Artemisia
By Lauren Gunderson
Produced by Roundtable Theatre Troupe at Hollingsworth Hall Cultural Center
Artemisia and her lover, Francesco, are each represented musically with strings and piano respectively. When Artemisia undergoes her torturous trial, for example, there is a cacophony of screeching, violent bowing on violins. When Francesco first enters Artemisia’s studio alone, there is a plinky, curious piano tune. And when Francesco and Artemisia have moments of renewed love and commitment, there is a soaring cello and piano duet.
Artemisia tells the life story of the Italian Baroque painter, Artemisia Gentileschi. It shares many of her experiences, from her troubled relationship with her father, to the scarring traumatic events she faced as a young woman, being discriminated against by the patriarchy, finding true love, and through it all, refining herself into the legendary painter whose work would be known for centuries to come.
I greatly value my experience working on this show, as it was a great challenge in making the most out of very limited time and resources. It was a short production process that happened while I was starting a new semester at school, and I was given no budget for sound designing. With that in mind, I made my priority to establish what the world of this play sounds like to me, and what sort of ways I can bring meaning to the show through music that I could find online for free.
Music Moment Highlights
When Artemisia’s father requests her to assist him with a large commission for a new church ceiling, she is left with no choice but to take advantage of the opportunity, and it allows her to do some real large-scale professional work. It is also a sweet moment wherein she and her father work together after many years of having a rocky, dysfunctional relationship. This music piece I found fuels the quick pacing and rising excitement of the painters, while having a sweetness akin to their healing dynamic.
When Artemisia is faced with the premature death of her child, the pain is compounded by the lack of support from her lover. To her surprise, her father eventually returns to support her during her time of deep grief. This time in her life only consists of heartbreak, defeat, and despair. Her world crumbles before her and she is left in a hollow void of resolution and purpose. In this sample, you’ll hear the music that plays as her son’s illness gets worse, the sound signifying his death, and Artemisia being swallowed by her grief.
During the final scene, Artemisia grapples with being inundated with commissions for the same Susanna and the Elders painting she has being doing for decades. She is reassured and inspired by her family that she has agency to keep it new, and to make it her own. Fueled by her desire to paint it the way she wants and not the way everyone else wants her to, we reach the climax of the show wherein she begins to fully evolve into the legendary painter she was holding back from becoming, and she paints it in a way she never has before. This is arguably the most important moment in the show; the audience is seeing Artemisia become who she was always destined to become. For this, I chose music that was bombastic and energetic, and would drive the intensity and importance of this scene through the roof as she frantically creates her masterpiece before the audience.