The Light and the Dark

(The Life and Times of Artemisia Gentileschi)

Full-Length
Drama
2W, 3M
or 2W, 4M
Play

Overview

Based on the true story of Artemisia Gentileschi, the most successful female artist of her era. At the height of the Italian Renaissance, Artemisia Gentileschi dreams of immortality—of changing humanity’s very image. She wants to become one of the truly great painters; a maestro—and she’s willing to fight to get there. But a series of brutal betrayals forever alters her life and art… kindling a flame that continues to astonish and inspire today.

Written by one of America’s most popular playwrights, THE LIGHT AND THE DARK is a “feminist primal scream”—a bold, deep-thinking examination of art’s ability to transcend trauma, the power of the feminist gaze, and the transformative power of female rage in reshaping societal paradigms.

Casting & Production

Casting

For 5 Actors, the doubling should be as follows:
ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI — Female-identifying.
          Any age. Deeply intelligent. Passionate. Determined. A fire within her. Plays Artemisia at every
          age.
MARIA / TUZIA/ MATTEO — Female-identifying.
          MARIA — 20s-30s. A sex worker and art model. Deeply intelligent. Sees more than most.
          TUZIA — 30s-40s. An impoverished widow seeking to come up in the world—resentful of the
                         trials she’s been through, and resentful of those who break the rules she’s always had
                         to follow.
          MATTEO — A ten year-old boy. Serious. Wants to become a great artist. Not popular with his
                          peers. Wants to do the right thing.
ORAZIO GENTILESCHI / DEPUTY — Male-identifying. 50+.
          ORAZIO — A painter from a long line of painters, with talent. Wants to be one of the great
                         masters. Very politick and cognizant of how he must not burn bridges in his small
                         community of artists. Extremely fond of his daughter.
          DEPUTY — An officer of the court.
AGOSTINO TASSI — Male-identifying. 30s-40s.
          Charming and determined to succeed, with a storied past. Confident. Handsome. Truly believes
          he is the hero of the story. Truly believes he is the victim, when he is no longer the hero.
COSIMO / JUDGE / PRIEST ­— Male-identifying. 50+.
          COSIMO — A short-tempered, opinionated, grandiloquent man, with great appetites. An
                         expert appraiser of art. Bit of a pedant.
          JUDGE — The richest person in the play—a nobleman, a man who truly believes he is fair and
                          progressive; a modern man.
          PRIEST — The voice of church authority in the play. A holy man.

For 6 actors the doubling should be as follows:

ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI
AGOSTINO TASSI
MARIA / TUZIA / MATTEO
ORAZIO GENTILESCHI
COSIMO / DEPUTY
JUDGE / PRIEST

Setting

PLACE
Italy.

TIME
At the turning of the 16th century.

Reviews

“From the first line of the play—about composition, story and perspective—we sense that yes, this is a character working within that 17th century artists’ studio set; but she is also talking to us, here and now and today. No stilted, highfalutin’ language, no endless painterly jargon that’ll set you perusing your program or staring at your watch, wondering just how long this is gonna take. From the opening scene—which starts in “the sweltering swamp air of Rome, 1593”—we are instantly as one with Hamill and the world of Artemisia Gentileschi. …exemplary. Strong words. Strong performance. Strong play.”
— NY Stage

Full-Length
Drama
2W, 3M
or 2W, 4M
Play