Artemisia's Intent
Monday, October 21, 2019 at 7:30 PM
Artemisia’s Intent delivers a captivating physical performance to unearth the life, work and words of 17th century painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Inspired by every proclamation of ‘me too,’ The Anthropologists craft a startling portrait of a woman caught at the intersection of power, assault, and art.
Artemisia’s Intent delivers a captivating physical performance to unearth the life, work and words of 17th century painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Inspired by every proclamation of ‘me too,’ The Anthropologists craft a startling portrait of a woman caught at the intersection of power, assault, and art.
Declared “a powerful parallel to our current cultural moment” (Culture Catch), Artemisia’s Intent won Best Solo Drama at the 2018 Frigid Festival. Created with source material ranging from the 1612 rape trial of 17th century Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi to Taylor Swift’s 2017 assault trial, this solo show stars Mariah Freda in a performance that is “fiery, smart and appealing” (Hi! Drama). Inspired by every proclamation of, me too, Artemisia's Intent unmasks power structures one gripping masterpiece at a time.
Devised by
Devised by
Written & Directed by
Melissa Moschitto
Performed by
Mariah Freda
Cast and Crew Bios:
Mariah Freda (Performer) is a theater-making performer with an MFA from The New School for Drama. She has worked with the company since 2012 developing Artemisia's Intent (winner, Best Solo Drama, Frigid 2018), The Anthropologists Save The World! (Ice Factory 2017), No Man’s Land, MAHALLA, and This Sinking Island. Mariah is grateful for this platform to inspire action through art. Other favorite NYC projects include Paiseu (Target Margin Lab) and Members Only (Downtown Urban Arts Festival.) Two of Mariah’s original scripts have appeared at FringeNYC and Hollywood Fringe. Above all things, she is a mom to Isaac and Shiloh who drive her to create work that counts.
Melissa Moschitto (Founding Artistic Director of The Anthropologists) is a director, writer and producer, and the Founding Artistic Director of The Anthropologists. Selected projects with The Anthropologists include Artemisia's Intent (Best Solo Drama, Frigid 2018), This Sinking Island (2018), THE ANTHROPOLOGISTS SAVE THE WORLD! (Ice Factory 2017 at the New Ohio), No Man’s Land (2016, TheaterLab), MAHALLA (Jewish Plays Project, 2013 Berkshire Fringe), Another Place (HERE), For the Love Of... (The Flamboyan/CSV) and Give Us Bread (Clemente Soto Velez; 2010 Berkshire Fringe). Other directing credits include: Lonesome Valley by Tim Lord (Folk Play Project 24 Hour Festival, Brooklyn Arts Exchange), Daddy’s Black & Jewish by performance artist Lian Amaris (Nuyorican Poets Cafe), The Developer (Brooklyn Playwrights Collective), Walkabout or Reverse Continental Drift Syndrome (The Flea), Lola Got Bite (Gene Frankel Underground). International: Directing Apprentice, Compania Atalaya (dir. Ricardo Iniesta), Medea, La Extranjera (2004). As a playwright, her full-length play When Santo Domingo Isn’t Enough won Best Play at the 2006 Downtown Urban Theater Festival and was a Top Ten Finalist in Repertorio Espanol’s 2006 Nuestras Voces National Playwriting Competition. She has also written for American Theatre Magazine and the Brooklyn Rail. Melissa holds a B.A. in Theater from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and has studied with the Laban/Bartenieff Institute for Movement Studies, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Pilobolus Dance Theater, SITI Company, Kathleen Baum (Biomechanics), and at the La Mama Umbria International Director’s Symposium with Tina Landau, Ping Chong, John Jesurun, Rina Yerushalmi, Arben Kumbaro, and Jean Guy Lecat. She has led devising workshops for the Eileen Fisher Leadership Institute, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Ice Factory/New Ohio, Day One, Educational Alliance/New York Restoration Project and the Berkshire Fringe. Melissa is also a mom to two dramatic little children. ABOUT THE ANTHROPOLOGISTS: New York City based The Anthropologists is dedicated to the collaborative creation of investigative theatre that inspires action. Celebrating their 11th year, their work has been described as “eerie and weird in the best way” (Culturebot) and “incisive, even necessary work for the present moment.” (Culture Catch). Learn more at www.theanthropologists.org.
