Blood Water Paint
by Joy MCcullough, directed by Amy Poisson
macha theatre works 2019-2020 season
Blood Water Paint is an audaciously imaginative and unflinching portrayal of Artemisia Gentileschi, an Italian Baroque painter now considered one of the most accomplished of her generation. At a time when female artists were afforded no opportunities, Artemisia’s extraordinary talent earns her the recognition of Rome’s elite. Her father, Tuscan painter Orazio Gentileschi, hires a colleague to tutor his daughter. Instead, he rapes her. Refusing to stay silent about the assault, Artemisia takes her rapist to trial.
Based on true events, Blood Water Paint unfolds lyrically through interactions with the women featured in Artemisia’s most famous paintings, and culminates in her fierce battle to rise above the most devastating event in her life and fight for justice despite horrific consequences.
Playwright and author Joy McCullough has also adapted Blood Water Paint into a young adult novel in verse.
Cast: Bianca Raso, Alysha Curry, Meredith Armstrong, Leah Jarvik, Tim Gagne, and Michael D. Blum.
Production Team: Amy Poisson (Director), Anna Ly (Associate Director), Tanya Gagne (Aerial Director), Parmida Ziaei (Set Design), Jocelyne Fowler (Costume Design), Johanna Melamed (Sound Design), Dani Norberg (Lighting Design), Natalie H. Berg (Stage Manager), Kirk Vande Brake (Stage Manager).
Produced at 12th Avenue Arts.
Photos by Joe Iano Photography.
Reviews:
“This Week in Arts: Spotlight” 9-18-2019, NW Theatre
“‘Blood Water Paint’ Layers Artistry, Sexism, Violence, and Resilience Into a Vivid Portrait” 9-30-2019, NW Theatre
“The must-see theatre on now in Seattle is ‘Blood Water Paint,’ from Macha Theatre Works.”
“Inventive direction by Amy Poisson keenly captures both the steely fortitude and the softness of the leading female characters, and weaves the layers together with a strong cast that includes two aerialists as Judith and Susanna, who visit Gentileschi in her time of need and are memorialized vividly in her paintings.”
