Full-Length (120+ Min.)

Drama

2W, 3M
or 2W, 4M

Play

The Light and the Dark

(The Life and Times of Artemisia Gentileschi)

by Kate Hamill

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Synopsis Casting & Production Media Authors

Synopsis

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.

Buy Script

Explore the script before you license. TRW Perusal Packs and Digital Plays are now available on Heyzine where you can instantly view on any web browser on any device, anytime.

Media

"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

Authors

Kate Hamill

Kate Hamill is an actor & playwright. Kate has been one of the most-produced playwrights in America from 2017-2023 and is the most-produced playwright in the country for 2024/25 (tied...

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The Light and the Dark