and passion, and the prejudices against women. //Life Without Instruction// stays fairly true to the historical aspects- using dialogue that was transcribed in actual court records- but deviates from the record on two accounts. In the historical trial, the court chose to use torture to prove the truth of Artemesia's version only. Also, Tassi did not admit to killing Caravaggio- and Caravaggio's death historically came four years after the trial.